Chris Corner: Brutal musical dictator and control freak. And we love him all the more for it.
IAMX
Sat. November 10, 2007
Vinyl
Atlanta, GA
America, prepare to be seduced. The dark, danceable, and erotic stylings of IAMX have reached our shores, and front man Chris Corner is prepared to captivate us all. With his highly theatrical performance and alluring persona, Corner is the quintessential front man. His gorgeous, soaring vocals tell stories of seedy glamour and deviance. The music of IAMX is intense and intoxicating, whether lilting gently over a romantic waltz or pounding fiercely with club rhythms and synth electricity.
TALive had the chance to tap into the mind of Corner who, as we mentioned in an earlier blog post, was also the mastermind behind Sneaker Pimps.
TALive: I've been waiting for a year now for IAMX to make its Atlanta debut! We are thrilled to have you. How long has it been since you were last in Atlanta? Was it the Bloodsport tour about five years ago? Do you remember much about your last trip here?
Corner: Thank you so much. Any flattery is completely accepted. Unfortunately, no. I was in a kind of transitional haze at that time. I remember having a good tour but being anxious and tense. I knew that I needed something else outside that project. I think the seed of IAMX was sown around that time. I also had a strange love hate relationship with the US. My experiences of the States were always drug fueled and pretty destructive so I never really had the chance to enjoy it. It's obviously an amazing place, but I wasnt there in my head. The tour at the beginning of the year [with IAMX in the spring] was really refreshing because there was more clarity and simple enjoyment.
TALive: What inspired the fashion and look of IAMX? Was the makeup and style something that you created alone? Is it a look that you carry on off stage as well?
Corner: What you see is what you get. IAMX has become a lifestyle attitude. Independence, style, liberty. All of these things developed pretty naturally as I went along. There was no constructed vision but a feeling. On stage you get the extreme characters: losing it, sweating, working, lusting, pushing. Off stage there is a necessary calm and relaxed nature to the band, but still there is definitely a playfulness with image and strong IAMX attitude in day to day life.
TALive: You have worked hard to maintain artistic freedom with IAMX, staying away from major labels and utilizing a lot of grassroots sort of promotion with great success: sold out show across the U.S. earlier this year and so forth. With two records done, has the indie route proven more satisfying to you? Do you feel like the benefits of artistic freedom have outweighed the challenges of having limited distribution and financial support?
Corner: Yes, definitely. I had so many tortuous experiences with the commercial industry that having freedom is a blessing. You have to work harder and be more inventive, but that is good for the soul. We got this far with nobody backing us and I am proud of that and all the people involved in making this happen: the band, crew and management. I dont need to be rich or famous. I know those things won't improve my psychology or bring me closer to loving life. Being comfortable or getting what you want doesn't necessarily make you content. Reward comes from effort. I see this project like building a house. This tour is the ground floor. The last tour I gave the industry a chance to get involved with IAMX. I met people; they talked shit. I met more people; they talked more shit. This time there is no compromise. No industry guest lists, no fucking schmooze meet and greets, no time wasting. I am here for the fans and that's it. They support and keep this project alive.
TALive: A personal favorite track on The Alternative is "Song of Imaginary Beings." On the internet I found some heated debate about the lyrics with highly divergent hypothesis about the main character in the song…some guessing she was a nun others guessing she was transsexual…or maybe both! Can you provide some insight into our girl? Why is it that "she can't love the physical way a woman should?"
Corner: All interpretations are welcome. Sometimes I see that character as the sexually repressed, cantankerous girl in me; searching for an imaginary soulmate, confused and anxious about the prospect of never understanding or being loved; consumed by cynicism and twisted self-invented morals. But, it's also a place to escape to burn down my old life and to will the rise of a new one from the ashes. In fact, the whole album is a pretty bleak long look in the mirror.
TALive: Sue Denim is listed in the credits as contributing to a number of IAMX tracks. Does she ever join you on stage or tour with the band? Can we expect to see her during the upcoming tour dates in the States?
