Today, Laibach continues a series of single releases with the bombastic new track, “Die Kanone,” which is their interpretation of “Top” (‘The Cannon’ in English, ‘Die Kanone’ in German), the 1974 single by rock band Bijelo Dugme and the most popular and commercially-successful band in the history of former Yugoslavia, whose music crossed classic rock’n’roll with folk.

This meeting of two Balkan titans was created at the invitation of the track’s songwriter, Goran Bregović, the main creative force behind Bijelo Dugme, to mark 50 years since the band’s inception. The track is essentially a mash up between both groups that was once perceived as completely incompatible, in sound as well as ideology.

“Die Kanone” sees Laibach and Bijelo Dugme channel Yugo-nostalgia and post-industrial unease, as martial rhythms layer with raw guitar riffs. Weapons are often used as a substitute for “masculinity” in Balkan mythology and identity and “Die Kanone” plays with this trope as the protagonist tries to use a cannon to attract the object of his desire.

The track, translated to German, reflects on identity, ex-Yugoslav diaspora and militarism, highlighting Germany’s current move from the automotive to the arms industry. In a further twist, the Volkswagen Beetle featured on the single cover has been long seen as an icon of Germany and was proudly manufactured in Sarajevo in former Yugoslavia.