Laibach have unveiled a striking cover of Foreigner’s ballad “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
The industrial vets have had a knack for re-interpretations lately, recently taking on the Billie Holliday standard “Strange Fruit” and the holiday-appropriate “White Christmas.”
Like they did with those versions, Laibach re-imagine “I Want to Know What Love Is” in their own style. Minimal electronic instrumentation floats in the background as the deep and rounded voice of Milan Fras recites the song’s lyrics in an almost spoken-word style. The band retains the romantic overtures and sweeping arrangement of the original, building the muted backing music into flourishing swells as backing singer Marina Mårtensson rises in the mix.
The cover is being released as a digital single (alongside two alternate mixes) after becoming something of an oddity during Laibach’s live performances. Billed in the band’s press release as the first “Laibach-a-long,” the cover has bewildered audiences while also leading them to sing along to the FM classic rock staple, with fan footage making the rounds on social media. The phenomenon is depicted in the accompanying performance video.
The song will surely be in the setlist for Laibach’s forthcoming European tour kicking off in February (get tickets here), along with selections from their seminal 1987 LP Opus Dei, which came in at No. 6 on our list of the 50 best industrial albums of all-time. This past December, the group released a re-recording of the album entitled Opus Dei Revisited.
Below you can watch the video for Laibach’s cover of Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
“I Want to Know What Love Is” Artwork:
“I Want to Know What Love Is” Tracklist:
01. I Want to Know What Love Is
02. I Want to Know What Love Is (Extended Mix)
03. I Want to Know What Love Is (Distorted Love Mix)