| > |
43. Yisra’el
Written & performed by Laibach & Silence
From the album Volk (Mute Records, UK 2006)
One: About Volk
‘‘Volk’ is a concept album by Slovenian industrial group Laibach. 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.
The album’s liner notes credit Wikipedia as their source for information on the national anthems featured.’
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volk_(album)
‘‘Volk is a collection of interpretations of national anthems and beside others it also includes the transnational anthem of NSK State in time. All other tracks are based on and inspired by original anthems. The opening track, Germania uses Das Lied der Deutschen, originally written in 1797 and used after World War I as the national anthem of the German Empire at the time of the Weimar Republic, while the single, Anglia, uses John Bull’s God Save the Queen/King as its inspiration. The tracks are mostly sung in English but each song has a guest singer, often singing in his national language.’
Source: http://www.laibach.nsk.si/volk.htm
Two: About Laibach
‘There are many reasons why this is my favourite band, and most of them actually don’t have much to do with the music. It’s the stories: weird, fantastical events that surround this band in which art, politics, history, media and human nature intersect in unexpected ways. My favourite Laibach story is this: in 1992, the group established the NSK State, a virtual ‘state in time.’ Citizenship to the NSK State came complete with a very realistic-looking passport, and anyone could apply. Applications could be found at concerts and in the back of certain art books. In 1995, Laibach concluded their NATO tour in besieged Sarajevo. They declared Sarajevo to be NSK territory, so for a brief moment, the NSK State existed in the physical world. During this time, they issued 350 NSK diplomatic passports. What’s remarkable is this: some people were actually able to use these passports to escape occupied Sarajevo. Bosnian passports were not recognized at the borders, but a French soldier who saw the NSK ones let those people through. With their art and performance, Laibach was able to potentially save lives. Compelling – even more so when you consider that their work centres around a deadpan sense of humour.’
Source: Art is a fanaticism that demands a sense of humour, posted by Nadya Lev on September 25th, 2008 Coilhouse blog
www.coilhouse.net/2008/09/25/united-states-of-the-nsk/
Three: Before the song II
‘Adam McKibbin: Is it true that your anthem for Israel incorporates a piece of the Palestinian anthem?
Laibach: Yes, both anthems are describing the passion and yearning about the same land, same country. This long-term conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is too complex for a simple explanation, but the fact is that historically both nations are coming from the same cultural and geographical entity and they are both Semites from the land of Palestine. They were only divided because of the turbulent political and religious events during the past 2,000 years. They are basically one nation with a double identity.’
Source: Anthemic Electronica – An Interview with Laibach, by Adam McKibbin, Artist Direct News, May 5, 2007
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/news/article/0,,4096360,00.html
Source: Anthemic Electronica – An Interview with Laibach, by Adam
McKibbin, Artist Direct News, May 5, 2007
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/news/article/0,,4096360,00.html
| < | > |