Laibach (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Laibach | ||
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 Laibach in 2004
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Yugoslavia | |
| Genre(s) | Electronic dance Experimental music Industrial music Martial music Neo-classical |
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| Years active | 1980–present | |
| Label(s) | Mute | |
| Associated acts |
300.000 V.K. | |
| Website | http://www.laibach.nsk.si/ | |
| Members | ||
| Milan Fras Ivan Novak Dejan Knez Ervin Markošek |
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Laibach is a Slovenian experimental music group, strongly associated with industrial, martial and neo-classical. Laibach formed June 1, 1980 in Trbovlje, Slovenia. Laibach represents the music wing of the Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) art collective, of which it was a founding member in 1984. The name "Laibach" is the German name for Slovenia's capital city, Ljubljana.
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[edit] Controversy
Laibach has frequently been accused of both far left and far right political stances due to their use of uniforms and totalitarian-style aesthetics and also due to the Wagnerian influence found in some of their music, notably the thunder in "Sympathy for the Devil (Time for a Change)" and releases such as Macbeth.They were also accused for being members of neonationalism movement which reincarnates modern idea of nationalism. Laibach always denied this strongly, pointing out that, as fascism needs a scapegoat, they had become their own scapegoat in the name of satire. Milan Fras, vocalist, is quoted as saying "We are fascists as much as Hitler was a painter" when confronted with such accusations. [1]
Laibach is notorious for rarely stepping out of character. Some releases feature artwork by the Communist and early Dada artist/satirist, John Heartfield. Laibach concerts have sometimes aesthetically appeared as political rallies. When interviewed, they answer in wry manifestos, showing a paradoxical lust and condemnation for authority. [2]
Richard Wolfson wrote of the group:
Laibach's method is extremely simple, effective and horribly open to misinterpretation. First of all, they absorb the mannerisms of the enemy, adopting all the seductive trappings and symbols of state power, and then they exaggerate everything to the edge of parody... Next they turn their focus to highly charged issues — the West's fear of immigrants from Eastern Europe, the power games of the EU, the analogies between Western democracy and totalitarianism. [Wolfson, 2003]
[edit] Cover songs
Laibach is also known for their cover versions, which are often used to subvert the original message or intention of the song - most notable being their cover version of the song "Life is Life" on the album Opus Dei, which completely changes the meaning of the original song ("Live Is Life") from the original writers' (Opus, an Austrian arena rock band) intentions. Whereas the original is a feel-good reggae anthem, Laibach's subversive interpretation twists the melody into a sinister, rolling military march. The refrain is at one instance translated into German, giving an eerie example of the sensitivity of its lyrics to context.
Other notable covers include the entirety of the Beatles album Let It Be (with the exception of the title track) and their album Sympathy for the Devil which deconstructs the Rolling Stones song of the same name with seven different covers of the song. Opus Dei (itself titled apparently in reference to their cover of Opus's reggae anthem "Live is Life") features a cover of Queen's "One Vision" with the lyrics translated into German under the title Geburt einer Nation, starkly revealing the ambiguity of lines like "One race one hope/One real decision". In NATO, they also memorably rework Europe's hair-metal anthem "The Final Countdown" as a Wagnerian disco epic.
Laibach recently covered the song Ohne Dich by Rammstein in a significantly altered version. It features male and female vocals (supplied by Laibach's Milan Fras and Mina Špiler from the band Melodrom), as opposed to the solo male vocals in the Rammstein version. The orchestral sound of the original has been supplemented, and in some sections replaced, by a more electronic element.
[edit] Aesthetics
Although primarily a musical group, Laibach has sometimes worked in other media. In their early years, especially before the founding of NSK, Laibach produced several works of visual art. Probably the most historically important was MB 84 Memorandum (1984) an image of a black cross that served as a way to advertise Laibach's appearances during a period in the 1980s when the government of Yugoslavia banned the name "Laibach".[3]
Slovene singer and radio announcer Anja Rupel has performed with the group.
[edit] Influence
[edit] Martial music
Some early material by Laibach and later neoclassical releases by the band—such as the Macbeth release—were influential on certain artists within the martial music genre.
[edit] Rammstein
The popular German musical group Rammstein has acknowledged influence by both the aesthetic approach and some Laibach material. When members of Laibach were asked by an interviewer about Rammstein "stealing" from them, they responded that "Laibach does not believe in originality… Therefore, Rammstein could not 'steal' much from us. They simply let themselves get inspired by our work, which is absolutely a legitimate process. We are glad that they made it. In a way, they have proven once again that a good 'copy' can make more money on the market than the 'original.' Anyhow, today we share the territory: Rammstein seem to be a kind of Laibach for adolescents and Laibach are Rammstein for 'grown-ups.'" [4]. The way Laibach wanted to position as a predecessor to Rammstein appeared to change when they covered Ohne dich, a song made famous initially by Rammstein.
