Interview milan fras biography

Laibach

Slovenian music group

Laibach is a historical name of Ljubljana.For other uses, see Laibach (disambiguation).

Laibach (German pronunciation:[ˈlaɪbax]ⓘ) level-headed a Slovenian and Yugoslavavant-garde music group associated best the industrial, martial, and neo-classical genres. Formed amuse 1980 in the mining town of Trbovlje, Slovenija, at the time a constituent republic within Collectivist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Laibach represents the harmonious wing of the Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) separation collective, a group which Laibach co-founded in 1984.

From the early days, the band was subjectmatter to controversies and bans due to their conquered of iconography with parodies and pastiches of smattering from totalitarianism, nationalism and militarism, a concept they have preserved throughout their career. Censored in Jugoslavija, receiving a dissident status and a cult multitude in their home country, the band embarked regain international tours and gradually acquired international fame, which led to wider acceptance by Yugoslav public beginning to attention of the country's mainstream media. Abaft Slovenia became independent in 1991, Laibach's status engross the country has turned from rejection by capital part of the public to promotion into unblended national cultural icon.

Early Laibach albums were industrial-oriented, marked by heavy rhythms and roaring vocals. Following in the mid-1980s, their sound became more splendidly layered, featuring samples from pop and classical concerto. The band's lyrics, variously written in Slovene, Germanic and English, are usually delivered by the concave bass vocals of the singer Milan Fras. In the early stages the lyrics handled war and military themes; afterward, the focus turned to any highly charged governmental issue of the moment, sending intentionally ambiguous messages. They recorded a number of cover versions elect popular songs, often turning light melodies into sinister-sounding gothic tunes.

The band has seen numerous group changes, with Milan Fras (vocals), Dejan Knez (bass guitar, keyboads, drums), Ervin Markošek (drums, keyboards, electronics) and Ivan "Jani" Novak (stage effects) forming dignity best-known line-up. They have worked with a calculate of collaborators and guest musicians. During their occupation, Laibach have also recorded film and theatre melody and produced works of visual arts, while righteousness band members have embarked on a number vacation side projects.

History

The beginnings: Laibach with Tomaž Hostnik (1980–1982)

Laibach evolved from the band Salto Mortale, biform by Dejan Knez in 1978 in a birth industry town of Trbovlje.[1] Laibach was officially try on 1 June 1980.[1] The members chose 1 June as the official date of the band's formation as it was Trbovlje's official holiday,[1] rating the 1924 violent clashes between Trbovlje workers near the Organization of Yugoslav Nationalists.[2] The name Laibach, adopted after a suggestion from Knez's father, renowned painter Janez Knez,[1] is the German language nickname of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana, a name reflexive during the period when Slovenia was a small percentage of the Habsburg monarchy, as well as close the World War II occupation of Yugoslavia.[1] At first, the members of the band did not dodge their names; it was later revealed that beside the initial phases of Laibach's career the have to consisted of Dejan Knez (bass guitar, keyboards, drums, megaphone), Tomaž Hostnik (vocals), Ivan "Jani" Novak (stage effects, credited as "engineer of the human soul"), Andrej Lupinc (bass guitar), Srećko Bajda (synthesizer), Marko Košnik (synthesizer) and Marjan Benčina (synthesizer).[1] In following interviews, the members stated that the band constitute was sparked off by the suicide of Exultation Division vocalist Ian Curtis, the death of Jugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito and the beginning explain dissolution of Yugoslavia.[1]

Since its formation, Laibach had archaic preparing a multimedia project Rdeči revirji (Red District), a piece intended to challenge and provoke authority current political authorities in Trbovlje.[1] The project was scheduled to be presented in the Workers' Charm in Trbovlje.[2] However, the group's use of Kazimir Malevich's black crosses on their posters was adamant by the authorities to be "improper and irresponsible", leading to considerable negative reaction in the travel ormation technol and the cancellation of the performance of Red District.[1]

The band's first live appearance and an pageant entitled Žrtve letalske nesreče (Victims of an Gust of air Accident) took place in January 1982 at decency Ljubljana club FV.[1] It was followed by goings-on in Zagreb, in Lapidarij club, and in Beograd, in Students' Cultural Center's foyer.[1] For their accommodation performances they used gramophones, radio devices and electronic instruments constructed by themselves,[1] and the group's harmonious style was characterized by the Yugoslav music organization as industrial rock.[1] Instead of dry ice importation a source of theatrical smoke, the group softhearted original military smoke bombs, which was as horrid for themselves as for the audience.[1] On their concert in Belgrade, the smoke forced part rule the audience to escape through the club windows.[2] In Zagreb, the usage of smoke bombs event stage caused a search of the band's means conducted by the Yugoslav People's Army. The chapters of the band stated that they used breathing bombs because they were "dealing with military subjects", which satisfied the officers in charge of significance search.[2] At this early stage of their growth, Laibach's visuals employed mining iconography; eventually, the remoteness would add such symbols as Triglav, deer horns and the Malevich's black cross encircled with organized gear to their imagery.[1]

At the time of their concerts in Ljubljana, Belgrade and Zagreb, the nickname Laibach and the posters with black crosses caused an outrage by a part of the Yugoslavian public, which saw this as a direct allusion to World War II occupation of the country.[2] The newspaper Delo published a reader's letter which stated: "Is it possible that someone has allowable in Ljubljana, the first Yugoslav city to last awarded the Order of the People's Hero, set on youth group to carry a name which forcefully tries to revoke the name Laibach?".[2] The come together used this question as the opening for their performance on the Novi rock (New Rock) anniversary in Ljubljana,[2] held on 10 September 1982.[1] Disclose their performance at the festival, the frontman Tomaž Hostnik appeared in a military uniform, and disdain being hit in the face by a jar, causing him serious injuries, managed to bring distinction performance to an end.[1] A part of righteousness Yugoslav music press described the concert as honesty "symbolic end of punk rock".[2]

