Issue 88 PDF

A band? An art project? A shadowy cabal of political provocateurs? We are lifting the lid on Laibach for this month's cover feature – and we have a fantastic transparent red vinyl seven-inch featuring two tracks by the idiosyncratic Slovenian collective to accompany the issue as well.

Formed at the start of the 1980s in a mining town in what was then Yugoslavia, Laibach's interest in the culture and national identity of Slovenia frequently upset the authorities during the early days of the band. At one point, they were effectively banned in their home country. But despite dealing with weighty matters and provoking controversies at every turn, they have always tackled issues with such fearless invention, not to mention plenty of good humour, that it's hard not to marvel at their incredible body of work. And if you're wondering why frontman Milan Fras is holding an owl on the opening page of our feature, well, we have no idea. It's Laibach, innit?

We have a dazzling supporting cast elsewhere in the magazine. Hannah Peel talks about her new project with Paraorchestra and Tears For Fears reflect on their first album in nearly 20 years. Nik Colk Void, Loraine James and Kavinsky are among our other main interviews and we've got a very busy front section too, including Betty Boo and Sonic Boom, plus a great story about a short film inspired by Andrew Weatherall's famous "Fail we may, sail we must" tattoo. All aboard!