IAMX is the solo musical project of Chris Corner founded in 2002 in London, England after the hiatus of his former band Sneaker Pimps. It is an independent music project with a secondary focus on the experimentation of visual art.
Chris Corner
IAMX spans across multiple genres, including electronic rock, dance music, burlesque-influenced dark cabaret, and emotional ballads sung with Corner's wide-range voice.
IAMX has released ten studio albums, two remix albums, one experimental album, two live albums, and one acoustic rework album. Most were released independently, being written and produced solely by Corner, with the exceptions of the fifth studio album The Unified Field and the experimental album Unfall, which were co-produced by Jim Abbiss, and the acoustic album Echo Echo, which was co-produced by David Bottrill. As of April 2025, the most recent IAMX albums are Fault Lines¹ and Fault Lines², released in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
From 2006 to 2014, IAMX was based in Berlin, Germany where Corner said he found "the spirit to care less about the music industry and take an independent route." He attributes a large influence on IAMX's lyrics and sound to Berlin, which inspired lyrical subjects such as death, love, addiction, narcotic intoxication, and decadence, as well as critiques of religion, modern society, politics, alienation, and the exploration of sexual identity and gender expression. The theme of gender identity is further emphasized by Corner's androgynous image both on and off stage.
During this time, IAMX developed a reputation for highly energetic and theatrical live performances, with unusual stage outfits and body painting becoming core elements of their shows. Their stage designs consist of art and props made by Corner and his live band members, used alongside live projections.
The official IAMX music videos also began to be directed, filmed, and edited by Corner. On directing his own music videos, Corner said, "I adore video. There's so much scope that music and visual together can achieve. I've always painted with sound and had strong images in my head when I made music, so moving into video was natural." Both their live projections and music videos have contained controversial and often explicit content. This explicit content is sometimes hidden, both as Easter eggs for fans to discover and to bypass censorship from various social media platforms.
In 2014, due to his chronic insomnia and depression, Corner moved IAMX from Berlin to California, stating: "I needed a big change of scenery. I had a few friends in Los Angeles and it seemed like the most relevant place for me, so I got on a boat and sailed over to the States." He currently lives and works at Silent Valley Studios in Southern California.
History IAMX was founded by Corner in 2002 in London, England. The name 'I am X' refers to Becoming X, the title of the Sneaker Pimps debut album. Corner explained that by founding IAMX, he no longer felt that he was becoming X, but rather that he was X, with the meaning of the X ever changing. "X represents the subconscious. It is Art, Sex, Truth. It is radical openness that we achieve in heightened states of creativity. It is the unquantifiable element in all pleasure and all pain. IAMX as a project is an alter ego; a second personality that I can play with and nurture."
Additionally, throughout the project's aesthetics, the X in IAMX can be periodically seen placed within brackets (e.g. {X}), like the unknown variable in a mathematical equation. This is a reference to the works of the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze.
Kiss + Swallow (2004–2006) IAMX's debut album, Kiss + Swallow, was released in 2004 and consisted of melancholic, dark, 1980s-influenced electro music with lyrical content often referring to the psychology of sexual fantasy and role play, gender bending, the exploration of solitude, aggression, longing, codependency and mortality. It was written, performed and produced by Corner himself. Kiss + Swallow was recorded in Corner's home studio in London called The Den.
Many of the songs were initially written by Corner for a fourth Sneaker Pimps album, but while the band was working on the album, it soon became clear that the songs did not suit the direction of Sneaker Pimps. However, the songs remained important to Corner, so he decided to keep working on them as a separate project.
After the release of Kiss + Swallow, Corner went on tour with IAMX, playing sporadically throughout Europe and the US. The live line-up varied between a revolving cast of close friends including Sue Denim of Robots in Disguise (whose vocals are also featured on the album), Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt of The Mighty Boosh, James Cook of Nemo, Mary Ambrose, and the actress Julia Davis of Nighty Night.
Kiss + Swallow was released in the US on 17 June 2008. The US album included the previously unreleased track "I-Polaroids" and a remix of the title song by Moonbootica, and used a variant cover for the album artwork.
Between tours in 2005, Corner wrote and produced the soundtrack for the film Les Chevaliers du Ciel and produced the second Robots in Disguise album, Get RID!.
The Alternative and Live in Warsaw (2006–2008) IAMX's second album, The Alternative, had its first physical release in April 2006 in Europe, and its European and UK digital release October 2007. In November 2007, it was released physically in the UK and Ireland; then in May 2008, it was released on Metropolis Records in the US. The European and US versions had variant covers, with the US version featuring black tape over the face on the cover, rather than the original yellow tape. European and US versions also featured alternate versions of several tracks such as a hidden instrumental string version of "Spit It Out", which was arranged and recorded by Audrey Morse, added production, and new backing vocals from Janine Gezang, who had recently joined the live line-up as backing vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist.
