Laibach Informbiro

LAIBACH: MUSICK : ENCORE By Editorial Staff 14 October 2026 In Audimix, Electronic / Avant-Garde Reading time: 4 minutes Although Laibach were founded at the beginning of the glorious 1980s, the band that emerged from Yugoslavia are anything but a typical ’80s outfit. Forget bright colours and pop: Laibach are more synonymous with dark sounds, conceptual art and the exploration of musical boundaries. Not that they necessarily have a problem with pop music—after all, in 1987 they released a cover of Opus’s smash hit “Live Is Life”. Their version, however, was decidedly sinister and marched along in an almost military fashion. On their latest release, Musick : Encore, which features previously unreleased material from the original Musick sessions, they move considerably closer to pop. This is primarily down to the remixes by acclaimed artists such as Silverwingkiller, Richard X and Punchbag. The surface is therefore accessible and catchy, but underneath it still seethes in unmistakably Laibach fashion. The distinctive vocals stand out in particular, even when female singers join them on some tracks. Indeed, several Slovenian guest appearances here make you sit up and take notice. These include Manca Trampuš, frontwoman of the Slovenian indie band Koala Voice. Guest vocals from Bojan Cvjetićanin, lead singer of the Slovenian band Joker Out, give a song like “Faith No More” an additional dimension and a fascinating anthemic texture. Musick : Encore still possesses Laibach’s characteristic martial quality, but also an almost unfamiliar and often surprising melodiousness. Ultimately, Laibach remain impossible to pin down completely, and that is precisely what makes this band so exceptional. No one navigates industrial, electronica, synth, techno, EBM and post-punk with quite the assurance and style of Laibach.

Laibach Provoked Again in Brno, but This Time with a Pink Twist – HELLMAGAZINE 15 October 2026, Fléda, Brno LAIBACH – Musick Tour 2026 How many times have I seen Laibach? I’ve lost count, but this was the first concert I would unhesitatingly describe as completely different. Dancers with lights, masks and helmets, Milan Fras falling from a building, and even Winnetou made an appearance. That’s yesterday’s Brno stop in a nutshell. But let’s take a closer look. Laibach always perform alone, without support acts, so I’ll get straight to the point too. Both the setlist and the entire show took us on a thoroughly pink ride. The concert consisted mainly of songs from the new album. Musick, Love Machine, Keep It Reel, Algorhythm and Singularity occasionally gave way to proven favourites such as Love on the Beat. During Tanz mit Laibach, which was slightly shortened, an intriguing instrumental interlude led into the remainder of the song. The selection also included tracks such as Bossanova, where we had a chance to enjoy Miňa’s performance too—even if only on screen. For the most part, the female vocals now came solely from the projections, but the band were in excellent form, and there was even some serious warming up on stage… or should I say working out?! I did miss the old classics in the setlist, but perhaps it’s time for a change. I’m not sure whether the “old fans”, of whom there were quite a few in the audience, understood everything happening on stage. In fact, I’m not even sure I know what to make of it all myself. It was pure irony, occasionally humour, but above all a sharp critique of algorithmic living and being. The fact remains, however, that Laibach are becoming synonymous with a critical yet intensely artistic current within 21st-century pop culture—and you can take that to mean whatever suits you. The dramaturgy of the entire concert was meticulously worked out, down to the smallest detail. Today, Laibach are no longer simply one of the bands within a particular genre. Laibach are a genre unto themselves. They have built an enormous art-making machine around themselves—and the art it produces is thoroughly contemporary. They no longer merely criticise regimes or dictators, or provoke with uniforms. Today, they play with colours and wordplay, holding up a mirror to us all. Are we slaves to the times? Are we? Probably yes. Social media have become something more than just a channel of communication or a tool for sharing content—they have become almost a religion, something we seemingly cannot exist without. We submit to trends and algorithms without even realising it. Their new album Musick addresses this too. The entire show kept provoking us—after all, it would hardly be Laibach if it didn’t—but in a completely different way from before. And it’s wonderful that someone is still doing things differently without looking like a copy. And what was I yesterday? A metalhead at a disco? An industrial one, perhaps. Maybe a little, but who am I to pigeonhole anyone? At the end, a loud “bravo” rang out from the crowd—and what more could musicians wish for at the end of a performance? Another night to remember with Laibach!