Laibach

When Tomaž Hostnik, the front man of Slovenian avant-garde group Laibach committed ritual suicide by hanging himself from a Slovenian hayrack in 1982, the group expressed their disapproval by posthumously expelling him from the band. This and other bizarre incidents have defined Laibach's long and controversial career. At first glance the band's use of neo-Nazi imagery, their penchant for writing rousing martial music (albeit with an electronic backbeat) and their strangely ambiguous press releases might suggest to the casual observer that Laibach have questionable political leanings. On the other hand, their use of imagery created by anti-Nazi artist John Heartfield for album sleeve artwork could also suggest Laibach are trying to convey a deeper message. Founded in 1980, Laibach have consistently exploited this ambiguity and promoted speculation as to whether they have far left or far right leanings. Over the course of their career, they have been mired in controversy and attracted unwelcome attention from the authorities in east European countries. It has also attracted lots of publicity and perhaps therein lies the clue to Laibach's musical motives. The band has recorded many genre defying studio albums including Opus Dei (1987), Jesus Christ Superstars (1996), Volk (2006), Spectre (2014), The Sound of Music (2018), and Sketches of the Red Districts (2023). The band has also recorded several soundtracks including Macbeth (1990), Iron Sky – The Original Soundtrack (2012), Also Sprach Zarathustra (2017), and Iron Sky: The Coming Race (2023). Behind the disturbing imagery lies some outstanding musicianship and clever songwriting. Laibach remain an enigmatic and unique component of the European music scene. In 2024, the group released Opus Dei Revisited, a reimagining of their breakthrough LP featuring new versions and remixes by the album's producer, Rico Conning.