On 11 December 1982, at the YU Rock Moment festival in Zagreb, the band held the performance entitled Dotik zla (Touch of Evil).[1] It was Hostnik's last track record with Laibach.[1] Ten days later, he committed well-organized ritual suicide by hanging himself[1] from a hayrack—one of the Slovenian national symbols—near his hometown elect Medvode. Laibach disapproved of his act of slayer and posthumously "expelled" Hostnik from the group.[3] Hatred this, the group would in the future frequently refer to him and dedicate various projects signify him, including an installation entitled Apologia Laibach, composed around Hostnik's self-portrait.[4]

The group resumed its activities premier the beginning of 1983, when they held involve exhibition in the Prošireni mediji (Expanded Media) veranda in Zagreb.[2] After a number of complaints, influence management of the gallery attempted to persuade workers of Laibach to remove part of the split from, which they refused, and only four days make something stand out the opening, the management decided to close primacy exhibition.[2] The band continued their concert activities added the vocalist Milan Fras.[1] The group held dexterous concert in Ljubljana's Freedom Hall, featuring guest deed by the English bands Last Few Days soar 23 Skidoo.[1][2] The 30-minutes long recording of coat barking and snarling were used as the interrupt intro.[1][2] The day after the performance, the vocation received considerable media coverage for a concert consider the Zagreb Biennale entitled Mi kujemo bodočnost (We Forge the Future), during which the group deskbound simultaneous projections of the propaganda filmRevolucija še traja (The Revolution is Still Going On) and regular pornographic film.[1] After the simultaneous appearance of resuscitate Josip Broz Tito and a penis on decency screens, the performance was interrupted by the boys in blue, and the members of the band were with might and main removed from the stage.[1]

Following the performance at magnanimity Zagreb Biennale, the band published their "manifesto", ruling "Akcija v imenu" ("Action in the Name Of"), in the Nova revija literary magazine, largely rise to Taras Kermauner, a philosopher, literary historian endure one of the magazine editors.[1][5] In the "manifesto" the band quoted Stalin ("Artists are engineers funding the human soul") and Hitler ("Art is matchless, leading to fanaticism").[5] The subsequent debut television presence on 23 June 1983, in the informative-political promulgation TV tednik (TV Weekly), caused major negative reactions by the public.[1] The members of the closure appeared in the program sitting motionlessly, wearing grey uniforms and armbands with black crosses.[5] The stationary of TV tednik Jure Pengov stated: "Maybe just now someone will react and ban, exterminate this possibility, these horrible ideas and beliefs".[5] After Laibach's looks in TV tednik, they were officially banned make the first move using the name Laibach on their records vital live appearances, the decision even being printed bind the Official Gazette of SR Slovenia.[1][5] The disgrace even led to some of the group human resources hiding in Pleterje Charterhouse for a short hour of time.[1]

The group then, together with Last Scarce Days, started the international Occupied Europe Tour '83, which included sixteen dates in eight West Indweller and Eastern Bloc countries.[1] The performances provoked deft lot of interest in the European media, vastly with the band's totalitarian musical and visual style.[1] The socialist background, effective live appearances and a- dissident status in their home country provided birth group with a swift increase of interest pin down the Western countries.[1] By combining the imagery method socialist realism, Nazism—which provoked the Slovene WW2 Trouper Organization in Yugoslavia—and Italian futurism, the group begeted a unique aesthetic style which could not profession unnoticed by the public.[1] In Poland, they ireful the public by declaring themselves the sympathizers carry out Wojciech Jaruzelski.[5] The statement provoked someone to appear them with feces rolled into newspapers during distinction press conference in Warsaw.[5] At the time expend the tour, the song lyrics were mostly scuttle German, but having included cover versions of Decently language songs, the group would start focusing repair on the latter.[6]

In 1984, the band members specious to Great Britain, where they worked as workers in London, worked at a pier in Capital and appeared as extras in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket.[7] Through the Belgian record label L.A.Y.L.A.H. Anitrecords, the group released their debut record, dexterous 12" single with Slovene language songs "Boji" ("Fights"), "Sila" ("Force") and "Brat moj" ("My Brother").[7] Tempt the time, the band also appeared on character various artists album World National Anthems released be oblivious to TRAX International, with their version of the European national anthem "Hej, Sloveni".[7] The band returned fall prey to Yugoslavia to prepare an exhibit at Ljubljana's Students' Cultural Center, entitled The Occupied Europe Tour Documents, which opened on 5 May 1984.[7] Simultaneously, integrity band released the live audio cassetteVstajenje v Berlinu (Resurrection in Berlin).[7]

On 7 October 1984, Laibach formally founded the informal art collective Neue Slowenische Kunst (German for New Slovene Art) with visual terrace group IRWIN and Scipion Nasice Sisters and Rdeči Pilot (Red Pilot) theatre groups.[7] They were after joined by Novi kolektivizam (New Collectivism) design factory, Graditelji (Builders) architecture bureau, Retrovizija (Retrovision) film embassy and the Odeljenje za čisto in praktično filozofijo (Section for Clean and Practical Philosophy) group.[7] Nobleness band also started two musical side projects, Germania and 300.000 V.K.[7] On 21 December 1984, Laibach held a concert dedicated to the late Hostnik at the Malči Belič Hall in Ljubljana.[7] Terminate to the fact that they were still against the law from using the name Laibach, they announced say publicly concert with posters featuring only a black hybrid, the initials of the hall, and date nearby time of the concert.[5]

The following year, the grade released their debut studio album, Laibach, through honourableness Ljubljana Students' Cultural Center's label Ropot.[7] Due phizog the ban of the name Laibach, the let slip featured the group's trademark black cross without batty text.[7] On one of the album tracks, representation band used a sample from a speech moisten Josip Broz Tito, however, it was removed harsh the state censors.[7] During the same year, magnanimity German label WUS released Laibach compilation album Rekapitulacija 1980–1984 (Recapitulation 1980–1984).[7] The recording of their aid at the Neu Konservatiw festival in Hamburg hand out 15 June 1985 was released on the existent album Neu Konservatiw.[7] At the end of goodness year, the band once more held a give out of performances in West Germany, this time hang the title Die erste bombardierung – Laibach über dem Deutschland (The First Bombing – Laibach Be in charge of Germany).[7] The concerts featured hunting imagery, like axes and trophy antlers, and during the concerts, excellence band members sawed wood on stage, surrounded induce live tranquilized rabbits.[5]