Janine Gezang's addition to the live lineup was announced in the summer of 2006, alongside the news that Dean Rosenzweig would be on guitars and bass, and Tom Marsh on drums. However, Corner began playing shows in support of The Alternative in April 2006, the same month of its European release, playing various festivals across Europe before embarking on a full-fledged Europe and US tour with the live lineup mentioned above in tow.
A limited-edition live album, Live in Warsaw, was released on 14 November 2008 on IAMX's own label, 61seconds. The performance was recorded in front of a live audience for the Polskie Radio Program III and later mixed by Corner in Berlin at IAMX2 studios. At the time, the album was exclusively available on the band's online shop, Boutique IAMX and was not made available for many years after it initially sold out. However, it has since been made available again for digital download and streaming via Corner's new label UNFALL Productions.
Kingdom of Welcome Addiction and Dogmatic Infidel Comedown OK (2009–2010) The third IAMX album, Kingdom of Welcome Addiction, was released on 19 May 2009. The album's release was preceded by the single "Think of England", which was made available for free download on 7 November 2008. This album had a heavier sound than the previous two albums, and utilized Gezang's soprano harmonization throughout. It also featured guest vocals by Imogen Heap on the track "My Secret Friend" with Corner directing the corresponding music video.
In early 2010, it was announced that Janine Gezang would remain on keyboards/synths, vocals and bass; while Rosenzweig and Marsh would be replaced by Alberto Álvarez on guitars, vocals, drums and bass, and Jon Harper on drums. However, before the second half of the tour, in August 2010, Harper was replaced by MAX, a drum machine which was programmed and triggered by Corner.
When asked in an interview, "Where and what is the Kingdom of Welcome Addiction for IAMX?" Corner responded, "In a cold suburb of my sensual and beloved Berlin. In the womb of IAMX. A place where the aches and pains of banality can be relieved. Vices, insecurities, stupidities cured. A little bit like Disney world but with lipstick, cynicism and wit."
A remixed and reworked version of the album entitled Dogmatic Infidel Comedown OK was released on 19 March 2010. The release featured reworks done by Corner himself under the alias of UNFALL, as well as remixes and covers by other artists, including Alec Empire, Terence Fixmer, Combichrist, Aesthetic Perfection and more. The artists featured on the album were all selected and asked to contribute by IAMX. The title of the remixed album is an anagram of the original album's title Kingdom of Welcome Addiction.
Volatile Times and The Unified Field (2011–2014)
In April 2010, Corner teased that he was working on his fourth studio album, which he referred to as IAMX4. On 19 October 2010, it was announced that IAMX4 was now identified as Volatile Times. In early March 2011, the week before the album's release, the track "Fire and Whispers" was made available for free download on the IAMX website. The album was then released in Europe on 18 March 2011 where it peaked at #68 in the German Media Control Charts.
Corner has repeatedly stated that creating Volatile Times was difficult emotionally. He described the album as his most self-indulgent and the peak of his inner struggle with working alone.
IAMX went on two European tours throughout 2011: the 'Fire And Whispers Tour' in the first half of the year and the 'Into Asylum Tour' in the second half. Caroline Weber joined the live line-up on drums in 2011, alongside Álvarez on guitars, backing vocals, drums and bass, and Gezang on keyboards/synths, backing vocals and bass.
On 1 February 2012, it was announced on IAMX's social media that work had officially begun on the fifth studio album, which had the then working title of IAMX5. On 13 May 2012, Corner announced that there would be a vlog posted on the official IAMX YouTube channel every two weeks, which would allow fans to view the recording process of the new album. In the third vlog, Corner revealed that IAMX5 was to be co-produced by Jim Abbiss. Abbiss had formerly worked alongside Corner to co-produce Sneaker Pimps' debut album, Becoming X, and had gone on to produce albums for artists such as Adele and Arctic Monkeys.
On 6 July 2012, via his online blog, Corner revealed the name of a track, "Come Home", from the forthcoming album. On 1 October 2012, a fundraising project was launched via the PledgeMusic website, which would allow fans to bid on items such as old tour set lists, drumsticks, signed CDs, and to pre-order the new album with the additional goal of funding a "Making Of" documentary for the album. Essentially, the more that was pledged, the more IAMX would be able to do, and the more cities they would be able to reach on the accompanying tour. The goal of this fundraiser reached its 100% target in one hour, and eventually reached 817% of the set target.
On 19 October 2012, it was announced that the album would officially be named The Unified Field and would be preceded by the title track as the first single alongside the track "Quiet The Mind". Both songs were released on 3 December 2012. The album was released on 20 March 2013 for fans who pledged on the PledgeMusic project, and 22 March 2013 to the general public.
Following the album's release, IAMX began the 'Animal Impulses Tour', adding new live members Richard Ankers on drums and Sammi Doll on keyboards and backing vocals. Janine Gezang also returned on keyboards/synths, vocals and bass. The 'Animal Impulses Tour' began in Europe and ended in North America. This was the first tour which visited the US after a four-year gap, a feat only made possible through the PledgeMusic campaign.