Corner: When I started IAMX I was experimenting with formats and lineups. I involved a lot of friends and people I had already worked with. I worked with Sue on her own project Robtos in Disguise doing the production. So then she got involved with IAMX...some vocals on the album and some live performances. This was great for a while. I had a lot of fun, but at some point everybody has their own careers to take care of. I moved to Berlin and became more focussed on getting a solid band together. Tight musicians but liberal and open minded. You won't see her on tour with IAMX
TALive: Did the other touring band members contribute in the writing process for any of these songs?
Corner: No . I am a brutal musical dictator and control freak.
TALive: Can we expect to hear any new or rare IAMX tracks that aren't on Kiss & Swallow or The Alternative?
Corner: There are a couple of songs we play from a soundrack that I did for a French movie. I had to reprogram and develop the tracks into the IAMX style as they were written for a different reason and sound much more traditional on the movie. Depending on the crowd enthusiasm, we sometimes play them. If they scream louder than the band noise then it's a deal. The audience has to work, too.
TALive: When you are writing new material, do you consider current trends in music or how your music will fit in to any "scene"? Do you feel that IAMX is a part of some greater movement or was it created completely independently?
Corner: I have never been involved with fashion. Not consciously anyway. I am a bit of a contemporary music retard, actually. I don't know what's going on and don't really want to . It only distracts me from the confidence in my own music. It's a defence mechanism, really, but it works for me. Saying that, if I stumble upon something I feel is not forced on me and I can appreciate outside the binds of fashion and hype then that's a nice feeling. Sometimes it feels like we do have our own little movement going, but then I switch on the TV and am reminded of the scale of the creative enemy. It's a shock, but we all need something to fight against and keep us busy.
TALive: In the late '70s Bowie and Iggy Pop moved out to then-divided Berlin to "dry out" and write new music. Obviously a lot has changed in the city since then, but it has a renewed reputation as a burgeoning music scene. What did you seek in Berlin and how has it influenced your songwriting?
Corner: I had to get out of London. If I am completely honest, I had to leave my old life behind. Everything was dragging and a confused struggle. Money, work, drugs, sexual relationships. I love that place and my friends. It is deeply a part of me, but Berlin was calling for a long time. I went there to work and escape. It's funny how suffocating an island like the UK can be. I always felt like a bit of an alien over there. Berlin is a beautiful, fucked and cheap city. It's full of freaks and creative nonsense. It gives a lot of input, but you can really breathe there. I dont think it has particularly influenced my writing, but then again, it's difficult to pin point what really does. I am a messy abstract writer. I respond very emotionally and usually to people.
TALive: In a previous interview you mentioned taking risks in the studio and doing things in a way that they aren't necessarily "supposed" to be done. Can you give some examples of your more unconventional recording techniques?
Corner: A great example was a something I learnt from a huge mistake. I had set up a whole room of expensive microphones to record a session. Spent a day recording and realised at the end only one cheap mike left on the floor in the corner of the room had captured the performance. It sounded incredible. In a professional studio that would be unacceptable or unthinkable. I love to work in this way.
TALive: Are there any new artists in the States that you are currently listening to?
Corner: See above.
TALive: Is the concept of being "X" the same as the initial vision you had when you came up with the title "Becoming X" with Sneaker Pimps?
Corner: No. My personal X is much more emotional and real to me. It is my art, love, holy grail. This project belongs to me. It is a statement of disconnecting and growing up. I became X. They didn't.
TALive: Finally, do you think of IAMX as a short-term project? Like a Ziggy Stardust sort of moment where you present what you want to say in this sort of stylized way, and then it's on to something new... or is this a band that you hope will continue to grow and evolve?
