With Volk Laibach will again surprise friend and enemy. Were they looking for the accessibility of the clubs with 2003’s WAT which had Teutonic pounding songs, this time Volk offers a totally different world of sound, that is also typical for Laibach. Musicwise and productionwise this time you can clearly hear the influence of the Slovenian producer duo of Silence. Volk sounds electronic, avantgarde, cinematographic and dramatic, but at the same time neo-classical and folkloristic.

Volk is a collection of interpretations of various national hymns from all over the world. The German 'Germania’ for instance is based on a composition that originates from 1797 and has served as a national hymn in the Weimar years in between both World Wars, the English composition is based on John Bulls God Save The Queen. Most of the hymns are sung in the English language and the pleasurable accent in the dark and low voice of Laibach’s vocalist is a familiar element next to the voice of Silence’s Boris Benko. On Volk there are a wide array of guest vocalists active, as well as guest musicians. At the end of the record the hymn of NSK is featured, the fictional state without territorial claims or national borders with which Laibach is intimately connected since it’s founding in 1984.

From the common element in all national hymns and a shared national feeling it is a small step to comment on the actual international situation where profound national elements are forced upon the world under the disguise of universal values. This can be interpretated as a warning to states such as The United States of America and England, who each in their own way had experience with this. Whether they will learn from it is to be seen. Probably not is what history teaches us over and over again. But at least we have a very beautiful and ingeniously crafted album by Laibach.

This album is also a commentary on pop culture as means for the expansion of national values and elements. Popculture has brought the English language all over the world for instance, and faster and more effective than the British Empire could do at any given point in history.

The Volk album is available in a limited edition as a book with a hard cover with aquarell paintings by Laibach as well as extensive comments to each track on this album. ‘Anglia’ is the first single to this album and this can even be played on the radio. Volk is a true masterpiece and this is mostly thanks to the impressive productional work of Silence.