IAMX is in the middle of the Metanoia Tour 2016 and next Monday he’s coming to Vilnius. We can not just sit still, so we’re asking Chris about life on tour, sex, music and sex.
Hello Chris, you have US and Western Europe shows behind you and North/East European shows ahead of you. How do you feel in the middle of the road?
Psychologically stable, physically resilient and looking forward to a bright future.
What are the essential things for you that you cannot leave at home while going on tour (except the trivial ones like phone, socks, toothbrush, vibrator…)?
They are all trivial , there’s no room for luxuries on tour . Sewing kit, gaffer tape, pornography.
Metanoia seems to be your most accessible and bright record to date. Does that mean that (after you get well) in the future you will continue to follow more light and pop way?
I don’t see this as my brightest record, at this point I have no idea what is next.
But judging by my history it’s unlikely I’ll be making a sparkly fun pop record anytime soon.
The majority of songs in pop history are dealing with love, meanwhile in your songs love is replaced with sex, obsession, gender identity, art, sex. Where is this shift come from?
Those are the real things that everyone thinks about. It interests me how as a society we censor ourselves in such peculiar ways. It doesn’t make sense to me. So I write about these subjects because this is the level I want to connect with other humans on.
Would you agree that LGBT people are somehow more artistic on-stage personas? What are your observations?
I think they have more fun and freedom to express themselves in theatrical ways.
Stage is an abnormal place to be so you have a right to be the freak. LGBT people just embrace this.
What are the differences and similarities that different cities (London, Berlin, LA) have on your creative output?
I’m a drifter , I’ve always been searching for different places and inspirations , but the city doesn’t really have too much influence on my writing . London is cosy and gentrified Berlin is dark cheap and sexy and LA is sunny glam and grown up.
I actually made Metanoia out in the Mojave desert 3 hours from LA. I have a cabin out there and I love it. The desert did have a huge effect on the record.
Ze Germans have a special thing for dark and twisted music. IAMX had a lot of success on Deutsche Alternative Charts, as well. How would you explain this strange German taste for kinky/black stuff?
Germans really live by rules. Doing things the correct way is an integral part of society so I guess it offers them a way to break out of this. To be subversive and kinky. There’s that cold and hard element too which also fits with the German psyche.
Janine and Sammi seem pretty wild on stage. How do you manage to handle them?
I’m a dictator. When I need to I crack the whip and they fall in line. But I like those girls wild and dirty, so there’s not much for me to do.
Some of your 2016 tour shows have marks +16 or +18, while others are marked All Ages. Does that mean your show in Vilnius is going to be censored or somehow applied for children under 16?
It’s all ages , under 16 to be accompanied by an adult .
Come, come.
