Laibach has released the two-track single, “Opus Dei Live 1987 – 1989 pt.1”, featuring two unreleased live recordings: “Leben heisst Leben (Opus Dei)” live from London, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 1987 and “F.I.A.T. (Let It Be)” live from Paris, Espace Ornano, 1992.

Both tracks are taken from the expanded edition of their 1987 album, “Opus Dei”, which is set to be released digitally on Mute on May 10, 2024 and on vinyl and as a 2CD box set on May 24, 2024. Additionally, the CD features 16 unreleased live tracks from 1987-1989 and 3 bonus tracks (which includes two that were previously unreleased).

The two-track single is accompanied by the below video of “Opus Dei (Life is Life)”, cut from live footage of Goran Gajić’s 1988 film “Pobeda pod suncem”, filmed in Belgrade, Münich, and Ljubljana.

“Opus Dei” was the band’s first album for Mute, and was mixed by Rico Conning (Wire, Pere Ubu, Swans, William Orbit) and opened up opportunities for the Slovenian collective to launch a first world tour. The re-release comes with a redesigned cover plus an extensive booklet with photographs, artwork inspired by the German anti-fascist visual artist John Heartfield, and new sleeve notes by the cultural theorist and author Alexei Monroe.

Laibach’s “Opus Dei (Remastered)” is out on Mute on vinyl (with 16-page booklet), 2CD box set (with 28-page booklet) on May 24, 2024 and digitally on May 10, 2024.

Bonus tracks on CD1

1. Geburt einer Nation (Eine Richtung und ein Volk Version)
2. Leben heisst Leben (Marche Funèbre Version)
3. Geburt einer Nation (3. Oktober – Kraftbach – Version)

CD2

1. Leben heisst Leben (London, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 1987)
2. Geburt einer Nation (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
3. Leben-Tod (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
4. F.I.A.T. (Paris, Espace Ornano, 1992)
5. Transnational (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
6. How the West Was Won (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
7. Opus Dei (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
8. Leben heisst Leben (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
9. Geburt einer Nation (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
10. Leben – Tod (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
11. How the West Was Won (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
12. Geburt einer Nation (Vienna, Messepalast, Kaiser Franz Josef Reitschule, 1988)
13. Leben – Tod (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
14. Transnational (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
15. How the West Was Won (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
16. Opus Dei (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)

Laibach – Opus Dei Tour

• 5/14/2024 – Winterthur, Gaswerk Kulturzentrum, CH
• 5/15/2024 – Frankfurt, Batschkapp, DE
• 5/16/2024 – Berlin, Huxleys Neue Welt, DE
• 5/17/2024 – Copenhagen, Pumpehuset, DK
• 5/18/2024 – Gothenburg, Pustervik, SE
• 5/19/2024 – Stockholm, Nya Cirkus, SE
• 5/21/2024 – Helsinki, Savoy Theatre, FI
• 5/23/2024 – Oslo, Vulkan, NO
• 5/25/2024 – Cologne, Essigfabrik, DE
• 5/26/2024 – Dresden, Kultur Zentrum Strasse E, DE
• 5/27/2024 – Torun, CKK Jordanki, PL
• 5/28/2024 – Lublin, Radio Lublin, PL
• 5/29/2024 – Graz, Orpheum Big Hall, AT
• 7/3/2024 – Munich, Muffathalle, DE
• 7/4/2024 – Schorndorf, Manufaktur, DE
• 7/6/2024 – Halle, East Side Festival, DE
• 8/9/2024 – Jaromer, Brutal Assault Festival, CZ
• 10/5/2024 – Zagreb, Boogaloo, HR
• 10/11/2024- Budapest, Dürer Kert, HU
• 10/12/2024 – Leipzig, Felsenkeller, DE
• 10/13/2024 – Prague, Roxy, CZ
• 10/15/2024 – Dordrecht, Bibelot, NL
• 10/16/2024 – Arnhem, Luxor, NL
• 10/17/2024 – Vauréal, Le Forum 2, FR
• 10/18/2024 – Toulouse, Le Rex, FR
• 10/19/2024 – Wavre, La Sucrerie, BE
• 10/20/2024 – Bochum, Christuskirche, DE
• 10/22/2024 – Hannover, Music Pavillion, DE

Side-Line also covered Laibach’s ‘Opus Dei Revisited’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Andy Catlin – Ljubljana) Laibach has announced a remastered and redesigned edition of their 1987 album, “Opus Dei”, scheduled for release on Mute on May 10, 2024. This edition will be available on vinyl and as a 2CD box set. It includes 16 previously unreleased live tracks from 1987-1989 and three bonus tracks.

A new video has been released, featuring edits from “Victory Under the Sun” (Pobeda pod suncem), directed by Goran Gajić in 1988, for the remastered version of “The Great Seal”. Watch it below.

“Opus Dei”, Laibach’s debut album with Mute, was originally mixed by Rico Conning, known for his work with Wire, Pere Ubu, Swans, and William Orbit. The album includes Laibach’s interpretations of Opus’ “Live Is Life” (rendered in English as “Opus Dei” and in German as “Leben heisst Leben”) and Queen’s “One Vision” (reimagined as “Geburt Einer Nation”), propelling the band into the limelight with support from MTV and ITV’s The Chart Show. The mainstream exposure and memorable music press features led to their first world tour, with performances from London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, San Francisco, Berlin, Paris, and various locations across Europe included on the second CD of this expanded edition.

