The (International) Noise Conspiracy have finished recording their third album with producer Rick Rubin and are mixing the record for a summer release. The album's title, Armed Love, speaks to its prevalent theme, as the politically outspoken Swedish rock troupe call for social and political change worldwide, but with a compassionate bent.

"I think all revolutions or changes should be based on love," says frontman Dennis Lyxzen. "Any revolutionary struggle is made to benefit your fellow beings. We're revolutionaries, but it's not about hatred or just being angry. On the other hand, I'm not a big fan of hippie-esque notions. There are still troubling matters of economy and oppressive cultures. And you won't change that by holding hands -- that's for sure. It requires drastic personal change and a change of your surroundings. That's what we mean by armed love."

T(I)NC -- which also includes guitarist/vocalist Lars Stromberg, bassist Inge Johansson and drummer Ludvig Dahlberg -- have enjoyed a steadily building buzz stateside through intense live sets on the road behind 2001's A New Morning, Changing Weather and last year's EP Bigger Cages, Longer Chains. It was during their first-ever U.S. tour that Rubin caught the band and took an interest. "When he thought the time was right, he sent me an email and said he wanted to produce us," Lyxzen says. "For us, it was a matter of, 'Let me think about this for one second . . . Um, yes.' He's been great to work with. A lot of times it seems that Rick knows more about who you are than you do. He saw us play, he heard our records and he knew what we could become."

Among the songs tipped for inclusion is "The Way I Feel About You" ("It's one of those songs that comes from listening to Who's Next for two weeks straight") and "Under a Communist Moon," which Lyxzen was inspired to write after seeing a television program about the American/Russian space race. "The American President [Lyndon B. Johnson] said, 'There's no way I'm going to sleep under a communist moon,'" he says. "Our song is more like, 'Let's share our dreams under a communist moon.'"

T(I)NC are driven by their convictions, but they're sufficiently self-aware to avoid being made oblivious by them. "'Communist Moon' is one of those titles that will ensure that we don't sell many records," Lyxzen says, laughing. "The way things are today, it is easy to find things to write about, but you must be careful not to wear yourself down. I've been singing songs about these issues for a long time. But if you compare the lyrics with the last few records, there is a different approach. They're very political, but they talk about politics from a personal standpoint."

Following the completion of Armed Love, T(I)NC have a full dance card for 2004. The group is already on board for the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin next month, as well as the Coachella festival in California in May. The group is also on board for this summer's Warped Tour. "It looks like there's gonna be a lot of work in America," Lyxzen says. "Which is fine, because you guys have an election coming up, and you need some Swedish guys to tell you what to do [laughs]. I know how cranky Americans get anytime foreigners tell them what to do about their politics. So we aren't gonna tell people what to do . . . we're just going to give them a radical European perspective."

ANDREW DANSBY
(February 20, 2004)