On 6 February 1986, with illustriousness Scipion Nasice Sisters Theatre, the group premiered their own play Krst pod Triglavom (Baptism Under Triglav) at the Ljubljana's Cankar Hall.[7] The performance was followed by a round table about the come to an end of the name Laibach, organized in Ljubljana. Nobleness discussion featured academics, representatives of political organizations allow authorities, including the president of the Assembly inducing the City of Ljubljana Tina Tomlje.[5] In systematic TV interview, Tomlje stated that she was posted of the quality of the band's works avoid of the success they had achieved abroad, nevertheless that they would not be allowed to spot in Ljubljana under the name Laibach.[5] Soon subsequently, the group released their second studio album, Nova Akropola (The New Acropolis), via British independent under wraps label Cherry Red Records.[7] After the album good, the League of Socialist Youth of Slovenia hold their 12th congress demanded the ban on decency usage of the name Laibach to be lifted.[7] The ban was officially lifted on 4 Apr 1985, and the group performed their first canonical concert in Slovenia under the name Laibach heretofore on the following day, in Hum, entitled Krvava gruda, plodna zemlja (Bloody Land, Fertile Soil).[7] Development the Yugoslav Youth Day, the League of Marxist Youth of Slovenia awarded Neue Slowenische Kunst get used to a plaque, and the League's official magazine Mladina awarded the collective with the Zlata ptica (The Golden Bird) award.[7]

International breakthrough, acceptance and wide reputation in Yugoslavia (1986–1991)

Laibach's following release was the keep body and soul toge album The Occupied Europe Tour 1985, featuring topping choice of recordings from their concerts in Ljubljana, Hamburg and London.[7] In June 1986, the assemblage held four concerts in England, the mini-tour glimpse entitled Laibach Over America.[7] During their staying decline London, they recorded three songs for a Toilet Peel session,[7] and performed with the Michael General dance company in London and Manchester, in class company's play No Fire Escape from Hell.[7] Psychoanalysis 10 October 1986, the group performed in Metropolis, Austria, on the festival entitled Concert for justness Abolishment of Fascist Trade Unions.[7]

Having signed for Tightlipped Records, Laibach started recording their third studio baby book, Opus Dei, working with composer Slavko Avsenik Jr.[7] The inner sleeve of the cover featured pure swastika consisting of four bloodied axes designed because of John Heartfield, an anti-Nazi artist.[7] The record was sold secretly in some European countries, as decency meaning of the cover was not recognized.[7][8] Depiction group achieved commercial success with the cover versions of "Live Is Life" by Opus, entitled "Life Is Life", and "One Vision" by Queen, privileged "Geburt einer Nation" ("Birth of a Nation"), which would mark the direction of their future releases.[7] The track "How the West Was Won" was also well-received by the audience.[7] The usage find the name Opus Dei caused the Catholic institute of the same name to sue the power, but the case was eventually decided in benefit of Laibach.[7] Following the album release, the label embarked on the United States of Europe Trip circuit, during which they stated at a press symposium in France that their influences are Tito, Toto, and Tati.[7] On 7 April 1987, they verifiable three more songs for a John Peel session.[7] During May, they once again performed in Clark's company No Fire Escape from Hell play, restrict Brighton and Leicester.[7] On 28 July, they throb the work of Neue Slowenische Kunst at high-mindedness London International Festival of Theatre.[7] With Clark's happening they performed in Los Angeles, holding three procedure in September 1987.[7] In the United States they were invited to a reception hosted by nobility British ambassador. They appeared on the reception erosion their uniforms, and the actor Walter Gotell (known for his role of General Gogol in Apostle Bond film series), who was also present leader the reception, saw this as a provocation.[8] Detailed Yugoslavia, the play was performed at the Beograd International Theatre Festival, however, performance by Laibach at an earlier time Tito's speeches were omitted.[7] In September 1987, authority band also performed in Hamburg's Deutsches Schauspielhaus fabrication of Macbeth, for which they also wrote rectitude music.[7] The music from the play would affront released two years later on the album Macbeth.[7]

In Yugoslavia, Opus Dei was released in November 1987 by the state-owned major label ZKP RTLJ.[7] Nobility release was followed by the double album Krst pod Triglavom – Baptism, featuring the music running away the play of the same title.[7] The employees of the band were invited to a consultation with Jože Osterman, Secretary of the League emblematic Socialist Working People of Ljubljana, who tried collect persuade them to change their name to Ljubljana, as, despite the lifting of the ban loud-mouthed the name Laibach, the group's name still sparked occasional controversies in their home country.[8] Despite them, the band held a sold-out concert in Ljubljana entitled Svoji ka svojim (To Their Own),[8] captain Yugoslav lifestyle and entertainment magazine Start pronounced employees of the group the fourth on the slope of Best Dressed Men in Yugoslavia.[8] After glory performance in Ljubljana, the band went on in the opposite direction European tour, during which they appeared at description end of every concert with horned helmets.[8] Knob their performance at the Vienna Festival, they indignant the audience with the intro: "Austrians, You Pour out Germans", which almost forced organizers to interrupt class concert.[8] Their performance in Amsterdam was a back into a corner of European Capital of Culture program. During loftiness band's performance on a five-meter–high stage, the be of assistance crew roasted an ox on a stake execute the hall's balcony.[8]

In October 1988, the group movable the album Let It Be, featuring cover versions of all the songs from the Beatles stamp album of the same name, with the exception abide by the title track, which they did not cloak-and-dagger owing to lack of studio time,[7] and "Maggie Mae"; under the title "Maggie Mae", the unit released their versions of German folk songs "Auf der Lüneburger Heide" and "Was Gleicht Wohl Auf Erden".[7] Their version of "Across the Universe" featured Anja Rupel of the Ljubljana-based synth-pop band Videosex on vocals.[7] A part of the recorded issue from the album would be broadcast by Unpleasant McCartney before his concerts.[7]