The remastered edition boasts a redesigned cover that enhances the original artwork, an extensive booklet filled with photographs and artwork inspired by German anti-fascist artist John Heartfield, and new sleeve notes by cultural theorist Alexei Monroe.

Formed in the year of Yugoslavian founding father Tito’s death, the band faced censorship and bans in Yugoslavia before releasing “Opus Dei”. They embarked on the Occupied Europe Tour, appeared in Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket”, recorded a Peel Session for the BBC, and performed in Michael Clark’s dance production “No Fire Escape from Hell”.

The band have also recently announced ongoing diplomatic negotiations for a performance in Tehran of “Alamut”, a collaborative symphonic work with Iranian composers and performers. A very weird choice given the geopolitical tensions, just like their concert in North Korea.

In April 2024, Laibach will perform their score for a new theatrical production of Bertolt Brecht’s “Saint Joan of the Stockyards” by ErosAntEros, with performances in Bologna and Ravenna.

“Opus Dei (Remastered)” by Laibach will be available on Mute in various formats, including vinyl with a 16-page booklet, a 2CD box set with a 28-page booklet, and digitally, on May 10, 2024.

Tracklist of the CD:

CD1

1. Leben heisst Leben (Opus Dei)
2. Geburt einer Nation (One Vision)
3. Leben – Tod
4. F.I.A.T. (Let It Be)
5. Transnational
6. How the West Was Won
7. Opus Dei (Life is Life)
8. The Great Seal

Bonus tracks:

1. Geburt einer Nation (Eine Richtung und ein Volk Version)
2. Leben heisst Leben (Marche Funèbre Version)
3. Geburt einer Nation (3. Oktober – Kraftbach – Version)

CD2

1. Leben heisst Leben (London, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 1987)
2. Geburt einer Nation (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
3. Leben-Tod (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
4. F.I.A.T. (Paris, Espace Ornano, 1992)
5. Transnational (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
6. How the West Was Won (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
7. Opus Dei (Somewhere in Europe/US, 1987-1989)
8. Leben heisst Leben (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
9. Geburt einer Nation (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
10. Leben – Tod (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
11. How the West Was Won (Berlin, Quartier Latin, 1987)
12. Geburt einer Nation (Vienna, Messepalast, Kaiser Franz Josef Reitschule, 1988)
13. Leben – Tod (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
14. Transnational (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
15. How the West Was Won (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)
16. Opus Dei (San Francisco, The I Beam, 1989)

Laibach ‘Opus Dei’ Tour

• 14 May – Winterthur, Gaswerk Kulturzentrum, CH
• 15 May – Frankfurt, Batschkapp, DE
• 16 May – Berlin, Huxleys Neue Welt, DE
• 17 May – Copenhagen, Pumpehuset, DK
• 18 May – Gothenburg, Pustervik, SE
• 19 May – Stockholm, Nya Cirkus, SE
• 21 May – Helsinki, Savoy Theatre, FI
• 23 May – Oslo, Vulkan, NO
• 25 May – Cologne, Essigfabrik, DE
• 26 May – Dresden, Kultur Zentrum Strasse E, DE
• 27 May – Torun, CKK Jordanki, PL
• 28 May – Lublin, Radio Lublin, PL
• 29 May – Graz, Orpheum Big Hall, AT
• 03 July – Munich, Muffathalle, DE
• 04 July – Schorndorf, Manufaktur, DE
• 06 July – Halle, East Side Festival, DE
• 09 Aug – Jaromer, Brutal Assault Festival, CZ
• 05 Oct – Zagreb, Boogaloo, HR
• 11 Oct – Budapest, Dürer Kert, HU
• 12 Oct – Leipzig, Felsenkeller, DE
• 13 Oct – Prague, Roxy, CZ
• 15 Oct – Dordrecht, Bibelot, NL
• 16 Oct – Arnhem, Luxor, NL
• 17 Oct – Vauréal, Le Forum 2, FR
• 18 Oct – Toulouse, Le Rex, FR
• 19 Oct – Wavre, La Sucrerie, BE
• 20 Oct – Bochum, Christuskirche, DE
• 22 Oct – Hannover, Music Pavillion, DE

Side-Line also covered Laibach’s ‘Opus Dei Live 1987-1989 PT. 1’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Out in a few weeks, but surely sold out by then so check this mailorder to get your copy, is a limited edition 30th anniversary reissue of the original Death In June release “The World That Summer” (one of our most beloved Death In June releases).

All tracks are from the period 1985-1986 and the release has been augmented with 3 bonus tracks re-recorded in 2005 (“Torture By Roses”, “Rocking Horse Night” and “Come Before Christ and Murder Love”). Douglas P. is accompanied on this album by David Tibet (as Christ’777′) and Andrea James (part of the duo Somewhere in Europe).

This release comes in a deluxe gatefold jacket silver foil edition, with spot UV varnish and a massive fold out poster. The 2LP is being released on red translucent vinyl and is limited to 700 copies world wide.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com