Corner: IAMX has taken on a life of its own. It's become an addictive monster. It is hard for me to say if it is a drug that should be kicked or embraced. My gut feeling is positive. Back to roots, hard work and doing something meaningful and creatively playful. As long as I am hungry I predict it will grow. Maybe 'progress' is a better word.
www.myspace.com/iamx : myspace
http://www.iamx.co.uk/ : official site
www.myspace.com/iamxatlanta : atlanta street team
Sat. November 10, 2007
Vinyl
Atlanta, GA
America, prepare to be seduced. The dark, danceable, and erotic stylings of IAMX have reached our shores, and front man Chris Corner is prepared to captivate us all. With his highly theatrical performance and alluring persona, Corner is the quintessential front man. His gorgeous, soaring vocals tell stories of seedy glamour and deviance. The music of IAMX is intense and intoxicating, whether lilting gently over a romantic waltz or pounding fiercely with club rhythms and synth electricity.
TALive had the chance to tap into the mind of Corner who, as we mentioned in an earlier blog post, was also the mastermind behind Sneaker Pimps.
TALive: I've been waiting for a year now for IAMX to make its Atlanta debut! We are thrilled to have you. How long has it been since you were last in Atlanta? Was it the Bloodsport tour about five years ago? Do you remember much about your last trip here?
Corner: Thank you so much. Any flattery is completely accepted. Unfortunately, no. I was in a kind of transitional haze at that time. I remember having a good tour but being anxious and tense. I knew that I needed something else outside that project. I think the seed of IAMX was sown around that time. I also had a strange love hate relationship with the US. My experiences of the States were always drug fueled and pretty destructive so I never really had the chance to enjoy it. It's obviously an amazing place, but I wasnt there in my head. The tour at the beginning of the year [with IAMX in the spring] was really refreshing because there was more clarity and simple enjoyment.
TALive: What inspired the fashion and look of IAMX? Was the makeup and style something that you created alone? Is it a look that you carry on off stage as well?
Corner: What you see is what you get. IAMX has become a lifestyle attitude. Independence, style, liberty. All of these things developed pretty naturally as I went along. There was no constructed vision but a feeling. On stage you get the extreme characters: losing it, sweating, working, lusting, pushing. Off stage there is a necessary calm and relaxed nature to the band, but still there is definitely a playfulness with image and strong IAMX attitude in day to day life.
TALive: You have worked hard to maintain artistic freedom with IAMX, staying away from major labels and utilizing a lot of grassroots sort of promotion with great success: sold out show across the U.S. earlier this year and so forth. With two records done, has the indie route proven more satisfying to you? Do you feel like the benefits of artistic freedom have outweighed the challenges of having limited distribution and financial support?
Corner: Yes, definitely. I had so many tortuous experiences with the commercial industry that having freedom is a blessing. You have to work harder and be more inventive, but that is good for the soul. We got this far with nobody backing us and I am proud of that and all the people involved in making this happen: the band, crew and management. I dont need to be rich or famous. I know those things won't improve my psychology or bring me closer to loving life. Being comfortable or getting what you want doesn't necessarily make you content. Reward comes from effort. I see this project like building a house. This tour is the ground floor. The last tour I gave the industry a chance to get involved with IAMX. I met people; they talked shit. I met more people; they talked more shit. This time there is no compromise. No industry guest lists, no fucking schmooze meet and greets, no time wasting. I am here for the fans and that's it. They support and keep this project alive.
TALive: A personal favorite track on The Alternative is "Song of Imaginary Beings." On the internet I found some heated debate about the lyrics with highly divergent hypothesis about the main character in the song…some guessing she was a nun others guessing she was transsexual…or maybe both! Can you provide some insight into our girl? Why is it that "she can't love the physical way a woman should?"
Corner: All interpretations are welcome. Sometimes I see that character as the sexually repressed, cantankerous girl in me; searching for an imaginary soulmate, confused and anxious about the prospect of never understanding or being loved; consumed by cynicism and twisted self-invented morals. But, it's also a place to escape to burn down my old life and to will the rise of a new one from the ashes. In fact, the whole album is a pretty bleak long look in the mirror.
TALive: Sue Denim is listed in the credits as contributing to a number of IAMX tracks. Does she ever join you on stage or tour with the band? Can we expect to see her during the upcoming tour dates in the States?
