Laibach are best known for their cover versions of pop songs which have been rerendered in such a way as to reveal formerly hidden or unnoticed messages, often commenting on political totalitarianism or rock stardom’s own forms of dictatorship. This was done most successfully on Opus Dei, especially on their cover of One Vision. Named Geburt Einer Nation after D. W. Griffith’s classic film The Birth of a Nation, Queen’s lyrics are sung in German to a strident military beat. All of a sudden lines like “one flesh, one blood, one true religion” start sounding suspiciously familiar...
However the bulk of Laibach’s output is their own work. Their own early experiments with totalitarian ambiguity led to their being outlawed in then-Communist Yugoslavia; their name was made illegal so the band resorted to using their black-cross emblem on posters instead. To this day their work deals with similar ideas but frequently Laibach reference their own legendary status and tongue-in-cheekily play with the kinds of in-jokes a band accrues in over 25 years of work.
Laibach’s musical style has varied a lot over the years. They began as avant-garde industrial musicians, producing what could best be described as ambient noise but soon discovered the joys of the martial rhythm. Having produced a couple of albums of heavy martial industrial music, they began to expand sonically. Following the collapse of Yugoslavia their difficult but rewarding album Kapital included hip-hop influences among many others and NATO borrowed from techno while keeping the bombastic atmosphere. The next offering Jesus Christ Superstars came after quite a hiatus and it may have shocked a lot of people with its balls-out metal guitar riffs. The 2003 album WAT returns to a more electronic sound; working with techno producer umek has produced a slightly odd album of electro beats.
Volk was released on October 20, 2006, preceded by the single Anglia. The album contains 14 songs composed and produced together with Silence, inspired by national anthems.
2008 Laibach released new album, titled Kunst der Fuge. This album is the laibachian interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach's work The Art of Fugue (Die Kunst der Fuge). The majority of the material has been created already in 2006 and premierly performed the same year on June the 1st at Bachfest festival in Leipzig.
VOLKSWAGNER is the title of a musical project which was realized in collaboration between Laibach and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra (2009). Laibach also cooperated with the composer and conductor Izidor Leitinger on this project, and it was decided that together they would compose a work which will in a specific manner interpret some of Wagner's better known musical motifs and combine them into a unified symphonic electronic suite.
From a formal point of view, the collaborating artists have decided to seek in Wagner the rudiments of modernism, which first through Mahler, Bruckner, and Debussy, and subsequently through Schöenberg, Berg, and Webern, developed into the core of the jazz music of the sonic experimentalists, such as Miles Davis and Sun Ra, and to upgrade them with the ambient electronic spectrum that has been developing over the last three decades. In addition, the suite will address the history of the 20th century – modernism crossbred with pop art.
4.4. 2012 a movie titeled Iron Sky was released. Laibach in collaboration with Ben Watkins as a co-writer and producer of the score provided soundtrack for Moon Nazi Invasion in Iron Sky.
Official Laibach website: www.laibach.org
No History
Laibach Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No repent
No surrender
No descent
No commandments on the wall
No god, no rules to scare you all
You gotta kill your stupid fears
You got your whole life
You'll need a sharp knife
Don't wait!
Cut through the system's rules
Less is more for the fucking fools
If you wanna take the prize
You got a world to fight
Go on!
No history
No repent
No surrender
No descent
No commandments on the wall
No god, no rules to scare you all
Some rhythms must remain
Unbroken riots in reverse
You take the front line
I'll find a good rhyme
Get to it!
Don't cling to faking scores
The base is solid and in place
Just take the first cut
We'll get the time right
Don't wait!
Use the wisdom of ancient sages
Call out for heroes
Who will be the creed
Of a new political faith
Use the language of misunderstanding
Disguise it
Occupy Wall Street
And judge the intentions of those we don't trust
No history
No repent
No surrender
No descent
No commandments on the wall
No god, no rules to scare you all
No history
No repent
No surrender
No descent
No commandments on the wall
No god, no rules to scare you all
The song "No History" by Laibach is a call to action for individuals to break free from the confines of traditional societal norms and beliefs. The lyrics present a rejection of the past, of history, and the limitations that come with it. The chorus, "No history, no repent, no surrender, no descent," embodies this sentiment, asking listeners to let go of the past, to neither repent nor surrender to established norms, and to reject the idea of staying in one's place, never rising higher.
