The KLF – Chill Out

The record lays flat and the sound is clean and beautiful. What else do you want? Pay 200 bucks? This unofficial release is good enough for this type of music. 5 stars for me, even if Discogs prevents me to rate it accordingly.

Chill Out by The KLF is more than just an album – it’s an auditory road trip that has left a lasting mark on the ambient genre. Released in 1990, it evokes the feeling of a nighttime drive through the American South, where reality and dreamscape blur together. However, what truly elevates this experience is the vinyl version’s unmatched sound quality, enhancing the immersive journey even further.

From the very first notes, it’s clear that Chill Out truly shines on vinyl. The warmth and analog character of the record create an almost tangible atmosphere. Every hiss, every gentle wave of synthesizer, and the scattered samples throughout the album – whether it’s the melancholic bleating of sheep or the distant screech of a train – sound particularly organic and alive on vinyl. This highlights the significance of the medium for the album’s emotional impact: while the digital version sounds clean and clear, the vinyl edition offers a depth and texture that is hard to put into words.

What’s especially impressive is the spatial breadth of the sound on vinyl. It feels as though the individual layers of sound have more room to breathe. The sound envelops the listener, almost like a soft mist accompanying the journey along those fictional coastal roads. The transitions between tracks, already seamless, feel even more natural on vinyl, reinforcing the sensation of drifting in an uninterrupted flow of sound.

The fine details of the production are also more pronounced on vinyl. The occasional radio voices or hidden samples that might go unnoticed in the CD or digital versions become clearer in the vinyl edition without disrupting the hypnotic overall sound. The subtle use of field recordings, which turns the album into an auditory collage of sorts, is particularly haunting on vinyl.

In conclusion: Chill Out is undoubtedly a milestone in the ambient genre, but on vinyl, it reveals its full magic. The warmth and depth of the analog format make the listening experience an intense and immersive journey. For fans of this album – and for ambient music enthusiasts in general – the vinyl version is a must.

My copy of this release is perfect. Clear as a bell. I still have the original CD as well, and they are comparable. Very pleased to have this copy in my collection.

Arrived unsealed that by all s is the way distributors received them. It’s not clear- more like a milky aesthetic. I have a few black spots but not lumps or bumps. After a few plays and a good wet clean it’s silent aside from a few pops here and there. How can a bootleg sound this good when Lana Del Rey’s records sound like a crackling fire. Bonkers. I’m stoked to have this record after years of hunting. It sounds great and I like to think it’s an official release.

Wow. This sounds incredible. My copy is almost completely noise free and unbelievably dynamic. So happy to find a copy that sounds this good and the clear vinyl looks awesome.

Sounds okay, but was not expecting much with an electronic album bootleg. Worth owning for the fans but not for the audiophile

So thought is pick this up, sounds pretty good if it is a bootleg. Got my copy from Banquet and it arrived unsealed. It’s kind of clear… sort of milky in places and there’s a dirty yellow patch and a couple of black dots. Side 1 has a bit of surface noise throughout, side 2 seems to be much better, few clicks and pops here and there I don’t have a full on cleaner, but have used cloth and cleaner twice no change, it’s also a little off centre so bit of a wow effect going on for side 2. Still pretty stoked to have this, the defects kinda go ok with this album 😂 would like an original… at some point! 💴

Update: assume I have this copy https://discogs.descargarpelis.net/release/27104577-The-KLF-Chill-Out

I just got a copy from Banquet. My observations:

- Concur that the sound quality is off the charts. If this is a bootleg it's really very good. Some have theorized "sourced from the US CD" esp due to missing "Dodge van" sample (end of side 1 my understanding, possibly start side 2)? But to my ear this does not sound CD-sourced, it sounds like a good mastering/pressing which for vinyl is separate.

- Mine is sort of milky-swirls in the clear, with a couple bits of dark here and there. However, no bumps/marks as Fizzyx notes, nor was it dirty. Very little surface noise, plays very nicely. Exokind replies to the above it should be crystal clear - but based on copy from "a few years ago" - 2012 is only 2 - so this release or the 2017 one? Different plant?

- I'd like to see an original cover in person. It looks a little blurry but I don't have any idea if the original looks any sharper or not. It also doesn't take much to get printing of things like this a little off, so all I can do is provide the observation here.

So all that said, there is nothing definitive here, it's really hard to tell and the mystery continues to surround this release, but my take is if you want this on vinyl at non-unobtainium prices (and a fresh new copy) it's hard to go wrong while you can (it is still in stock as of now - 8 May 2023)....

Does someone know if this edition has the sort under ambient sticker?

My opinion is that this is a bootleg. I picked up a sealed copy and the pressing quality is not great. There are numerous bumps and marks on the vinyl as well as lots of dust and plastic particles/bits from the factory. Clearly, quality control was out to lunch. Also, my copy is not true clear colored. There are vague streaks of black and brown mixed in faintly.