Volk | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 26 October 2006 | |||
Recorded | Daily Girl, NSK Studio and Studio Metro (Ljubljana), The Instrument and Metropolis studios (London), Master & Servant (Hamburg) | |||
Genre | Industrial, neoclassical dark wave | |||
Length | 58:31 | |||
Label | Mute | |||
Producer | Laibach and Silence | |||
Laibach chronology | ||||
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Silence chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Pitchfork Media | (4.8/10) [2] |
PopMatters | |
Release Magazine |
Volk is the seventh studio album by Slovenian industrial group Laibach, released in 2006. The word "volk" means "people" or "nation" in German and "wolf" in Slovene. The album is a collection of thirteen songs inspired by national or pan-national anthems, plus the anthem of the NSK State, a virtual state to which Laibach belong. The album is a collaboration with another Slovenian band, Silence. [5]
The anthem of the NSK is essentially the same arrangement as "The Great Seal", a song on their 1987 album Opus Dei. Like "The Great Seal", the words are based on Winston Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech.
Album written and produced by Laibach and Silence, 2005–2006.
Pan-Slavism, a movement which crystallized in the mid-19th century, is the political ideology concerned with the advancement of integrity and unity for the Slavic-speaking peoples. Its main impact occurred in the Balkans, where non-Slavic empires had ruled the South Slavs for centuries. These were mainly the Byzantine Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Venice.
Laibach is a Slovenian avant-garde music group associated with the industrial, martial and neo-classical genres. Formed in the mining town of Trbovlje in 1980, Laibach represents the musical wing of the Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) collective, a group which Laibach helped found in 1984. "Laibach" is the German historical name for the Slovenian capital Ljubljana, itself an oblique reference to the Nazi occupation of Slovenia in World War II.
Neue Slowenische Kunst, a.k.a. NSK, is a controversial political art collective that formed in Slovenia in 1984, when Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia. NSK's name, being German, is compatible with a theme in NSK works: the complicated relationship Slovenes have had with Germans. The name of NSK's music wing, Laibach, is also the German name of the Slovene capital Ljubljana. The name created controversy because some felt it evoked memories of the Nazi annexation of Slovenia during the Second World War. It also refers to Slovenia's previous seven centuries as part of the Habsburg Monarchy.
"Hey, Slavs" is a patriotic song dedicated to the Slavic peoples which was used as the national anthem of various countries during the 20th century.
In the minds of many foreigners, Slovenian folk music means a form of polka that is still popular today, especially among expatriates and their descendants. However, there are many styles of Slovenian folk music beyond polka and waltz. Kolo, lender, štajeriš, mafrine and šaltin are a few of the traditional music styles and dances.
Opus Dei is the third studio album by Laibach, released in 1987. It features "Geburt einer Nation", a German cover of Queen's "One Vision", and two reworkings of the Austrian band Opus' sole international hit single "Live Is Life". The Opus song became the German language "Leben heißt Leben" and the English language "Opus Dei". "The Great Seal" is the national anthem of the NSK State, the lyrics taken from Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech. A new arrangement of the song appears on Laibach's album Volk, with the title "NSK". On Volk, the song is credited to Laibach and Slavko Avsenik, Jr.
Siddharta is a five-piece Slovenian alternative rock band formed in 1995. They are named after the 1922 novel by the German writer Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha.
"Edelweiss" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. It is named after the edelweiss, a white flower found high in the Alps (Leontopodium nivale). The song was created for the 1959 Broadway production of The Sound of Music, as a song for the character Captain Georg von Trapp. In the musical, Captain von Trapp and his family sing this song during the concert near the end of Act II, as a statement of Austrian patriotism in the face of the pressure put upon him to join the navy of Nazi Germany following the Anschluss. It is also Captain von Trapp's subliminal goodbye to his beloved homeland, using the flower as a symbol of his loyalty to Austria. In the 1965 film adaptation, the song is also sung by the Captain earlier in the film when he rediscovers music with his children.
Moment of Glory is an album by German hard rock band Scorpions. It was recorded in collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and released in 2000. The album features re-arranged songs from the Scorpions repertoire, as well as classical interludes, a cover song and the new single "Moment of Glory". Initially, English composer Andrew Powell was asked to provide arrangements and Michael Kamen was designated next for the orchestral material. After the latter gave up the job in order to work with Metallica for their album S&M, finally the Austrian arranger and conductor Christian Kolonovits proved to be the right collaborator.
"Enjoy the Silence" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. Recorded in 1989, it was released as the second single from their seventh studio album, Violator (1990), on 5 February 1990. The single is Gold certificated in the US and Germany. The song won Best British Single at the 1991 Brit Awards. "Enjoy the Silence" was re-released as a single in 2004 for the Depeche Mode remix project Remixes 81–04, and was titled "Enjoy the Silence (Reinterpreted)" or, more simply, "Enjoy the Silence 04".
Silence is a Slovene electronic, synthpop and soundtrack music composing duo consisting of Boris Benko and Primož Hladnik. Their fanbase and their tours are currently limited to Slovenia, Germany and parts of Eastern Europe. Outside the region, the band is probably mostly known for the album "Vain, A Tribute To A Ghost" and their collaboration with Laibach on the album Volk in 2006.
Anthems is a compilation by the Slovenian industrial music group Laibach. It was released in 2004 as a double album. The first CD contains a collection of Laibach's best tracks throughout the years, while the second disc accommodates remixes of Laibach songs by different artists. Besides the CDs, the Anthems box also contains a 44-page booklet with a history of Laibach plus several paintings and photographs by and of the band.
Ma Non Troppo is the debut album by Slovenian band Silence, released on March 10, 1997 - the year after the band's signing to Chrom Records. It was voted "Album of the month" in "New Life".
"The Dogs of War" is a song by Pink Floyd from their 1987 album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason. It was the third single from the album in the US and Australia. Live versions have an extended intro, an extended middle solo for the saxophone, a guitar and sax duel and a longer outro as compared to the album version. The track was a minor rock radio hit in the US and reached #16 on MTV's Video Countdown in May 1988.
Melodrom are a Slovenian alternative Synthpop band, founded in 1999.
"The Lonely Goatherd" is a popular show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music that makes use of yodeling.
Volk Volk Tour London CC Club 16.04.2007 is a special limited edition 2 CD live album by the Slovenian industrial/techno music group Laibach. The album is a full recording of the band's live show in London at CC Club on 16 April 2007. CD1 contains the first part of the concert with songs from Laibach's album Volk. CD2 contains a mix of other songs, mostly from the album WAT.
The Sound of Music is an album by NSK industrial group Laibach. The album is a reinterpretation of the soundtrack of the musical of the same name. Also included are Korean folks songs such as Arirang. Lead vocals are usually duets between lead singer Milan Fras and guest collaborator Boris Benko of Silence.
Also Sprach Zarathustra is an album by NSK industrial group Laibach originally produced for a theatrical production of Thus Spoke Zarathustra, based on Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical novel of the same name, by director Matjaz Berger, which premiered in March 2016. The single "Vor Sonnen-Aufgang" was released from the album.