LAIBACH

LAIBACH INTRO
SHORT HISTORY OF LAIBACH
COOL LAIBACH LINKS

Laibach was the old German name for Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. They were formed in 1980 as the music wing of an art collective, NSK (Neue Slowenische Kunst - New Slovene Art), whose members, in a parody of the Communist model of totalitarian industrial production, voluntarily renounce their individual names, tastes and convictions in joyful subordination to the NSK's collective identity and political programme.If that suggests to you a vision of bleak, industrial music, mutant disco beats, and postmodern humour, then you're spot on. Laibach have always seen themselves more as ideological offensive than rock group. They view disco, for example, as an idealized expression of technical production: an archetype to stimulate automatic movement and industrial consciousness (cited after Glenn Gossling).Laibach is the most famous underground band in Yugoslavia. Laibach is extremely interesting, artistic phenomenon that involves music and other forms of art: painting, theatre, performance, sculpture. Due to its rebellious and provocative behaviour Laibach has been always a threat to the communist system of entire Yugoslavia. Their music is a fantastic combination of weird, odd, extravagant and strange sounds. The musicians (see the picture) seem to be still in the search of their music image. One can find anything in their music: protest song, industrial, punk, jazz, military march, opera, rock symphony. The lyrics concern past and present political affairs. In general the band wants us to understand terrible, totalitarian system effects. They make fun of both nazism and communism. Sometimes they remix and copy in their own way the songs of other bands (eg. OPUS, The Beatles, Rolling Stones), just for fun.
Here is a short history of LAIBACH (cited at the inlay of CD entitled "Ljubljana - Zagreb - Beograd")
June 1: Laibach is officially founded in Tribovlje (pop. 18.000) - an industrial town in the Yugoslav republic of Slovenia. In September police and city officials ban the first Laibach concert and exhibition at Delavski Dom (Worker's Cultural Centre) "for inappriopriate use of symbols".
1981 Through compulsory military service, Laibach members are dispersed across Yugoslavia. Even so, a Laibachkunst exhibition of paintings, graphic works, articles and taped music is mounted at SKC (Student Cultural Centre), Belgrade on June 14.
1982 Laibach debut in three capitals: Ljubljana FV 112/15 Club (January 12), Zagreb Lapidarij Club (April 2) and Belgrade SKC (Student Cultural Club) (April 28). Three Ljubljana concerts follow, including the Novi Rock 82, Krizanke, broadcast live by Radio Ljubljana, featuring Tomaz Hostnik as lead singer and spokesman. He left the group forever after a concert at Zagreb Mosa Pijade Hall, December 11. Zagreb police and army officers investigate Laibach's "apparent use of military expedients in a show".
1983 Laibachkunst "Regime Trans-Avant-Garde" exhibition in Mass Media Gallery, Zagreb on March 6 is closed down after group decline management's invitation to remove "problematic" paintings. Laibachkunst "Monumental Retro-Avant-Garde" exhibition of artworks and the video "Documents of Oppression" at Ljubljana SKUC on April 6. Laibach play select Yugoslav dates with English guests Last Few Days and 23 Skidoo. Police and organisers pull the plugs at 5 am during all night concert athe innovative music festival Zagreb Biennal, Mosa Pijade hall, April 23, after a military official inspecting the show "was not satisfied with Laibach's film collages and use of symbols." The festival committee publicly condemns the show, distancing itself from any consequences. On May 31 Laibach signs contract with the state record company ZKP RTV Ljubljana for first LP "Nebo Zari" ("The Sky Glows"). The contract is soon annulled - no explanation given. On June 23 Laibach is interviewed by Ljubljana TV journalist Jure Pengov for the weekly cultural and political programme TV Tednik, precipitating a ban in most of Yugoslavia, particularly Slovenia. Extensive public debate of the "Laibach phenomenon" follows.
1984 In May Laibach exhibits "Occupied Europe Tour Documents" at Ljubljana SKUC. But the only official Yugoslav concert, titled "Was Ist Kunst", is at Belgrade SKC on June 6. In Ljubljana the group evades a Laibach prohibition to anonymously appear at a sold-out concert "in memoriam Tomaz Hostnik" at Malci Belic Orphanage on December 21.