There is a sense of urgency in the lyrics, urging listeners to act now, to take a metaphorical sharp knife and cut through the system's rules. By doing so, they can break free from the limitations of the system, which is holding them back. The line, "Less is more for the fucking fools," suggests that those who cling to the rules are fools, and that one must act boldly, even if it means going against established norms.
The song also presents a call for new ways of thinking and a new political faith, urging listeners to use the wisdom of ancient sages and to find new heroes to guide them. It presents a vision of occupying Wall Street and judging the intentions of those who cannot be trusted.
Overall, "No History" urges the listener to reject the norms of the past, to break free from the limitations of the system and to act boldly.
Line by Line Meaning
No history
There is no past to define us or hold us back
No repent
There is no need to apologize or regret what we have done
No surrender
There is no giving up or backing down, even in the face of adversity
No descent
There is no falling into darkness or moral decay
No commandments on the wall
There are no strict rules or regulations to follow blindly
No god, no rules to scare you all
There is no divine authority or fear-based control over us
I'm here to take you forwards
I am here to lead you to progress and growth
You gotta kill your stupid fears
You must overcome your irrational and limiting fears
You got your whole life
You have a lifetime of opportunities ahead of you
You'll need a sharp knife
You must be willing to make difficult and decisive choices
Cut through the system's rules
Break free from the constraints of societal norms and expectations
Less is more for the fucking fools
Simplicity is superior to excess for those who lack awareness
If you wanna take the prize
If you wish to achieve a great goal
You got a world to fight
You must face and overcome the challenges of the entire world
Some rhythms must remain
Some things should stay the same
Unbroken riots in reverse
Revolutionary movements cannot be stopped or silenced
You take the front line
You must be at the forefront of progress and change
I'll find a good rhyme
I will provide creative and effective solutions to our problems
Don't cling to faking scores
Do not focus on superficial measures of success
The base is solid and in place
A strong foundation already exists
Just take the first cut
Begin making progress and taking action, even if it is small
We'll get the time right
We will find the right moment to strike
Use the wisdom of ancient sages
Draw upon the knowledge and insights of wise thinkers from the past
Call out for heroes
Seek out and recognize those who possess exceptional qualities and abilities
Who will be the creed
Those who embody our beliefs and values
Of a new political faith
Of a new way of viewing and organizing society
Use the language of misunderstanding
Challenge and subvert commonly held beliefs and values
Disguise it
Obfuscate or alter the message for strategic reasons
Occupy Wall Street
Take direct action against the current financial and political systems
And judge the intentions of those we don't trust
Be wary of those who may not have our best interests in mind
Contributed by Isabelle H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ShadowlordDio
PRAISE KEK !!
Use the wisdom of ancient sages
Call out for heroes
Who will be the creed
Of a new political faith
Use the language of misunderstanding
Disguise it
Occupy Wall Street
And judge the intentions of those we don’t trust
@takezosan
I discovered Laibach downloading ilegallly random underground musics of different bands at Soulseek. I had been 19 years old, today i have 32. It was opened my mind to different types of sounds and styles behind to rock and metal. thank you Laibach for their music
@sebastiansustersic8
Listen to them from mine 13 or 14 early 80' and now I 'm an old dog of 50
@GLITCHDADA
Just discovered LAIBACH I'm hooked , can't believe I've never heard of them befor 🙀
@SssagaBenches4U
MrBallynahinch They are gonna rock your world. Do listen to them over and over to understand them better. Some songs may need to grow on you if you understand what i am trying to say.
@GLITCHDADA
See trying to find something original in a world of mediocre like LAIBACK is amazing these days , I hear what you say about the music but sometimes the video can compensate thanks😎
@321tms2
blame pop "culture"
@AmjadMuhammad13
same here but in 2020. Still in shock
@viceadmiraljassasulrana9082
Laibach is Laibach
@iRUnique
No gods no rules to scare you all - couldn't be more approriate in 2020
@jldlc7610
I have absolutely fallen in love with them after this song. I'm truly
amazed.