[edit] Members
Laibach’s history started in 1978 when Dejan Knez founded the band Salte Morale. After that, in 1979 Knez formed the very first Laibach (note that the official founding date is in the year 1980!). It is believed that in the first Laibach the members were only Dejan Knez and Miran Mohar. Later, Tomaz Hostnik joined the band as singer and spokesman. In the first period Laibach were a quintet, but soon after that they declared that Laibach has only four members – ‘Vier Personen’. Sometimes those 4 members of the band were signed with their pseudonyms: Dachauer, Keller, Saliger and Eber. In the mid and late ‘80s, those 4 full time members were Dejan Knez, Milan Fras, Ervin Markosek and Ivan Novak. From time to time, some other persons, such as Nikola Sekulovic, famous bass player from the Demolition Group, replaced Markosek. During the late ‘90s Markosek and Knez became drug addicts, and Markosek left the band. Despite that he appears on the press photos for WAT. After WAT tour Knez also left the band. Now, the oldest member is Milan Fras, because Novak joined the band later than Fras.
[edit] Current
- Milan Fras, vocals
- Ivan Novak, lights, projector, spokesperson
- Mina Spiler, vocals, synth
- Janez Gabrič, drums
- Luka Jamnik, synth
- Primož Hladnik, synth
- Eva Breznikar, vocals, percussion
- Natasa Regovec, vocals, percussion
- Damjan Bizilj, synth
[edit] Previous
- Tomaž Hostnik (committed suicide)
- Dejan Knez, keyboards, electronics. Knez left Laibach after the album WAT.
- Roman Decman, drums
- Nikola Sekulović, bass
- Matej Mršnik, guitar
- Miran Mohar
- Ervin Markošek was stepping down from Laibach in 1989. Back in the band by the next album Kapital.
- Dare Hocevar, bass
- Borut Kržišnik, guitar
- Oto Rimele, guitar
- Andrej Lupinc
[edit] Selected discography
- Laibach (ŠKUC/Ropot, 1985),
- Rekapitulacija 1980-1984 (1985),
- Neu Konservatiw (1985),
- Nova Akropola (Cherry Red, 1986),
- The Occupied Europe Tour 1985 (1986),
- Opus Dei (Mute Records, 1987),
- Slovenska Akropola (1987),
- Krst Pod Triglavom-Baptism (1987),
- Let It Be (Mute Records, 1988),
- Sympathy for the Devil (Mute Records, 1988),
- Macbeth (Mute Records, 1990),
- Kapital (Mute Records, 1992),
- Ljubljana-Zagreb-Beograd, (The Grey Area/Mute Records, 1993),
- NATO (Mute Records, 1994),
- The Occupied Europe NATO Tour 1994-1995 (The Grey Area/Mute Records, 1996),
- Jesus Christ Superstars (The Grey Area/Mute Records, 1996),
- Malci Belic, December 21, 1984 (The Grey Area/Mute Records, 1997),
- The John Peel Sessions (Strangefruit, 2002),
- WAT (Mute Records, 2003),
- Anthems (Mute Records, 2004, compilation),
- Volk (Mute Records, 2006).
[edit] Side projects
- 300.000 V.K., Dejan Knez experimental electronic music side project
- Germania, side project, Laibach, Iztok Turk and Anja Rupel
- Kraftbach
- 600.000 V.K., responsible for the music for the Noordung theatre productions
- Sturm und Klang
[edit] References
- Richard Wolfson, "Warriors of weirdness", The Daily Telegraph, 4 Sep 2003.
- Alexei Monroe, "Interrogation Machine - Laibach and NSK", MIT Press, Sep 2005. Foreword by Slavoj Žižek.
[edit] External links
[edit] Official
- Official Site
- The NSKSTATE - The official website of the NSK.
- Official video for Slovania (from Volk)
[edit] Unofficial
- The Unofficial Laibach Site
- Interview @ Legends
- Laibachkunst includes images of early visual artworks by Laibach and also pieces by fellow NSK members Irwin.
- Laibach at MusicBrainz
- Laibach at Discogs
- Divided States of America at the Internet Movie Database - a documentary shot during the USA leg of the WAT tour
