IAMX: LIFE BEFORE DEATH

Photography by Unfall productions , design by Javi Nunez 

Since the inception of Modern Wav, we've always known that IAMX was an artist we wanted to bring to our stage. Our vision has always been to elevate art and bring it to the forefront, all while putting San Diego on the map as a vibrant hub for alternative culture. While the city is often celebrated for its stunning beaches and sunny atmosphere, there's a dark undercurrent that pulses through the unexplored corners of San Diego—one that thrives in the hearts of those who embrace the alternative scene.

In just two weeks, IAMX will grace our stage, and we couldn't be more thrilled to witness this vision come to life. Ahead of the performance, we had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Chris Corner, the creative force behind IAMX. In our conversation, we dove deep into his multifaceted approach to art, film, and inspiration, touching on everything from his creative process to the themes that shape his latest studio album, Fault Lines2.

This is a night not to be missed as we celebrate the intersection of music, art, and alternative culture. We can’t wait to see you there.

Photography by Kris of MorgueDoor

How do you sustain your creative momentum after producing and releasing such a prolific body of music?

I have a hyper selective memory . 

Nostalgia annoys me and I live in a bubble . I don’t listen to other music anymore apart from when I create my own . I’m not cynical I’m just protective . I get deeply sucked in and super self conscious .

I never intentionally look back . 

I adore movement and progress . 

I’m also high functioning autistic and being creative is how I process my world . I communicate through it where I cannot communicate through social interaction . The idea of making something new propels me and gives me a clear purpose in life .

I am here to create . I accepted this pretty young . It is what I am meant to do and I cannot not do it . My drive for this has forced a very narrow window of what is possible for me to do so I lean in .

The more I witness the chaos and pain of the world outside the more I want to go inside . I go inside I explore I come back out  . My hope drags me back out to reality every time . 

But when I am inside I revel in it . I make something, it makes me want to weep or dance or fuck . 

I know this will do the same for someone else and it is my offering to the world .

Creation is simultaneously my hyper stimulation and my calming retreat , my safe space where I can risk and fail and be purely authentic with the added bonus of being loved and accepted by others .

"Fault Lines" showcases a cinematic orchestral quality and an emotive soundscape while still capturing the essence of IAMX. One album that genuinely resonates with me is "Metanoia," especially the track "No Maker Made Me," which has served as a significant source of inspiration in my own creative journey. I'm curious about the strategies or practices you employ to continuously inspire yourself and generate fresh, innovative ideas as you navigate the creative process. What methods help you overcome any creative blocks or maintain your artistic vision?

Perseverance and experiment . 

I trust myself even when I have no idea what I’m doing . Which is often . I trust the work . I know my talent is to channel something beyond my conscious and I know if I squeeze and mold and endure it eventually comes out , even if what comes out is simply the journey of not being able to get it out . 

That to me is the key . The golden ticket to creativity . Everything is interesting . If you can’t write , write about not being able to write . The world is full of beauty and wonder and awe and pain and suffering and beauty and awe …..

Curiosity can be boundless . Mine is . I am looking at my breakfast bowl right now and I think of the designer and the factory and the shape and the care . 

I am curious to a fault . That intensity is challenging in social situations .

I’ve also learned to ride the waves of anxiety and self doubt and self vitriol through the work ethic . I gained this from my upbringing , intensely working class and zero bullshit .

Which led me to a strong focus on completion above all . Completion and release . 

An artist must complete and must release , be witnessed . Succeed and fail and grow .

I admire the strong emphasis you place on visually representing your music and the way you craft your content and live performances. It truly reflects an ongoing transformation. Does this passion arise from your love of film? I'd love to hear about any particular genres or directors that inspire you, whether it's comedy, horror, anime, or arthouse, and discover some of your favorite movies!

I adore film . I enjoy it more than music . I’m fundamentally a visual processor. I remember details of movies from childhood . It’s an odd trait . When I make music I often have imagery in my head . It guides me as I write or produce sounds . 

They are intertwined as one and the same  . 

