One of the initial works in the ambient house canon,
Chill Out is the practically beatless soundtrack to a late-night journey along the Gulf Coast, and the track titles tell much of the story: "Six Hours to Louisiana, Black Coffee Going Cold," "3AM Somewhere Out of Beaumont," "Elvis on the Radio, Steel Guitar in My Soul." Recorded live by
Drummond and
Cauty (with much unintended help from sample victims
Elvis Presley,
Fleetwood Mac, and the throat singers of
Tüva),
Chill Out consists largely of fragmented, heavily reverbed steel guitar, environmental sounds (birds, trains), occasional synth, and an angelic vocal chorus repeating
the KLF's own "Justified and Ancient" theme. Throughout,
Drummond and
Cauty display an instinctive talent for wallpaper music that's truly diverting, making
Chill Out one of the essential ambient albums.
–
John Bush, Rovi