Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

2.

The KLF – Chill Out

Chill Out is one of the most synaesthetic records I’ve ever experienced. Every time I listen to it, it brings a brand new visual journey. It’s one of those records that never sounds the same twice. I’m constantly hearing new things and imagining new imagery with each listen… and I’ve listened to it quite a bit at this point. I was late on this record – I only discovered it about five years ago or so, when my friend Oliver Payne expressed his surprise at the fact that I knew nothing about it. My knowledge of the KLF at that point didn’t involve much in terms of their discography. I was more interested in the actions they performed following the end of their music career, most notably the burning of the million quid, so discovering this record was totally mind-blowing to me. One of the things I like best about it is how masterfully sequenced it is, how it flows from one visual to the next and tells its story like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, never allowing the listener to memorise its details. It is, quite simply, one of the most conceptually stunning and sonically beautiful things I’ve ever heard.

Selected in other Baker’s Dozens: Lord Spikeheart, Tom Ravenscroft
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