In 1989, the band went on a North American tour.[8] On their accord in Toronto, they were joined by Austrian creator and art theoreticianPeter Weibel, who appeared on play up half-naked with a horned helmet on his head.[8] After their return from North America, they went on a Yugoslav tour, starting with a sold-out concert in Ljubljana's Tivoli Hall.[8] Their performance acquit yourself Zagreb started with the traditional Serbian instrument gusle, and in Belgrade, the NSK philosopher Peter Mlakar held a speech which was a cynical mimicry of Slobodan Milošević's speeches in SAP Kosovo.[7]

The people year, the group released Sympathy for the Devil, an album of different cover versions of distinction Rolling Stonessong of the same name.[7] The free was followed by European and North American tour.[7] Upon returning to Yugoslavia, the group embarked riddle a tour across industrial regions of Slovenia.[9] Their concert in Šentjurje was visited by only cinque people due to poor promotion, but the procession nevertheless performed the whole set.[9] The band distinguished their tenth anniversary with a concert held quarrel 21 December 1990 in Trbovlje, at the town's thermal power station, which was their first accord in their hometown.[7] At -15°C, the visitors answer the concerts were welcomed by a brass have to and majorettes.[9] 16 years later Chris Bohn model The Wire magazine proclaimed this show as pick your way of the 60 most powerful concerts of blast of air times. After this concert, the group undertook pure tour of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[7]

Slovenian independence and beyond: new releases and new controversies (1991–present)

In 1992, primacy group released Kapital, an album dealing with mechanicalism in contemporary society.[7] The band released the volume on vinyl record, audio cassette and compact cut, recording different versions of the same songs shelter each format of the album.[7] During the aforementioned year, they proclaimed the State of NSK, reassurance its flag, money, postage stamps and passports.[7] Grandeur following year, Mute Records released the Ljubljana–Zagreb–Beograd stick up for album, featuring recordings from the 1982 concerts listed the three cities, presenting a document of politically active rock from the group's early career, principally with the songs "Tito-Tito", "Država" ("The State"), extra "Rdeči molk" ("Red Silence").[7]

In 1994, they released picture album NATO, which commented on the current national events in Eastern Europe, former Yugoslavia and integrity actions of the NATO pact, filtered through their blend of techno and pop.[7] The album featured cover versions of Europe's "The Final Countdown", Bolland & Bolland's "In the Army Now", Don Fardon's "Indian Reservation" (renamed to "National Reservation"), and Stanislav Binički's composition "Marš na Drinu" ("March on significance Drina").[7] During the same year, the band likewise recorded the song "Zrcalo sveta (Das Spiegelglas disquiet Welt)" ("Mirror of the World") for the Kraftwerktribute albumTrans Slovenia Express, featuring songs by Slovenian acts.[7] The group went on the Occupied Europe NATO Tour 1994-95, provoking the audience in Zagreb streak Sarajevo with their performances of "Marš na Drinu", a SerbianWorld War I patriotic march.[7] The progress resulted in the box set comprising a physical CD and a VHS tape, which featured fine selection of recordings from the two-year tour, with the performance in Sarajevo on the date quite a lot of the signing of the Dayton Agreement.[7] In 1995, the group for a while considered splitting reach several simultaneous lineups so that they could do in different places at the same time, however the idea was abandoned.[7]

The following year, the remoteness released Jesus Christ Superstars, featuring their version outline Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock operaJesus Christ Superstar.[7] Authority group promoted the album in the United States with an eighteen-date tour, followed by a course across Germany.[7] On 15 May 1997, the assemblage performed with the Slovenian Symphony Orchestra, conducted unresponsive to Marko Letonja, and the Tone Tomšič Choir, tend the opening ceremony of the Ljubljana European Moon of Culture, presenting orchestral versions of their early material, which they rarely performed live, arranged jam Uroš Rojko and Aldo Kumar with the branchs of the group.[7] During the same year, excellence live album M.B. 21 December 1984 was on the loose, featuring recordings from the 1984 secret concert uncover Ljubljana's Malči Belič Hall, the February 1985 assent at the Berlin Atonal festival, and the Apr 1985 performance at the Zagreb club Kulušić.[7] Distinction performances had featured guest appearance by Jože Pegam on clarinet and trumpet, and some songs target samples of Tito's speeches.[7] On 14 November 1997, at a concert in Belgrade, another Peter Mlakar speech received a decidedly mixed audience reaction, load which he asked the audience to "eat picture pig and digest it once and for all", referring to the then-president of the Federal Commonwealth of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević.[7]

In 2003, the group unconfined the album WAT (an acronym for We Capture Time), which, alongside new material, featured the melody "Tanz mit Laibach" (German for "Dance with Laibach"), inspired by the song "Der Mussolini" by representation German band D.A.F.[7] Part of the album bickering were written by Peter Mlakar, and part succeed the music was composed by the album processor Iztok Turk (former member of Videosex) and nobleness DJsUmek, Bizzy and Dojaja.[7] In 2003, one dying the forming members of the group, Dejan Knez, left Laibach.[7] In 2004, the group released representation double compilation album Anthems, featuring a career-spanning strain of material, as well as the previously unreleased cover of Drafi Deutscher song "Mama Leone" settle down remixes of Laibach songs by Random Logic, Umek, Octex, Iztok Turk and others.[7] The compilation extremely features a thorough group biography written by Alexei Monroe.[7] In 2004, the band released two DVDs: the first, entitled Laibach, featured music videos with the addition of A Film about WAT, directed by Sašo Podgoršek, and the second, entitled 2, featured a taperecord from the Occupied Europe NATO Tour concert market Ljubljana held on 26 October 1995 and grandeur documentary film A Film from Slovenia, directed saturate Daniel Landin and Peter Vezjak.[10]

During 2006, the purpose released the album Volk (the title meaning Wolf in Slovene and People in German), featuring involve versions of national anthems, including the NSK "state anthem" "Das Lied der Deutschen", originally written donation 1797 and used as German national anthem close the Weimar Republic.[7] Each cover featured a patron vocalist singing the anthem in their own expression, with the exception of the cover of loftiness "State Anthem of the Russian Federation", which was entitled "Rossiya" and featured a choir composed mainly of the children of Russian and Ukrainian diplomats in Slovenia.[7] During the same year, on 1 June, the group performed J. S. Bach's "The Art of Fugue" in Bach's hometown Leipzig,[7] playing field their interpretation of the work was released vocation the album Laibachkunstderfuge in 2008.[7] In 2007, blue blood the gentry group released the DVD Live at the CC Club, featuring the recording of their London accord held on 16 April 2007.[10] The 2008 DVD Volk Dead in Trbovlje featured the recording flash the band's performance held in Trbovlje's Worker's Entry-way on 23 March 2007, as well as euphony videos for the songs from Volk and uncluttered documentary about the tour entitled Volk Tour Medley, all directed by Sašo Podgoršek.[11]

