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An Interview with Chris Corner of IAMX
Posted: Saturday, June 28, 2008
By: Charity VanDeberg
Concert Editor

Control is a keyword in the music industry these days. Music labels are fighting to keep it; artists are reluctant to release it. Even within bands themselves, members often battle each other for more. Chris Corner, the multi-talented backbone of IAMX and founding member of Sneaker Pimps, waited a long time for his. 12 years ago, when Sneaker Pimps released Becoming X, Corner quietly stood aside as another vocalist sang his lyrics. And when he finally took over the vocal duties on Splinter and Bloodsport, Corner's earnest voice surprised listeners when it exposed something infinitely more personal than the first album. But his music still wasn't completely his own. He was at the mercy of his band mates, the label, and producers who all had different views of where the music should go. Finally, with IAMX as his outlet, he has absolute control of all aspects of his music. Now there's nothing to come between the listeners and Corner's every little fantasy, fetish, fear, and interpretation of the world around him. Inspired by minimalist art, Berlin cabarets, and Corner's own romantic spirit, IAMX has already impressed audiences around the globe with remarkable live performances.

Sneaker Pimps' first album was called Becoming X. Is IAMX ('I am X') a statement that you are no longer evolving toward but have fully become 'X'?

Corner: X is the blur between science and art. It represents the elusive and enigmatic, the root of creativity from the subconscious that cannot be explained. IAMX was a way of branding and exploring myself, giving me another personality to climb into. It does come from 'I am X,' but from a lazy simplistic point of view it became 'IAMX,' a confident statement about growing up artistically and finally having something personal and strong to say.

You've said that having more control over your work is what drove you to a solo career. Who do you bounce your ideas off of now? Is there someone whose judgment you trust implicitly, or do you simply experiment until you have achieved what you want?

Corner: I experiment and push. I have found that opinions only distract me and confuse my confidence. Creating alone has driven me to be proud and come to positive closure on things that I make. Without this 'blind faith,' I believe my output would be limited and fragile. There are some I trust, but they are not me and don't usually understand the vision until much later in the life of the record. I am not interested in making commercial music or pleasing people, not consciously anyway. I have an intrinsic ruthless filter, and I am my biggest critic. As such a sensitive person, I fear it is best to work alone.

What is your favorite sound to sample, distort, and destroy?

Corner: My voice. It has been interesting to develop it and change it over the years, not just the recorded sound but the character. I've had much more freedom to experiment with this in the IAMX project. Of course, the live experiences have helped with the growth of control and range. I do have a 'healthy' self-deprecating side, too, A deep impatience with myself that allows me to not be too precious about things. I am a very democratic producer. If my voice sounds better fucked up, then so be it. I would rather have a strong record than be bothered about the essence of my physical being. I have the same attitude when I produce other bands. Sometimes musicians are too precious about their own performance to see there is a better way to make something sound good.

Where is your favorite place to write?

Corner: I write well on my bike. It allows flow and free thought to flourish.

If you could compose a song for another band, which would it be?

Corner: I am not interested in other bands in general. I would prefer to write for an art piece or a short film. Then the music would almost be transparent. I want to explore the subtler side to my writing outside of IAMX, to get away from the traditional structures and formulate longer, more abstract pieces of music. I also want to make my own short film, so perhaps that's my chance, but my real dream would be to write for a Tarkovsky movie, although he is dead, so you see my problem.

Your interpretation of Berlin has seeped into your music, adding a cinematic sense of clandestine romance and danger. What has your real experience living in Berlin been like? How have you maintained the romance without becoming disenchanted?

Corner: It always surprises me how Berlin holds this feeling of openness and opportunity for me. It has become the centre of my universe and I have immersed myself in it. In a way it is quite an innocent place, untainted by too much consumerism and progresses, dirt cheap and physically fucked. There are too many artists and eccentrics here to allow money to control it. People have their own style without being fashionable or cool, and nobody really cares about the opinions of the rest of the world. Its decadence and liberalism are still there, but I have found a much more relaxed Berlin. It allows me to breathe, reflect and focus on the reality of my own existence.

You've toured with some very impressive acts such as Franz Ferdinand and Placebo. And as popular as they are now, it seems likely that Franz Ferdinand and Placebo have been listening to your music for years. Did egos come into play in those situations?

Corner: I am the kind of person that feels moving forward is more important than dwelling on ego. I am not 'commercially' successful. That is fine for me, thank God, but sometimes 'successful' bands take advantage of such things. That is the way it has always been and always will be. It drives me to get better and think harder. I am actually friends with those people, too, and friends do often influence each other.

You're known for your charismatic stage presence, costumes and unforgettable shows. If you had the money to buy all the costumes, props and special effects you wanted, what would your dream stage show look like?

Corner: My dream stage would look like a 1920s German expressionist movie. I am deeply enchanted by those films, and I love theatre. I think the most powerful performances and imagery come from simplicity and limitation. I saw a theater performance of the Shakespeare play Measure for Measure about a year ago by a group called Complicite. The actors moved the stage set-up as they acted. The lights were incredibly simple but dramatic, much use of shadow, and the overall effect was mesmerising. It enhanced what was being communicated: the words. I would love to achieve that with IAMX, a certain down-to-earth but captivating magical experience to drag attention to the core of the music and the purpose of the show.

What is the best concert you've attended?

Corner: When I was 15, I saw a solo piano performance by the minimalist composer Wim Mertens. At the time, I was obsessed with the music he composed for a Peter Greenaway film called The Belly of an Architect. I was blown away.

You're a very engaging and flirtatious performer, often leaving the audience feeling as if they've had a personal moment with you. If you could see past the blinding spotlights, what would catch your attention in that sea of faces?

Corner: Thank you. I find every performance is a very personal experience for me. It is the only way I really know how to let go. I probably feel most free on stage, as I am quite shy and introverted in my normal life. I like to hide, usually. So the moments are very real; it is a way of connecting with others, allowing myself to open up and let them in. There is, of course, a certain level of exaggeration and playfulness, but in essence I mean it. I have often felt that performance is like having sex with hundreds of people at once. What catches my attention is genuine thought and feeling. I can always tell when a person is honestly moved and is 'with me.' I can also spot the bored ones, so watch out: I know who you are.