Corner: When I started IAMX I was experimenting with formats and lineups. I involved a lot of friends and people I had already worked with. I worked with Sue on her own project Robtos in Disguise doing the production. So then she got involved with IAMX...some vocals on the album and some live performances. This was great for a while. I had a lot of fun, but at some point everybody has their own careers to take care of. I moved to Berlin and became more focussed on getting a solid band together. Tight musicians but liberal and open minded. You won't see her on tour with IAMX
TALive: Did the other touring band members contribute in the writing process for any of these songs?
Corner: No . I am a brutal musical dictator and control freak.
TALive: Can we expect to hear any new or rare IAMX tracks that aren't on Kiss & Swallow or The Alternative?
Corner: There are a couple of songs we play from a soundrack that I did for a French movie. I had to reprogram and develop the tracks into the IAMX style as they were written for a different reason and sound much more traditional on the movie. Depending on the crowd enthusiasm, we sometimes play them. If they scream louder than the band noise then it's a deal. The audience has to work, too.
TALive: When you are writing new material, do you consider current trends in music or how your music will fit in to any "scene"? Do you feel that IAMX is a part of some greater movement or was it created completely independently?
Corner: I have never been involved with fashion. Not consciously anyway. I am a bit of a contemporary music retard, actually. I don't know what's going on and don't really want to . It only distracts me from the confidence in my own music. It's a defence mechanism, really, but it works for me. Saying that, if I stumble upon something I feel is not forced on me and I can appreciate outside the binds of fashion and hype then that's a nice feeling. Sometimes it feels like we do have our own little movement going, but then I switch on the TV and am reminded of the scale of the creative enemy. It's a shock, but we all need something to fight against and keep us busy.
TALive: In the late '70s Bowie and Iggy Pop moved out to then-divided Berlin to "dry out" and write new music. Obviously a lot has changed in the city since then, but it has a renewed reputation as a burgeoning music scene. What did you seek in Berlin and how has it influenced your songwriting?
Corner: I had to get out of London. If I am completely honest, I had to leave my old life behind. Everything was dragging and a confused struggle. Money, work, drugs, sexual relationships. I love that place and my friends. It is deeply a part of me, but Berlin was calling for a long time. I went there to work and escape. It's funny how suffocating an island like the UK can be. I always felt like a bit of an alien over there. Berlin is a beautiful, fucked and cheap city. It's full of freaks and creative nonsense. It gives a lot of input, but you can really breathe there. I dont think it has particularly influenced my writing, but then again, it's difficult to pin point what really does. I am a messy abstract writer. I respond very emotionally and usually to people.
TALive: In a previous interview you mentioned taking risks in the studio and doing things in a way that they aren't necessarily "supposed" to be done. Can you give some examples of your more unconventional recording techniques?
Corner: A great example was a something I learnt from a huge mistake. I had set up a whole room of expensive microphones to record a session. Spent a day recording and realised at the end only one cheap mike left on the floor in the corner of the room had captured the performance. It sounded incredible. In a professional studio that would be unacceptable or unthinkable. I love to work in this way.
TALive: Are there any new artists in the States that you are currently listening to?
Corner: See above.
TALive: Is the concept of being "X" the same as the initial vision you had when you came up with the title "Becoming X" with Sneaker Pimps?
Corner: No. My personal X is much more emotional and real to me. It is my art, love, holy grail. This project belongs to me. It is a statement of disconnecting and growing up. I became X. They didn't.
TALive: Finally, do you think of IAMX as a short-term project? Like a Ziggy Stardust sort of moment where you present what you want to say in this sort of stylized way, and then it's on to something new... or is this a band that you hope will continue to grow and evolve?
Corner: IAMX has taken on a life of its own. It's become an addictive monster. It is hard for me to say if it is a drug that should be kicked or embraced. My gut feeling is positive. Back to roots, hard work and doing something meaningful and creatively playful. As long as I am hungry I predict it will grow. Maybe 'progress' is a better word.
www.myspace.com/iamx : myspace
http://www.iamx.co.uk/ : official site
www.myspace.com/iamxatlanta : atlanta street team
Labels: atlanta, concerts, iamx, interview
Go to this article
