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International Noise Conspiracy
Umea, Sweden is a college town, and like such US counterparts as Austin, Texas and Athens, Georgia, it supports a vital music scene. In the early ‘90s, hardcore punk was thriving in Umea, thanks in part to a band called Step Forward. When the group broke up, drummer David Sandstrom and singer Dennis Lyxzen formed Refused, which gradually developed anarchist sentiments to complement its punk-metal sound. After three full-length records, this mix presented a problem, however: Lyxzen wanted to use the band as a platform for his political beliefs, while the other members were happy to just play music. “The Kings of Swedish Hardcore” split up, and Lyxzen assembled other musicians who wanted to update Phil Ochs’ formula for the perfect rock act: a combo of Elvis and Che Guevera. Guitarist Lars Stromberg, also in the punk trio Separation, was the first to sign up, then three other Umea scenesters joined in. The result was The (International) Noise Conspiracy, a quintet that, in bass player Inge Johansson’s words, combines The Who and Guy Debord, or The Jam and Noam Chomsky. Maintaining hardcore’s relentless, outrageous energy but adding catchy choruses and ‘60s-influenced organ hooks, The (I)NC recorded several 7” singles in 1998 and ‘99, issued in the US by G7 Welcoming Committee (and packaged as a full-length, The First Conspiracy, in Canada and Asia). The collective’s first proper US album was the lean, clean, Survival Sickness, released by Epitaph Records in May, 2000. |