With America: What Time Is Love? (Blow Up – 1991), The KLF delivers a confusing and energetic reinterpretation of their hit, halfway between homage and parody
This EP embodies KLF’s free and provocative spirit, while experimenting with an innovative sonic fusion that baffles and fascinates. It’s a work emblematic of their ability to subvert genres, redefine expectations and push musical boundaries. KLF music was at that time something really huge, and If I remember well, they were (from) the 1st electronic artists to spread expansive great video clips but, in my opinion, Unfinished Sympathy from Massive Attack was deeper video. Its not a really question of time here, but taste…
Few words about the record
Released in 1991, the EP America: What Time Is Love? by The KLF is a reworked version of the already cult song What Time Is Love?, one of the flagship tracks of the 90s rave scene. Known for their deliberately chaotic approach and iconoclastic experiments, the British duo, made up of Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty here fuse elements of techno, rock, and heavy metal in a provocative new interpretation of their hit. This American version of the original track goes beyond club music to embrace a broader, punchier sound that illustrates the band’s ability to defy expectations and embrace controversy.
The duo teams up with guitarist Glenn Hughes (former member of Deep Purple) and incorporates aggressive riffs that contrast with the trance synthesizers and percussive beats of the original version. This improbable fusion gives the track a raw intensity and an epic dimension, while remaining faithful to the duo’s characteristic rave energy. This bold choice of a marriage between techno and rock amplifies the impact of the piece, making it both more imposing and surprising.
Few more words
The EP is also a sort of ironic commentary on America and its cultural influence. The group, known for its humor and sense of provocation, plays here with the symbols of the American dream by twisting their own music to include elements of traditional rock, a popular genre across the Atlantic. The title itself, America: What Time Is Love?, rhetorically questions the West’s obsession with success and cultural domination. The KLF uses the track as a satirical nod to the music industry, simultaneously celebrating and parodying the idealization of America and its iconic musical values. By integrating heroic guitar riffs and taking on rock sounds, The KLF transforms What Time Is Love? into a true epic.
This track remains rooted in the rave scene with its pulsing beats and bass, but the rock elements bring an intensity and theatricality that sets it apart from other club tracks. The production is dense, exuberant, and even sometimes destabilizing, but it perfectly reflects the spirit of The KLF: non-conformist and visionary. They manage to transform a rave anthem into a hybrid track that retains the frenetic energy of the dance floor while making it more accessible for a rock audience. The choice to reinvent one of their greatest hits to reach a new audience, while maintaining a satirical approach, shows their mastery of marketing, provocation, and the art of musical reinvention.
