Artist: LAIBACH
Album: VOLK (CD)

Year: 2006
Media type: CD

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.

Laibach created this record in collaboration with Boris Benko and Primoz Hladnik - both members of Ljubljana music group Silence and they co-produced and co-write the project. Boris Benko also created vocal interpretations and arrangements on several songs.

ANGLIA is based on and inspired by God Save the King/Queen, traditional song, earliest known version by John Bull (1562-1628). Today it is used as the national anthem of the United Kingdom, one of the two national anthems of New Zealand, the royal anthem of Canada, Australia, and the other Commonwealth Realms, as well as the royal anthem of the British Royal Family. “God Save the King (or ... Queen)” is also used as Norway's Royal (but not national) anthem entitled “Kongesangen” and sung in Norwegian. The tune is still used as the national anthem of Liechtenstein (“Oben am jungen Rhein”). There is no single authorized version of the song and contrary to popular belief “God Save the Queen” has never been officially proclaimed the national anthem of Great Britain; it has never been adopted by Royal Proclamation or Act of Parliament.

ESPANA is based on and inspired by La Marcha Real (The Royal March), and by El Himno de Riego. “La Marcha Real” - Spain's national anthem - is one of the oldest in Europe and its origins are unknown. Its first mention is in a document dated 1761: the Libro de Ordenanza de los toques militares de la Infanterнa Espaсola - the Spanish Infantry Book of Military Bugle Calls - by Manuel de Espinosa. The tune was entitled “La Marcha Granadera” (March of the Grenadiers); however, no composer's name was given. In 1770, King Carlos III declared the “Marcha Granadera” to be the official Honour March, thereby according it a place at public and ceremonial events. Because it was always played at public events attended by the royal family, Spaniards soon came to regard the “Marcha Granadera” as their national anthem and called it the “Marcha Real”. Under the Second Spanish Republic “El Himno de Riego” replaced “La Marcha Real” as the national anthem of Spain. At the conclusion of the Civil War dictator Francisco Franco restored “La Marcha Real” as the country's national anthem, under its old title of “La Marcha Granadera”. The current version was commissioned from Francisco Grau after the approval of the 1978 constitution. In October 1997, a Royal Decree was promulgated regulating the official use of the “Marcha Real” as the national anthem of Spain. It is one of the few national anthems in the world to have no words. But lyrics have been written and used for it in the past. One version, written by Eduardo Marquina, was used during Alfonso XIII's reign and another - written by Josй Marнa Pemбn - during general Franco's dictatorship; however, none of them were ever official. “El Himno de Riego” (author: Evaristo San Miguel Valledor -?-) is a song dating from the Spanish Civil War of 1820-1823 and named in honour of Colonel Rafael del Riego. It was the national anthem of Spain during the period of Trienio Liberal (1820 – 1823) and the First (1873 – 1874) and Second Spanish Republics (1931-1939).

TRACKLIST:

1. Germania
2. America
3. Anglia
4. Rossiya
5. Francia
6. Italia
7. Espana
8. Yisraґel
9. Turkiye
10. Zhonghua
11. Nippon
12. Slovania
13. Vaticanae
14. Nsk