So much can be communicated through connecting music with image . Photos , videos , stage visuals . It’s another communication tool . What you can’t quite say with the music you can say with the visual . It gives a more complete picture of the project . Maybe a song seems super intense and heavy and serious at first but put against a backdrop of something frivolous or sexual or stupid , it can help paint a more engaging wider concept . An insight into a wider view in the art . Make people think , wonder , laugh , throw up . Challenge the level that they view the music on . “Oh I thought he was this kind of musician , but actually …” 

Opens the playing field .

Photography by Unfall productions

Going to an IAMX show is a special experience. It's clear to see the dedicated fans who proudly show off tattoos of the IAMX logo. These tattoos reflect the strong loyalty and devotion of the fan base. Can you remember a moment when you first noticed how deep this dedication runs? How has this understanding changed you, knowing that many people not only appreciate your art but also strongly relate to it?

I can’t tell you the relief and satisfaction I feel when people get it . It’s obvious to say but it’s just primal validation . 

I recognized pretty early the transience and danger of the music industry . I had success with my first project Sneaker Pimps and that was a fast track to knowing exactly what I don’t want . But I never felt anything deep and tangible . The machine it was built on was constructed for others . I needed my own secure and sustainable thing . 

I saw the real connection in my first few self booked and managed shows with IAMX . Ten people at the front but those ten people had understanding and love in their eyes . They got me . There may be no better feeling in art . This is what I yearned for . 

I was well aware of the limits of such a niche project . I stopped caring about getting as many people as possible to listen and started to focus on getting to the people that care and invest . The ones that will stay and will truly support . This project is built on love in the end . When you show yourself fully the right people come . 

The live shows are sublime in the sense it is where we coalesce and express our mutual love . We all get to show ourselves fully , theatrical cross dressing , LGBTQ, naked- neuro-art -freaks , whatever . It’s safe and beautiful .

Photography by Kris of MorgueDoor

Do you have other outlets or interests outside of music that help you maintain a work-life balance? 

Aside from film , architecture and art (in the sense of video sculpture installation) I love nature and landscaping . 

Taking raw land and developing it conscientiously with my bobcat . 

Rock formations and boulders , desert wildlife . Hiking through the cholla . 

A wide silent arid view . 

Making Trash metal sculptures and retrofitting vintage trailers also keeps me active . 

I live in SoCal on an old horse ranch and spend a lot of time outside . When I can’t go outside I have a converted barn with all of my creating tools at hand . Cameras,  lights costumes paint ,

Projectors stage lights . 

I make the live visualands the official videos here and also throw events for fans . 

Living with animals , loving and kinking with people and connecting deeply with my audience . These are my passions .

Photography by Unfall productions

Let's dive into your gear and recording process! Are there particular pieces of music equipment that have become essential for you while making "Fault Lines2"?  

I leaned heavily into modular synthesis when I moved to the US .

There were small elements of it on Metanoia as I was getting started with it though it really became a serious tool for me when I made the instrumental album UNFALL .

I’ve never been a gear fascist . I very rarely care what I use as long as I have something to get my idea out . Nice gear helps though it can be a total distraction from completion . My drive is to connect with a message. Sometimes that message is the message of not caring about production value .

In a sense that’s why I like modular , it has a certain flawed grimy quality that doesn’t care if it’s recorded correctly .

There is one granular sampler manipulator called Morphagene that I adore . I adore it so much I called my cat after it . 

I particularly adore my vocals mangled and unrecognizable through it .

I'd also love to hear about your current approach to working on projects. Do you prefer creating multiple sketches and organizing them in a folder, or do you focus on refining each piece until it develops into something special?  

I have a multitude of sketches . 

Usually start with a scratchy programmed loop or a baby language iPhone melody or an acoustic guitar sequence . 

And often spill over from the last album . Songs that are not quite ready to be heard . My music is ahead of me . It knows me better than I know me . So often I recognise a more educated wiser version of myself in a song , that I just wasn’t ready to be at the time I wrote . I write both about who I have been and who I am turning into . 

These multiple sketches are slowly filtered down into less and less . I cannibalize one for the other . Bounce ideas between them . 

It’s tough to realise a song you believed  was amazing was just the chorus to another one and that you have to give it up to the ether . 

I have become more ruthless these days . Life is short , time’s running out , so many ideas .