Sex, therapy, friends, film, politics, drugs, theatre, death ... take risks and not be controlled or edited.

Get on stage and lose yourself in your job. Use hedonism to be creative rather than destructive.

Well, first of all we'd like to thank Chris Corner for his time. IAMX are playing soon at Club Underworld in Athens, we reckon it's one of the more interesting gigs to look forward to, so read on to learn more about Chris and the IAMX project/persona, his future plans and the tricky business of surviving the nightlife...

From "Becoming X" to IAMX; What were the reasons and which pieces fitted together to bring this completely new project/persona to life?

I was stressed bored and insecure about my creative future. I had written songs for Sneaker Pimps but they were too personal to use. I felt desperate to move forward as Sneaker Pimps was a confused project at that time. It was a big risk going back to roots, having no money, setting up my own stage equipment, producing and playing everything myself, booking my own shows. IAMX saved my artistic life.

The concept was to be a mix of raw subversive electronic sounds with lyrical weight and melancholic melody. Over the last couple of years it has developed its own character and independence and the sound has become more aggressive and live because of the strength of the live performance. It gives me the chance to explore anything i want. Sex, therapy, friends, film, politics, drugs, theatre, death. To take risks and not be controlled or edited.

I felt i had collaborated, debated and compromised enough. I am now free to examine 31 years of head baggage and try to make some sense of it. The IAMX project at this time is my therapy.

According to your Myspace page the influences on your music are "Rapture, Insomnia and Berlin". I'm very interested to hear how the latter works and influences your music.

I live in Berlin and it has become the centre of my universe. It is dirt cheap, liberal and still physically fucked. There is so much unused space. Nobody cares about the rest of the world so it is like an oasis in the centre of Europe. The art is great and there is a strange sense of community without competition and cynicism. In a way it is quite an untainted innocent place. People have their own style without being fashionable or cool.

I lived in London for years before Berlin. One day i woke up and thought 'why am i here?' This is insane. I stressed too much, drugged too much and waited too much. The pace and spirit of Berlin is very different. It is the most non city city i know and i love it. The problem is that i don't want to be a walking advertisement for this place because i don't want more people to move here. In learning the language i have come across music and film from other times that have had a huge impact on me. The films of the 20s and 30s in the German expressionist movement are fabulous. I am also a fan of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht. You can still experience cabaret and decadence in the city. The imagery and atmosphere of that time has had an influence on the latest record.

If people come to the show because they know the music then they will understand and we will have a fabulous time. If they don't know the music and are a bad audience i will kick them into shape and force them to have a fabulous time.

Sneaker Pimps, IAMX, record producing, TV appearances and touring the world, what does the future hold, any interesting plans we can look forward to?

I am working on four projects at the moment. I am writing and producing the next record, slowly. I have about 20 songs which will be filtered into 10. I am mixing an IAMX live record which will be released in a few months time. Also prepared is an EP of string quartet versions of IAMX songs from both existing albums. This will also be released over the summer when we are touring the festivals.

We are also preparing an exclusive high content membership site with an independent cutting edge company based in Tokyo. This will be ready at the end of the summer. I will also be performing a stripped down, small low key tour at the end of this year. Me, an acoustic guitar and a loop machine. This is generally how i write my music. It may therefore be interesting for some people to see what it sounded like before i played with the production and added the noise.

It's going to be a busy year.

In the past you have performed in fests like WGT and Mera Luna, and you seem to have a big appeal on people been part of this darker scene.
Why do you think is that and how was that experience anyway? Obviously good music knows no borders, but do you think there's a lot of common ground and influences?

I can't really say why there is a connection. Perhaps there is a sense of dramatic theatrical exploration in the music and the style that crosses into this scene.

I love to experiment and lose myself on stage too, maybe they are more open to that. I also guess the music and lyrical content are not exactly sunny.
Saying that, i do find there is a much wider cross section of people at the live shows and online which shows me it filters into many other genres.

Having toured in many countries by now and tasted each ones nightlife and people, do you have any favourite destinations, places where you had more fun for one reason or another?

I love many cities in the world and could probably live temporarily in a few. My real favourites are still Tokyo/Berlin. I did a lot of production work in Tokyo for Japanese artists and i feel that is a second home. So alien and exciting. I also recently fell in love with LA. For years i hated the place because my first experiences were very bleak. After going back there with IAMX a new audience and a clear head, i really enjoyed the place.

And what do you expect or hope to encounter on your first visit to Athens?

In terms of Athens, I have no real experience with the city. I have passed through on my way to the island of Kea which was beautiful but i have no idea how it will be. If people come to the show because they know the music then they will understand and we will have a fabulous time. If they don't know the music and are a bad audience i will kick them into shape and force them to have a fabulous time. Either way, everybody will win. Sometimes, the places you have never played before are the best because the crowd are hungry for it. I love those shows.

And finally, I thought that by now you would be able to share some tips for surviving in the nightlife?

Get on stage and lose yourself in your job. Use hedonism to be creative rather than destructive!

Also see:
IAMX Official Site
IAMX Myspace

Interview Credits: absinthia, X