Laibach reinterpret Bijelo Dugme with new single ‘Die Kanone’
Àðõèâ íîâîñòåé | Ðóññêàÿ âåðñèÿ
Laibach have released a new single, “Die Kanone”, available now on Mute. The track reimagines “Top” (translated as “The Cannon”), the 1974 single by Bijelo Dugme, the most successful rock band in the history of former Yugoslavia.
The collaboration was initiated by Goran Bregović, Bijelo Dugme’s founding member and principal songwriter, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the band. The resulting track merges Laibach’s martial, post-industrial style with Bijelo Dugme’s classic rock and Balkan folk influences.
“Die Kanone” is a cultural and musical mash-up that confronts notions of Balkan identity, masculinity, and nostalgia. The lyrics were translated into German for the occasion, touching on themes of militarism, post-Yugoslav diaspora, and industrial transformation. The track also alludes to Germany’s current shift from automotive manufacturing to arms production. The single’s artwork features a Volkswagen Beetle – once manufactured in Sarajevo.
The band stated that the cannon metaphorically represents distorted expressions of masculinity, adding: “Weapons are often used as a substitute for ‘masculinity’ in Balkan mythology and identity.”
“Die Kanone” follows several recent interpretations, including their covers of “I Want To Know What Love Is” by Foreigner and the anti-lynching protest song “Strange Fruit”, originally performed by Billie Holiday. Their most recent album is “Alamut“.
