In vain, we tend to search for the things that mean the most, and, imbedded within popular culture, we can sometimes find the most amazing elements and techniques of subversion. The common love for dirty 60`s punk rock, soul, and radical politics, were just some of the denominators that brought together the fine group called The (International) Noise Conspiracy.
Dennis Lyxzén (vocals & tambourine) paid his dues in the infamous outfit called REFUSED, which self-destructed one evening on tour somewhere. Meanwhile, Lars (guitar & vocals) was, and still is, contributing to many excellent aspects of the tremendous punk-rock trio called SEPARATION. The idea of a band, that in the words of Phil Ochs, ²would be the perfect symbiosis of Elvis and Che Guevara had long been bandied about amongst the two friends.
After REFUSED called it quits, Dennis, dead set on destruction, notified the other members, in an almost Blues Brothers-esque way, that the missions about to start. But today, neither Elvis nor Che Guevara seemed proper.
Instead the metaphor goes something like, The Who and Deboard (not that this in anyway really describes anything but some vague and unimportant reference so that you can categorize the band). The other people that were chosen for the mission were Sara (guitar, Organ & Tambourine), who used to play guitar in DOUGHNUTS and later, in the more political outfit known as SAIDIWAS; Ludvig (drums), who also did his time for SAIDIWAS. Shortly thereafter, Inge (bass) was found from the local art/noise/destruction project, THE FEMALE ANCHOR OF SADE. Musical and political preferences had brought them together to try something new. Not ³new² in the sense of ³creating something new² or being ³innovators², but to use their musical backgrounds and influences in new contexts.
After practising for a while, they entered the local studio called Second Home in December 1998 to record 12 songs that later ended up on five seven inch singles on assorted small indie labels across the world. When the singles sold out they ended up collected on an album called ³The First Conspiracy² released on G7 welcoming committee and Ling Lao records. During early 1999 the band kicked off two tours in Scandinavia earning a reputation as the most exiting and wild live act around. During spring the same year the band flew over to China for a 15 gig illegal underground tour across the country. This tour was not in any way approved of by the Chinese authorities and this Cultural Revolution took place, on the month, on the ten-year memorial of the massacre at Tiananmen Square.
The band played rock n roll music in a country where western music is more or less banned, in hidden illegal underground clubs for screaming rock fans and dancing cops. The band got away without being arrested and went home to Sweden to write more songs and they took on every gig that was offered to them. During 1999 they also toured Europe for the first time. In late 1999 they entered Pelle Gunnerfeldts studio in Stockholm with the pop genius Jari Haapalainen as a producer, to record what was to become their debut album ³Survival Sickness². The album was released on Burning Heart in April 2000 receiving raving reviews from all over the world. KERRANG gave the album 5 KKKKK, writing ²The (International) Noise Conspiracy are making punk rock exciting again². Other fine reviews were METAL HAMMER (9/10), MELODY MAKER (4/5) and TERRORIZER (8/10).
The band toured that record across Europe with bands like The Hives and Monster and later America, playing shows with bands like At The Drive In, Sunshine, Murder City Devils, J Mascis and the fog, Bluetip, Danko Jones and Karate. The band released two singles/videos from the album, ³Smash It Up² and ³Reproduction of death² and both of them got international radio play and MTV exposure. Heavy touring brought them around Europe one more time and back to the U.S again, this time as a support act to Rocket from the Crypt.
During spring of 2001 it was time for the band to record a new album. The recording took place in the same studio and with the same people as on ³Survival Sickness². During the recording, the band was the only Swedish band that rejected the ongoing Hultsfred Festival, with all it¹s media hype and ass kissing of the music industry, and instead played a free show in Gothenburg for the people gathered to protest against the EU top meeting. And when the band returned back to Stockholm to finish the recordings, they brought along the tension and the vibe of the riots and protests to incorporate it into the music on the album that you are about to listen to.
As you may understand, The (international) Noise Conspiracy is in no way the typical pop or rock group out there. The (international) Noise Conspiracy is a political rock band, with no ambition to be politically correct or keeping their ideas underground. A band that uses the media and music industry which they hate to get their message across. Critics might claim that the band is just out there selling discontent and the image of rebellion, a band plundering the archives of rock and pop history to make catchy and naive songs about revolution.
Nothing could be more wrong. The band is as real, or unreal, as anything is going to be. The band doesn¹t fit into any frames or genres that makes rock music today so sterile and easy to define and therefore harmless. This band doesn¹t belong to any scene. They feel just as comfortable, or as uncomfortable, in crusty squats as on MTV.
Lyrically, The (international) Noise Conspiracy puts all their enemies up against the wall, and fires bullet after bullet at them. There¹s no doubt in where this band is standing politically. But, this band sees no purpose in being dogmatic in their politics. They are not preachers on the road coming to town condemning you for your sins - they encourage you to sin! They seek conflict. This band don¹t wish to see themselves as leaders or spokespersons of the revolution, they never claim to have ³the answer². They want to produce the soundtrack of the ongoing war against capitalism out there. The (international) Noise conspiracy aims to be a voice for the unheard coming out of your radio at the best airtime. The sounds from the streets of Seattle, Prague, Quebec, Göteborg and Genova are their main musical influences. This record is of course unimportant and disposable in that context, but it will last longer than the WTO, the world¹s police forces or any fascist or capitalist out t here.
Their new album (released 15 October 2001 is called ³A New morning, Changing weather², a title influenced by a guy called Bob Dylan and a movement called the Weathermen. On the album, the band proves again, with flawless thematic progression as a call to arms, that they are not just a white-hot garage-rock band, but also a gang of disciplined politicos.
Performed with utmost passion, rawness and vitality, ³A new Morning, Changing Weather², is another THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY celebration of passion and resistance. A record that will surely inspire people to give the band three-fingered rock salute with one hand, while hoisting a Molotov cocktail in the other. It¹s just a record. It¹s not going to change the world. But still, it¹s very much a product of an ongoing struggle that, in the end, will change the world. Time will prove us right!
Source: http://alt.digitalfarmers.com/tinc/english/biography.html
