Interview with IAMX – Part 2/4

“I feel very guilty because I can’t be the perfect person for others.” (Chris Corner)

In the first part, we spoke to Chris Corner about the new album “Fault Lines²”, animal soul balm, vacation as an illusion and parallel worlds. We now continue the conversation.

Light reflections?

Orkus: Does the San Diego sun and its light help you get through the winter?
Chris Corner: Absolutely. I will never live in Europe during the winter again. The light in Southern California is just unbelievably beautiful. The angles and clarity at sunset are incredibly impressive, especially in the desert. This light is wonderfully inspiring for video recordings. The mood stabilizes more often and life becomes easier. The consistency of the fantastic weather also means that I can live outside in nature. Touching the wet boulders, breathing in the scent of the cacti – it’s all part of it. The downside, however, is the forest fires.

In the desert

O: Now you live in the middle of nowhere, so to speak. You seem to like it quite well, after all you also said hello to the cholla cacti and manzanita trees in the booklet. How is your life in or near the desert?
CC: It’s beautiful. Life in the countryside brings different challenges than urban life, like power cuts, grocery shopping, etc. But also the peace and quiet and the animals, the sand and the dry, soothing breeze that blows when a snake slithers over a stone. It’s so different from Europe. Sometimes quite intense. But my mental health is much, much better with this way of life. The space and the silence.

Idols at eye level

O: You are friends with the musicians Cevin Key (Skinny Puppy) and Gary Numan. Do you remember the first time you met? Do you have anything in common? What is the biggest difference between you?
CC: I met both of them in L.A. when they came to an IAMX concert. They love my music and I love them. They were my idols as a kid and it was surreal to get so close to them. Especially because they appreciate my work. I don’t see them as much now that I live in the desert. I miss them. Musician life is very fragmented and everyone is always busy trying to survive. We’re usually on tour or in the studio, so a lot of stars have to align happily to bring us together.
I’d say I’m a little more manic and intense about work than they are, but that could be because of our age. They are more involved in other things and more sociable than I am.

Mask fall?

O: Is it generally easier for you to be friends with artists because you have a natural understanding of each other?
CC: Not really. Friendships in general are quite a challenge for me to maintain in a healthy way, and I like to spend a lot of time alone, even though people tell me I’m charming in social situations. That’s the big mask I’ve constructed. I also feel a great responsibility to respect the feelings of others, so that combination is not easy to maneuver. I feel very guilty because I can’t be the perfect person for others. It’s illogical and mean, self-destructive behavior that I engage in. But I’m working on it.

Interview: Nadine Kloppert

In the next part, we talk to Chris Corner about false friends, self-discovery and a refuge for enchanting eccentrics.

Missed part 1? No problem: you can read it here.

Have you seen the tour trailer yet?

Experience IAMX live:
April 25, 2025 SE-Gothenburg, Monument
April 26, 2025 SE-Stockholm, Kollektivet Livet
April 28, 2025 UK-Manchester, Academy3
April 29, 2025 UK-London, Electric Ballroom
May 01, 2025 DE-Munich, Ampere
May 02, 2025 DE-Oberhausen, Kulttempel
May 03, 2025 NL-Utrecht, De Helling
May 05, 2025 PL-Kraków, Kwadrat
May 06, 2025 PL-Warsaw, Progresja
May 09, 2025 DE-Berlin, Columbia Theater
May 10, 2025 DE-Hamburg, Markthalle
May 12, 2025 CZ-Prague, Lucerna
May 14, 2025 AT-Graz, PPC
May 16, 2025 AT-Vienna, SIMM City
May 17, 2025 CH-St. Gallen, Grabenhalle
May 18, 2025 DE-Frankfurt, Das Bett
May 20, 2025 BE-Brussels, Ancienne Belgique
May 21, 2025 FR-Paris, Trabendo
May 23, 2025 ES-Barcelona, Apolo 2
May 24, 2025 ES-Madrid, Sala Mon

Do you already have your tickets?

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