“John Cale meet Can. They’re nice fellows. Here’s your producer Brian Eno and his friend David Byrne. Don’t sing much; it messes with the instrumental pattern. David’s really not here to help, but he may jump in on occasion to play bass or guitar.” Essentially, this could describe the shamble of songs collected over Audionom’s short career from 1999 to 2002. Though called Retrospektiv, it’s not just a look back on the Swedes’ music, but a recollection of what could have been and would have been had they only existed in another time and place. It’s a mix of Krautrock, post-punk, metal, industrial, and electronica - just all the noise and none of the music. It may seem damning, but it’s not. Audionom is about the creation of new and different sounds and the destruction of traditional song structures and craft - neither of which amount to music in the traditional sense. Put it on full blast and everyone will yell for the noise to stop; ignore them. It is forceful and very loud (oh so very loud), but behind the noise is an unearthly rhythm that nevertheless seems to drive the entire album. JAMC and My Bloody Valentine both envisioned noise as the new music, and here Audionom fulfills the prophecy. We’re looking back, but Audionom was definitely looking forward…perhaps just a little too far.
~ Wes Barker
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