Laibach

• Genre: Industrial

About

Laibach's aesthetic can be off-putting. Led by the draconian-sounding Milan Fras, the band present in their imagery, lyrics and live performances an oxymoronic merger of fascist art and socialist realism. Loyal to no particular genre of music, Laibach are essentially the devotees of a method. From classical music to Industrial Dance to parodic subversions of "Sympathy for the Devil" and Let It Be, Laibach have mastered the postmodern approach of deconstruction. How this actually sounds can vary. For instance, NATO (1994) -- a collection of cover songs sharing the common theme of war -- is a double-sided document that may be read as either a critique of popular culture's embrace of militarism, or as a celebration of that trend. Politics aside, Laibach's pantheistic embrace of audio formats as diverse as choral singing, marching music, tape loops, Disco and political speeches provides for a listening experience that banishes predictability and restores the element of risk to modern music.

- Chad Driscoll