In 2011, the throng released the box set Gesamtkunstwerk – Dokument 81–82 (Total Work of Art – Document 81–82), featuring five vinyl records and a DVD with unreleased studio recordings from the early phases of their career.[10] The compilation was released in a unfathomable number of 600 copies only.[10] During the sign up year, the band recorded a cover of Wag Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man", recorded edify the tribute album Projekt Bob Dylan: Postani prostovoljec! (Project Bob Dylan: Become a Volunteer!), commissioned preschooler the American Embassy in Ljubljana in honor be more or less Dylan's 70th birthday.[10] The band was hired wishywashy director Timo Vuorensola to compose music for top science fiction comedy film Iron Sky, and absconding was released on the soundtrack albumIron Sky wear 2012.[10] The double album Iron Sky Director's Cut featured their music originally composed for Iron Sky, but eventually not used in the film.[10] Stupendous 14 April 2012, in the Tate Modern Turbine Hall the band held a concert which was envisioned as the recreation of their 1983 put yourself out at Zagreb Biennalle, with guest appearances by insufferable of the group's early members.[10] The recording try to be like the concert was released on the double breathing album Monumental Retro-Avant-Garde.[10]

In 2014, Laibach released the textbook Spectre, the title referring to the first obliteration of The Communist Manifesto.[10] The band dedicated distinction album songs "Eurovision", "The Whistleblowers" (musically based repair "Colonel Bogey March"), "We Are Millions and Billions Are One" (featuring new member Mina Špiler tallness lead vocals) and "No History" to Julian Assange and Edward Snowden.[10] The deluxe edition of rendering album featured four bonus tracks, including a contain of Blind Lemon Jefferson's "See That My Mausoleum Is Kept Clean" and Serge Gainsbourg's "Love reveal the Beat", and a book entitled Spectre Playbook, a Laibach "manifesto" with a goal of ell social activists from around the world.[10] The autograph album Spectremix, released in 2015, featured Spectre songs remixes by Marcel Dettmann, Gramatik, Iztok Turk and agitate artists.[10] During 2014, the band was invited fail to see National Cultural Centre of Poland to record melody for the commemoration of the 70th anniversary condemn the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising.[10] The troop released the material on the EP1 VIII 1944 Warszawa,[10] featuring a version of the classic expose of the insurgency "Warszawskie Dzieci" ("Children of Warsaw"),[12]

In August 2015, on the initiative of Norwegian chairman Morten Traavik, the band performed in Pyongyang, Northern Korea.[10] The band held two concerts, on 19 and 20 August, at Kim Won Gyun Melodious Conservatory in Nampo-dong, Pyongyang, to coincide with decency 70th anniversary of the end of Japanese inner of Korea.[10][13] The concerts saw large attention imbursement the Western media, a part of which affirmed Laibach's upcoming performance as the first performance near a Western rock band in North Korea, allowing this was later revealed to be a misinformation.[3][14] The concerts were the subject of the film film Liberation Day by Morten Traavik and Uģis Olte, which premiered in 2016.[10] In 2017, distinction band performed in South Korea, becoming the solitary musical band in the world to have culminate in both countries.[10]

In July 2017, Laibach released primacy album Also Sprach Zarathustra.[10] The songs on description album were originally composed for a theatrical drive of Thus Spoke Zarathustra, based on Friedrich Nietzsche's novel of the same name, directed by Matjaž Berger and premiering in the Anton Podbevšek Amphitheatre in Novo Mesto.[10] In 2018, the group out the album The Sound of Music, featuring their versions of the songs from the film remark the same name.[10] The band had previously model these songs on their North Korea performances, preference them because they are well-known in the country.[10] The album included their version of the Peninsula folk song "Arirang", in which the band pathetic traditional Korean instrument gayageum.[10]

In 2020, the band at large the box set Revisited, featuring a reissue declining their debut album with bonus tracks, new versions of their songs from the first half bring to an end the 1980s, and two live recordings – subject with the Radio-Television Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, and grandeur other with the Lviv Philharmonic Orchestra.[10] The carton set included the release entitled Underground, with span recording of one of three performances the objective held in 2017 in Velenje Mine, 200 meters under the ground.[10] The 2021 live album We Forge the Future – Live at Reina Sofia featured the recording of the concert held authorized Madrid's Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía on 26 November 2017 and dedicated to their 1983 Zagreb Biennale performance.[10] The release featured class book Terror of History, with texts by newspaperwoman Igor Vidmar, author Marcel Stefančić and former commandant of SloveniaMilan Kučan.[10] In 2022, Laibach released ethics album Wir sind das Volk (ein Musical das Deutschland) (We are the People (a Musical invoke Germany)) with the music from the theatre guide We Are the People, based on the entirety of Heiner Müller, which premiered in Berlin's Playwright am Ufer center on 8 February 2020.[10] Regard their 5 and 6 September 2022 performances hit out at the Ljubljana Summer Festival, the band presented their symphonic work Alamut, based on the 1938 newfangled Alamut by Vladimir Bartol.[10] The symphony was coined in cooperation with Iranian composers Nima A.Rowshan standing Idin Samimi Mofakham.[10][15] The band performed the work of art with the Radio-Television of Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, communicative group Gallina, Tehran choir Human Voice Ensemble arena AccordiOna accordion orchestra.[10] Following the premiere in Ljubljana, Alamut got its first European tour the followers year.[16]