1985 Laibach participates in "New Tendencies in Art - 80" in Ljubljana SKUC Gallery in February and plays the concert "Continuity Of Pure Form" parallel to Zagreb Biennial of New Music '85 in April, the same month as the Ljubljana SKUC/R.o.p.o.t. label releases the first Laibach LP without the group's name anywhere on the cover. In July the art collective Neue Slowenische Kunst part founded by Laibach, publishes the first issue of the NSK magazine "Neue Slowenische Kunst 1985", Problemi, Edition No. 6. On September 18 a public round table discussion of the Ljubljana Laibach ban takes place in the city's Peklensko dvorisce (Infernal Court), Krizanke. On December 8 Laibach cancels its "Das Ist Kunst" concert in Zagreb after authorities censor its programme. A day later "Das ist Kunst" is performed at Belgrade SKC, although the official Laibach posters are forbidden.
1986 The NSK theatre spectacle "Krst Pod Triglavom" (Baptisism Below Triglav), mounted by Scipion Nasice Sisters Theatre to a score by Laibach, is premiered at Cankar Cultural Centre, Ljubljana on February 6. The "Bloody Ground - Fertile Soil" concert at Hum, near Gorica on April 5, marks Laibach's first officials concert on Slovene territory since 1983. In May the Socialist Youth Alliance of Slovenia (ZSMS), Krizanke, presents NSK the collective award "Golden Bird '86".
1987 "Bloody Ground - Fertile Soil" Yugoslav tour goes to Zagreb Kulusic Hall, Belgrade SKC, National Theatre of Subotice, Maribor Student centre and the ZSMS Congress, Celje. The "Birds Of A Feather" concert at Pionirski Dom is the first authorised Laibach appearance in Ljubljana since 1983. Labour Day marks the Slovene only release of "Slovenska Akropola" LP by SKUC/R.o.p.o.t.
In September Michael Clark and Company bring the Laibach-featured dance piece "No Fire Escape In Hell" to the international BITEF festival at Belgrade Sava Centre. Although the group has performed with Clark across Europe and the USA, the festival management censors Laibach music and refuses them permission to participate in Belgrade.
In November Ljubljana ZKP RTV, who once cancelled a Laibach contract, licenses "Opus Dei" LP for Yugoslavia. "Life is Life concert follows at the Ljubljana Tivoli Sport Hall in December.
1988 On September 16 Laibach participates in the NSK visual presentation "Observatory Red Pilot" in Equrna Gallery, Ljubljana.
1989 The "Sympathy For The Devil" tour opens at Ljubljana Tivoli Hall on March 30. Then to Sarajevo CDA Youth Hall (April 7/8), Zagreb Sports Centre (9), Rijeka Youth Hall (11), Split Stop Club (12), Belgrade SKC (27/28), Maribor Sports centre (May 10).
1990 The "Industrial Cities Tour" of Yugoslavia goes to Maribor, Prevalje, Murska Sobota, Ilirska Bistrica, Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Mostar, Dubrovnik, Sentjur pri Celju, Portoroz, Ajdovscina, Osjek, Idrija, Pula.
On December 26 "10 Years of Laibach - 10 Years Of Slovene Independence" concert recapitulates Laibach's first decade in the disused power station Termoelektrarna Trbovlje II, thereby ending the group's 10 year hometown ban. Coincidentally, Slovene parliament in Ljubljana declares independence on the same day.
In the period between 1980 - 1990 Laibach made in total 65 appearances in the state of Yugoslavia, among them 50 concerts and 15 exhibitions (Ljubljana - 10 concerts, 10 exhibitions, Zagreb - 8 concerts, 1 exhibition, Belgrade - 7 concerts, 2 exhibitions, Sarajevo - 3 concerts, 1 exhibition, etc). The first concert was held in Laibach's home town Trbovlje and the last concert was held there as well. This last Laibach concert in Yugoslavia on December 26, 1990 was, at the same time, also the first concert in the newborn state of Slovenia.
Since 1990 Laibach and NSK have existed as its own floating utopian state, a state making no territorial claims and without geographical borders, and which constitutes itself within and without all pre-existing state and geographical borders. It has happened embassies and consulates in the foreign capitals of Moscow, Ljubljana, Ghent, and Milano with more to follow. Its citiziens now travel under NSK - issued passports.
This is very good LAIBACH site// Another site of LAIBACH// "Smashing" LAIBACH Website//

LAIBACH LYRICS

The lyrics of two CDs by LAIBACH "Ljubjana - Zagreb - Beograd" and "Opus dei" are included in the data base REAL ROCK SITE/TEMPLE(Click the links in the top left corner!).Writing their songs LAIBACH artists use not only English but also German as well as their native language.My favourite LAIBACH's album is "OPUS DEI".