Plural Monolith: Laibach & NSK
Pluralni monolit: Laibach in NSK

A monograph on Laibach and NSK by Alexei Monroe

Pluralni monolit is the result of several years’ research into Laibach and NSK and is the most detailed and comprehensive study of the subject to date as well as the first book on the subject in Slovene. It collates and examines the vast body of critical, journalistic and popular reaction to NSK. Unlike much writing on NSK it engages in detail with specific albums, tracks, videos, texts, paintings and performances and will identify (in many cases for the first time) the dissonant and contradictory sources of the works, examining their impact at several levels – symbolic, artistic, conceptual, musical, ideological and political – in ex-Yugoslavia and beyond. It provides a detailed account of NSK’s provocative sources and methodologies plus the cultural, historical and political contexts from which they emerged. Examining the works and their effects provides a dynamic perspective through which to view political and cultural events since 1980 and to place NSK within the history of its time.

The book also includes an extensive chronology detailing concert appearances, summaries of key media articles, exhibitions and other NSK actions alongside key political events of the period. The text is illustrated throughout and includes some rare images plus a specially designed New Collectivism/Laibach cover.

A press conference and promotional event for Plural Monolith plus Slovene promotion of the new Laibach album, WAT, will take place Sunday, September 7th 2003 in ex-Tito residence, Vila Bled in the lakeside resort of Bled, Northern Slovenia.

For promotional purposes some extracts may be available in English, please contact Maska. An English language version will be published late 2004.

Contents:

Preludium
Krvava gruda plodnja zemlja (Historical and Political Contexts)
Was Ist Kunst? (Techniques and Strategies)
NSK (Structure of NSK)
(Trans)Nacionala (National Themes in NSK)
Ideologija (NSK in the Slovene Political Process)
Retrogardni dogodki (Performance)
Apologija Laibach (Music)
Drzava (NSK State)
Kronologija NSK (Extensive NSK Chronology, 1980-97)
Viri (Sources of NSK References)
Bibliografija

Related page:
SALVE ET COAGULA: An interview with Alexei Monroe