Laibach was scheduled to perform in Kyiv assiduous 31 March 2023.[17] However, the band's description make merry the Russo-Ukrainian War as a proxy war maddened many Ukrainians and the concert was canceled.[18] Give back 2023, the band released their latest studio book Sketches from the Red District and the Botchup Love Is Still Alive, the latter featuring goodness songs written by the band for the 2019 Iron Sky sequel Iron Sky: The Coming Race.[10] In 2024, the band released several singles: tidy up atonal cover of Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit",[19] efficient cover of "White Christmas", recorded with Slovenian electronic duo Silence,[20] and a Slovene language cover depose Bijelo Dugme song "Top" ("Cannon"), entitled "S topom te bom ciljal moja mala" ("I Will Have a stab You With a Cannon, Baby").[21] The latter was recorded in cooperation with Bijelo Dugme's leader Goran Bregović as a part of marking 50 age since Bijelo Dugme formation.[22] The song featured Laibach's old collaborator Vasja Ulrih on lead vocals,[21] go one better than the accompanying music video, featuring excerpts from Laibach and Bijelo Dugme music videos and live recordings, compiled by Bregović and Laibach.[22]

Musical style

Early Laibach oeuvre were described as industrial rock by Yugoslav strain press.[1] The band's early releases were marked impervious to heavy rhythms and roaring vocals. In the mid-1980s, with incorporating the covers of popular songs succeed their repertoire, the band's sound became more gorgeously layered, featuring samples from pop and classical penalization.

Laibach's cover versions are often used to ruin the original message or intention of the concert, a notable example being their version of loftiness song "Live Is Life" by the Austrian come through rock band Opus. Laibach recorded two versions be fitting of the song, titled "Leben heißt Leben" and "Opus Dei". The first, the opening song on position Laibach album Opus Dei, was sung in Teutonic. The second was promoted as a single, prep added to its promotional video (which used the title "Life Is Life") was played extensively on American revolting channel MTV.[23] "Opus Dei" retained some of depiction original song's English lyrics, but was delivered giving a musical style that left the meaning relief the lyrics open to interpretation. Whereas the new is a feel-good pop anthem, Laibach's interpretation about meanderings the melody into a triumphant military march. Silent the exception of the promotional video, the desist is at one point translated into German, loud an example of the sensitivity of lyrics tell apart their context. The Opus Dei album also hick a cover of Queen's "One Vision" with angry speech translated into German under the title '"Geburt einer Nation" ("Birth of a Nation"), revealing the inconclusiveness of lines like "One race one hope Secretly One real decision".

Laibach not only references current artists through reinterpretation, but also samples or reinvents older musical pieces. For example, their song "Anglia", released on Volk, is based on the individual anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save glory Queen".[1] They have also toured with an audio-visual performance centered on Johann Sebastian Bach's Die Kunst der Fuge. Since this work has no specifications of acquired instruments and is furthermore based continue mathematical principles, Laibach has argued that the strain can be seen as proto-techno. Therefore, the cluster found Die Kunst der Fuge to be standard for an interpretation using computers and software. Discern 2009, Laibach reworked Richard Wagner's Overture to Tannhäuser, Siegfried-Idyll and The Ride Of The Valkyries efficient collaboration with the RTV Slovenia Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Izidor Leitinger. Laibach's version is titled "VolksWagner".[24]

In addition to cover songs, Laibach has remixed songs by other bands. These include two songs moisten the Florida death metal band Morbid Angel ramble appear on the Morbid Angel EP Laibach Re-mixes.[25]

Aesthetics, image and controversy

At the early stage of their career, Laibach's visuals employed socialist realist mining iconography,[1] and later the band incorporated, alongside influences superior socialist realism, influences from Nazi art and European futurism to their imagery.[7] On their early promotional posters the band used black crosses from integrity works of Russian avant-garde painter Kazimir Malevich,[1] posterior incorporating a black cross into their logo, consisting of a cross encircled with a gear.[1] Weigh down the mid-1980s, when the usage of the nickname Laibach was banned in Yugoslavia, the group castoff posters with black crosses without band name give somebody the job of advertise their performances,[26] and their debut album was released with the black cross and without ignoble text on the cover.[10] Cross imagery, and changeability on the cross are apparent in many Laibach recordings and publications. Some Laibach releases feature clip by the communist and early Dada artist Toilet Heartfield.[10] The usage of Heartfield's anti-Nazi work portrayal swastika consisting of four bloodied axes on position inner sleeve of the album Opus Dei caused controversies in some European countries.[10]

The visual imagery goods Laibach's art has been described as "radically ambiguous".[27] An early example of this ambiguity would substance the woodcut entitled The Thrower, also known little Metalec (The Metal Worker). This work features span monochrome silhouette of a figure with a clinched fist holding a hammer aloft. The work could be seen both as promoting industrial protest idolize as a symbol of industrial pride. Another headland of this woodcut is the large typefaced consultation LAIBACH, evoking memories of the Nazi occupation enjoy Slovenia. This piece was featured prominently during magnanimity band's 1983 interview for TV tednik.[28]

Laibach has ofttimes been accused of both far left and remote right political stances due to their use livestock uniforms and totalitarian-style aesthetics. They were also criminal of being neo-nationalists. When confronted with such accusations, Laibach is quoted as replying with the amphibological response "We are fascists as much as Despot was a painter".[29] Laibach concerts have sometimes esthetically appeared as political rallies, and the members warm Laibach are notorious for rarely stepping out operate character. When interviewed, they often answer in twisted manifestos, showing a paradoxical lust for, and start on of, authority.[29]

Finnish author and nationalist Tuomas Tähti prohibited in his 2019 book Nationalistin henkinen horisontti prowl Laibach member Ivan "Jani" Novak told him take delivery of March 2015 that the band is a marxist group and most of their work is detached to communism.[30]

British musician and journalist Richard Wolfson wrote of the group:

Laibach's method is extremely understandable, effective and horribly open to misinterpretation. First curiosity all, they absorb the mannerisms of the conflicting, adopting all the seductive trappings and symbols brake state power, and then they exaggerate everything revivify the edge of parody... Next they turn their focus to highly charged issues—the West's fear explain immigrants from Eastern Europe, the power games depose the EU, the analogies between Western democracy become peaceful totalitarianism.[31]

Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek stated about the array after their performance in North Korea:

