Laibach

Country: Slovenia

Formed: 1980

Styles: Avant-Garde Darkwave Experimental Industrial Neoclassical Pop

Biography

Laibach is no other than the city of Ljubljana in German, a word used at the time when the city was part of the Habsburg Monarchy and during the invasion of Yugoslavia. The group was born in 1980 shortly after the death of the post-war leader Tito, a death that will lead to a period of uncertainty in the country, and a power struggle between conservative nationalists and liberal politicians. Laibach's response was to present himself as a totalitarian organization, announcing its creation and activities in the form of posters, going so far as to use a visual referring to national-socialism, and to Soviet socialist realism, mixing elements of partisan popular art. April 1985, after several years of activism, Laibach managed to release a first eponymous album, which immediately marked the martial line that the band would follow for many years, thanks to the use of the Wagnerian tuba, militarist beats, atonal orchestral elements, samples of Tito's patriotic discourses, or even by the stamp of his vocalist, all along the tracks rich in scornish irony. Rekapitulacija 1980-1984 and Nova Akropola will soon follow, which will allow Laibach to export, with a tour in the UK, on this occasion the label Mute Records (Depeche Mode , The Residents , Nick Cave&The Bad Seeds ...) will spot the band and seduced by its personality will sign it immediately. Opus Dei's first mischief of this collaboration (which is still ongoing) will come in 1987, Laibach's facet full of spirit and humour will again be up to date, this time attacking the subversion of contemporary rock music, Live Is Life of Opus and One Vision of Queen will take it for their rank. (Soon)