Laibach and A/Political present new symphonic work ‘Alamut’
Laibach (Photo by Nika Hölcl Praper)
Laibach and A/Political present an all new symphonic work, “Alamut”, in collaboration with Iranian composers Idin Samimi Mofakham and Nima A. Rowshan. The album will be out on Mute on double vinyl and as a 2CD box set on 9 May 2025 .
The album launches today with the track “Fedayeen“. It draws inspiration from “Alamut” (1938), a novel by Slovenian writer Vladimir Bartol. The book tells a story set in 11th-century Persia, exploring themes of martyrdom and the cult of personalities. “Alamut” has influenced the “Assassin’s Creed” video game series and inspired artists like Umberto Eco, Hawkwind, and William S. Burroughs, who referenced it in “Naked Lunch”, “Nova Express”, and “The Red Night Trilogy”.
The book centers on Hassan-i Sabbāh, the charismatic leader of the Nizari Ismailis and founder of the Hashshashin (Order of the Assassins). Claiming to be a prophet, he led a holy war against the Seljuk Empire from his mountain fortress at Alamut. Bartol’s novel, known for the phrase “Nothing is true, everything is permitted,” explores the power of propaganda during a time when the author witnessed the rise of Fascism in Trieste, Italy.
In Laibach’s 9-track reinterpretation of “Alamut”, radical nihilism merges with classical Persian poetry by Omar Khayyam, while the verses of Mahsati Ganjavi mix with minimalist orchestral elements drawn from Iranian musical traditions.
The album was recorded live at the Križanke Outdoor Theatre in Ljubljana, featuring Laibach, the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, and Iranian conductor Navid Gohari. Laibach emphasizes that “cultural and political differences must be overcome through open cooperation, even in challenging times.” Though initially planned to premiere in Tehran, political circumstances prevented this. Instead, Laibach collaborated with Tehran’s Human-Voice Ensemble alongside Slovenia’s Gallina Vocal Group and AccordiOna, a 60-piece accordion orchestra.
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