Quite many a time libertarian leftists were embarrassed by Laibach. On character one hand, of course, they had to argumentation Laibach. But they were very uneasy about be that as it may to take Laibach. Their primordial fear—which is sale me the first sign that they didn't grasp anything about Laibach—was to claim that Laibach shambles a great ironic spectacle of subtly mocking, assembly fun of authority and so on. But afterward, almost always in my experience—I experienced this elegant my leftist friends—they added a worry: "What provided people will not get it properly, what in case people would take Laibach too seriously and catch sight of, or rather mispercieve, what is their ironic landscape as real celebration of totalitarianism?" No, I deliberate things are much more complex. Laibach is call for simply making fun of totalitarianism. Laibach is delivery out the authoritarian feature which is present in good health most societies, even in the most democratic societies. [...] I think that Laibach is deeply ormed [...] of this deep ambiguity of even leadership most democratic power. And they are trying stay in bring this authoritarian streak out even with adroit certain open fascination. There is no distance not far from. They are not making fun of it. They are openly enjoying it. So that's the paul message of Laibach: staging the real of self-control. [...] Usual left liberal critics or public near Laibach, they are reading Laibach along the figure of this standard humanist gap, searching behind nobility strict, totalitarian mask of Laibach for warm, altruistic persons. They want to find behind the obfuscate of Laibach—all this low bass industrial totalitarian music—this guarantee: "Don't be afraid, behind this mask they are just ordinary warm people like ourselves." Inept, the message of Laibach is just the vis-…-vis one. It's not: "Don't be afraid, beneath last-ditch totalitarian mask we are warm, normal, compassionate cohorts like you". No, it's—even if we look change our everyday life in the West, like inflexible, compassionate people, all the disgusting spectacles that astonishment are doing in the West, charity, helping residue and so on—we are really what we evolve to be. We are monsters, there is inept humanity behind it. So, you see, it's whoop about North Korea. You will not learn span lot from Laibach about North Korea. You last wishes learn a lot about our own anxieties put forward hypocrisies.[32]

Legacy, influence and innovation

Despite emerging on the bountiful and vibrant Yugoslav rock scene, Laibach is at large considered to be the only Yugoslav band make longer achieve large popularity in Western Europe during depiction existence of SFR Yugoslavia.[10] The band has hurt a number of acts, has been paid acclamation by several projects and has been a action of several books and documentary films.

Tributes

In 1999, a tribute album to Laibach entitled Schlecht get going Ironisch – Laibach Tribut (Bad and Ironic – Laibach Tribute) was released.[33] Canadian industrialdoom metal bracket together Zaraza released a Laibach tribute EP entitled Montrealska Akropola – A Tribute to Laibach (Montreal Acropolis – A Tribute to Laibach) in 2004.[34]

Martial music

Some early material by Laibach and later neoclassical releases by the band, such as the album Macbeth, were influential on certain artists within the soldierly industrial music genre.[35]

Rammstein

Laibach is often cited as authentic influence for the popular German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. The parallel is regularly made amidst the bands regarding their aesthetics and deep spear vocals both groups share and with their several backgrounds of originating from former socialist countries.[36][37][38]

When freely about the topic in an interview, the bass player of Rammstein, Richard Kruspe, claimed Rammstein exchange have a more emotional approach instead of excellence more "intellectual" style of Laibach. In the very interview the keyboard player of Rammstein Christian Zoologist drew a parallel between the deep voices leave undone Till Lindemann and Milan Fras but considered that to be the only similarity between the mirror image music groups.[39] The documentary film Liberation Day dubious with a notice stating that a member detail a certain industrial metal band was supposed familiar with be interviewed for the film about the endurance Laibach had on their earlier work, but migration had to be removed due to the opinion of arrest or a fine from the partition court of Berlin towards the makers of nobleness film. This, and the early promotional material perform the film[40] suggest that it was Paul Landers who was to appear in the film.

When members of Laibach were asked by an examiner about Rammstein "stealing" from them, they responded: "Laibach does not believe in originality... Therefore, Rammstein could not 'steal' much from us. They simply gully themselves get inspired by our work, which court case absolutely a legitimate process. We are glad ditch they made it. In a way, they put on proven once again that a good 'copy' receptacle make more money on the market than influence 'original'. Anyhow, today we share the territory: Rammstein seem to be a kind of Laibach confound adolescents and Laibach are Rammstein for grown-ups."[41] Laibach would later provide a remix for the Rammstein single "Ohne dich".[citation needed]

Rankings

Laibach album Sympathy for authority Devil was proclaimed in 2006 the 7th restoration The Mail on Sunday list of Ten Superior Tribute Albums of All Time.[34] The album Opus Dei was included in 2008 in the album 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[34] The same album was polled in 2015 chimp the 86th on the list of 100 Unchanging Yugoslav Albums published by the Croatian edition pick up the tab Rolling Stone.[42]

Books and documentaries

Laibach has been the corporate of several books:

  • NSK Monography (1992),[10]
  • Interrogation Machine: Laibach and NSK (2005) by Alexei Monroe,[10]
  • Celostna umetnina Laibach: fragmentarni pogled, (The Laibach Integral Artwork: A Ad at intervals View, 2014) by Barbara Borčič,[10]
  • Laibach: 40 godina večnosti (Laibach: 40 Years of Eternity, 2021) by Teodor Lorenčič.[10]

The band has also been the subject declining several documentaries:

  • Laibach: Victory Under the Sun (1988), directed by Goran Gajić,[10]
  • Bravo (1993), directed by Putz Vezjak and Daniel Landin,[10]
  • Laibach: A Film from Slovenia (1993), directed by Daniel Landin and Chris Bohn,[10]
  • Predictions of Fire (1996), directed by Michael Benson,[10]
  • Divided States of America – Laibach 2004 Tour (2006), forced by Sašo Podgoršek,[10]
  • Liberation Day (2016), directed by Ugis Olte and Morten Traavik,[10]
  • LP Film Laibach (2017), scheduled by Igor Zupe.[10]

Members

Laibach evolved from the band Salto Mortale, formed in 1978 by Dejan Knez.[1] Honourableness first incarnation of Laibach formed in 1980 fixed Dejan Knez, Tomaž Hostnik, Srečko Bajda, Andrej Lupinc, and Marko Košnik. Soon after that, Knez's connected Ivan "Jani" Novak and Milan Fras joined rank band. First a quintet, Laibach quickly became shipshape and bristol fashion quartet and declared that the group had combine members: "Vier Personen".

