Watch the controversial new documentary on enigmatic UK electronic duo, The KLF
Who Killed the KLF? has been released after a lengthy copyright dispute
A new documentary exploring enigmatic UK electronic duo The KLF has been released.
Directed by filmmaker Chris Atkins, the unauthorised Who Killed The KLF? was released on digital platforms on 4th April, following a copyright dispute between Atkins and The KLF — also known as Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, or Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty — over a copyright dispute over the rights to the use of their music in the film.
Who Killed The KLF? delves into the history of the elusive dance act charting their chart success in the late-1980s and early-90s with singles such as '3AM Eternal', 'Justified and Ancient', and 'America: What Time Is Love?', alongside their controversial decision to bow out of music and enter the art scene as the K Foundation, literally setting fire to one million pounds in the process. Watch the trailer for the film below.
Premiered at Fantastic Fest in Texas last September, Atkins' documentary has been in the works for a number of years. Back in 2016, Cauty expressed the band's objections to the project. "We don’t want to do it," he said. "It’s like an archaeological dig through the past. We’re doing other things that we think are much more interesting.”
In a new piece penned for the Guardian, Atkins revealed that, despite the objections and months-long copyright dispute, all parties were on good terms in the lead-up to the documentary's release. "A few weeks ago Bill asked me for a coffee with him and Jimmy, in the cafe we had met in a dozen years before," wrote Atkins. "I went with both hope and trepidation: their blessing would make any issue with Warner Chappell much easier, but would they try to block the film? In the end, they were extremely kind and welcoming. 'We’ve seen it,' Bill grinned. This knocked me for six, given we had avoided sending out links before the release. 'And we love it.'"
