Artist: Laibach
Label: Dallas Records
Release: 2008
Rating: 4/5
Whenever Laibach put something out, it’s a big deal. The guys always come up with something new that maybe nobody else would think of. Not many people would associate Laibach’s music with classical, but this time the boys from Zasavje paid tribute to exactly that genre with an album of classical music played on electronic instruments.
This time Laibach surprised us with their takes on the fugues of Johann Sebastian Bach, which he wrote right before his death. The fact that they picked this composer (or that it just happened to turn out that way) made me really happy, since I’m a big Bach fan myself, especially of his fugues and his pieces for chamber orchestras. Honestly, I was pretty worried about how Laibach would tackle the compositions of one of the greatest composers ever. They chose a fairly simple path.
Laibach don’t actually play any instrument at all. The computer does all the work, turning Bach’s creations into more modern sounds that recall a mix of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream. So isn’t an electronic take on Bach sacrilege, in a way? Not at all. The music sounds perfectly natural, as if it had been meant to be played electronically from the very beginning. I really didn’t expect such a good end result, and I can hardly say whether I’d rather listen to Bach or to these Laibach versions. To me, that says a lot about the quality of this release. If a record like this can win over Bach devotees, it means the guys did their job with flying colors.
There’s not much more to say. Laibach have outdone themselves once again. They’ve created something I’d never have given them credit for. And none of it sounds foreign in the slightest, as if projects like this were tailor-made for them. Like with all their projects, they sound utterly convincing this time too. Emotional Bach combined with emotionless electronics sounds just right. They’ve only added extra depth to Bach. It’s fascinating how electronic instruments can even heighten the sense of dread and darkness that Bach’s music creates. Laibach have succeeded once again, putting their name to yet another outstanding feat.
Lineup
iBach, iMac – sounds
Production
Laibach
Tracklist
1. Contrapunctus 1
2. Contrapunctus 2
3. Contrapunctus 3
4. Contrapunctus 4
5. Contrapunctus 5
6. Contrapunctus 6, a 4 im Stile francese
7. Contrapunctus 7, a 4 per Augment et Diminut
8. Contrapunctus 8, a 3
9. Contrapunctus 9, a 4 alla Duodecima
10. Contrapunctus 10 a 4 alla Decima
11. Contrapunctus 11, a 4
12. Contrapunctus 12, Canon alla Ottava
13. Contrapunctus 13, Canon alla Duodecima in Contrapuncto alla Quinta