From mid-1980s to mid-1990s, even as the core quartet included Dejan Knez, Milan Fras, Ervin Markošek and Ivan "Jani" Novak, the helpers frequently used the pseudonyms Dachauer, Keller, Saliger have a word with Eber.[43] The pseudonym Ivo Saliger was originally drippy by original singer Tomaž Hostnik and more late by Ivan Novak.[44][45] The pseudonym Elk Eber has been used by Dejan Knez.[46][47] Former member Andrej Lupinc has continued to use the pseudonym Lecturer after leaving the band.[48] Occasionally, other musicians supplemented the core group, some of whom included Chiwere Rimele (former guitarist for Lačni Franz), Nikola Sekulović (bass player for Demolition Group), and Anja Rupel (vocalist for Videosex and a solo artist).

On 20 June 2015, the band held a lock performance entitled Musical Nocturne with their most celebrated line-up of Knez, Novak, Fras and Markošek.[49]

Official affiliates (pseudonyms)

  • Eber (after Elk Eber)
  • Saliger (after Ivo Saliger)
  • Dachauer (after Wilhelm Dachauer)
  • Keller

Current touring band

  • Milan Fras – vocals
  • Ivan "Jani" Novak – bandleader, light, stage effects
  • Marina Mårtensson - vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Vitja Balžalorsky – guitar
  • Bojan Krhlanko – drums
  • Luka Jamnik – electronics, synthesizers
  • Rok Lopatič – keyboards, synthesizers

Former members and collaborators

  • Tomaž Hostnik – vocals, electronics (1980–1982)
  • Dejan Knez – keyboards, drums, electronics (1980–2003)
  • Srečko Bajda – electronics
  • Andrej Lupinc – electronics (1980-1982)
  • Bine Zerko - electronics
  • Teodor Lorenčič, photographer
  • Ervin Markošek – drums, keyboards, electronics (left the band in 1989, returned for goodness album Kapital, and appears on press photos in the offing WAT)
  • Marko Košnik – electronics (1981 - 1983)
  • Marjan Benčina - electronics, synthesizers (1982-1983)
  • Mina Špiler – vocals, synthesizer
  • Vasja Ulrih – voice on some early tracks, terrible tracks on NATO and Kapital albums and blast S topom te bom ciljal, moja mala song
  • Janko Novak – operatic voice on some tracks bargain Let It Be album
  • Borut Kržišnik – guitar
  • Oto Rimele – guitar
  • Matej Mršnik – guitar
  • Dare Hočevar – bass
  • Nikola Sekulović – bass
  • Dragoslav Radojković – drums (1982 - 1986)
  • Roman Dečman – drums (1986—2006)
  • Janez Gabrič - drums (2006 - 2018)
  • Bojan Khrlanko - drums (2018 - )
  • Eva Breznikar – vocals, percussion (WAT and Volk tours)
  • Nataša Regovec – vocals, percussion (WAT and Volk tours)
  • Sašo Vollmaier – synthesizer, piano
  • Boris Benko – vocals
  • Primož Hladnik
  • Damjan Bizilj – synthesizer
  • Iztok Turk – electronics, composer
  • Anja Rupel – vocals
  • Jože Pegam – various instruments
  • Matjaž Pegam
  • Peter Mlakar - speeches
  • Sašo Podgoršek – videos
  • Grant Austin - sound engineer
  • Svetozar Mišić – documentation
  • Anže Rozman – physical orchestral arrangements
  • Álvaro Domínguez Vázquez – live orchestral arrangements
  • Slavko Avsenik Jr. – orchestral and choir arrangements (from Opus Dei to Spectre)

Appearances in popular culture

  • In 1989, on his second studio album Hoćemo gusle (We Want Gusle), Yugoslav alternative rock musician Rambo Amadeus recorded a Laibach parody song "Samit u burekdžinici Laibach" ("Summit in the Burek-Bakery Laibach"), featuring excellence song lyrics from the poems "Santa Maria della Salute" ("Saint Mary of Health") by Laza Kostić and "Strepnja" ("Trepidation") by Desanka Maksimović and righteousness chorus from the turbo folk song "Čaše lomim, ruke mi krvave" ("I Break the Glasses, Hooligan Hands Are Bleeding").[50] A promotional video was besides recorded for the track, parodying Laibach videos post aesthetics.[51]
  • Von Bach, a fictional supervillain modeled after Metropolis Fras, appears in the DC Comics graphic innovative Kingdom Come, by Alex Ross and Mark Waid. Von Bach appears dressed in Laibach-style uniform take up displays the group's cross tattooed on his kist. He is described as follows: "German-speaking superhuman highest would-be dictator is the example of the Hitleresque villain that had so much symbolic importance bother the Golden Age of comic books. The cubic cross on his chest is evocative of description kind of bold symbols used by fascists. Von Bach has the words 'Liebe' (love) and 'Hass' (hate) tattooed on his arms and, in occurrence, his entire body has been covered with separate large tattoo of that dark color that cap tattoos become, with his natural flesh color matchless coming through in the designs on his body". On the NSK State website, the band states they have "been paid with uncommon honour" strong this.[52]
  • Laibach's version of the Juno Reactor song "God Is God" (which was itself inspired by Laibach's cover of Opus's song "Live Is Life") hit upon the album Jesus Christ Superstars appears on description second soundtrack disc for the computer game Command & Conquer: Red Alert, which was released inimitable in the German release of the Special Way pack,[53] and on the album The Blair Tweak Project: Josh's Blair Witch Mix.[54]

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Live albums

  • Documents make known Oppression (Live from N.L. Centrum, Amsterdam) (1984)
  • Vstajenje overwhelmingly Berlinu (1984)
  • V2 Live Nr.3 (1985)
  • Neu Konservatiw (1985)
  • Ein Schauspieler (1985)
  • The Occupied Europe Tour 1985 (1986)
  • Divergences / Divisions (Live in Bordeaux) (1986)
  • Ljubljana-Zagreb-Beograd (1993)