IAMX Interview

by Charlotte Otter

Drugs, sex and family - former Sneaker Pimp Chris Corner talks to New Noise about what inspires him and his own strange interpretation of altruism

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"I’m a total Jekyll and Hyde, one minute shy and polite, the next aggressive, altruistic and manipulative. I guess it just makes things more exciting"

Once upon a time, Chris Corner was a founding member of hit 90s trip-hop band The Sneaker Pimps. Although, technically, the group are still together today, in recent years Corner has found time to concentrate on his solo work. Performing under the name IAMX he claims he is now happier alone than he ever was with the band.

Sitting more than a hundred miles away from Britain, in his manager’s office in Berlin, Corner sounds relaxed and confident as he talks to NN about his solo project.

"The majority of people who come and see me live now have never even heard of The Sneeker Pimps," he explains. "IAMX’s music is quite different. For a start, it's completely ‘me’ – I’m the core of the project and so as a result it’s a lot more personal. I never got that with The Sneaker Pimps. We were always debating what to do next and over time, I felt that this diluted the relevance of the music. Going solo has made me more pure."

For those who have heard IAMX' music, this statement could seem like a bit of a contradiction. Corner's music is fast-paced and furious, pumping with raw energy and oozing with sex. "Pure" is definitely not the first adjective that springs to mind, and it comes as no surprise therefore that Corner sees erotica as a powerful influence on his creative output.

"My songs always lead back to what I have experienced as a person and a lot of the problems and experiments that I have had have all been to do with sex," he says. "It all comes from a specific period in my life, but I suppose it boils down to my ambiguity about sex and the questions of our existence.

"My lyrics may be dirty, but they do have a conscience, however abstract and emotional they may seem. Family, death, sex, relationships, sex, drugs, sex – they all play a huge part in inspiring me and I hope that there will be people who can empathise with at least some of them."

As a self-described narcissistic extrovert on stage, Corner is famous for his almost schizophrenic approach to performing. These extreme extensions to his quiet and reserved off-stage persona are crafted quite deliberately.

"When I constructed IAMX I started to build up personalities and experiment with imagery – especially with how I dress up," he says.

"I don’t see myself as being a different person when I get into ‘role’. I suppose there is a certain amount of acting involved but it always feel natural and never forced. I suppose that is because I can relate them to some small part of myself.

"It totally depends on my mood and how people are treating me, as to how I will act towards them," he explains. "I’m a total Jekyll and Hyde, one minute shy and polite, the next aggressive, altruistic and manipulative. I guess it just makes things more exciting."

It is this chameleon-like ability to change on a whim that makes IAMX’s live shows so appealing. "I try my best to make every gig I play a fucking great experience," he says. "No matter where you are, this is my life and the crowd feed off that, and I off them. My favourite places to play are the dirty, more intimate venues, but that is just because they appeal to me as a person - they have more character."

As the interview draws to a close, Corner becomes philosophical. "As long as I don’t become too successful I will he happy," he muses. "Success erases the drive to make things cutting edge and relevant. I love living in Berlin, it makes me wired and self-analytical and I wouldn’t want that to change for anything.

"I’m really proud of all my work and that has taken me a long time to admit. I don’t know where I will be in ten years time, but as long as I am still doing something I love, that is all that matters."