IAMX Does Its Thing

Chris Corner makes music that doesn’t fit neatly into anything. IAMX pulls from industrial and pop and electronic sources, but what actually sticks is how direct the songs are. Kiss & Swallow is properly catchy. Missile works in a club or alone at night. He isn’t coy about the subject matter—sex, death, desire, obsession, the stuff that matters.

He’s never rebuilt himself between albums or chased whatever was trending. He’s been making IAMX records since the early 2000s, and they sound like IAMX records. Moved to Berlin, became part of something real instead of staying a curio. Built an audience of people who actually care about the work.

There’s a type of underground electronic artist who proves you don’t need massive visibility to sustain yourself. Corner is one. The shows fill up because the people who find him actually listen.

The records hold up partly because he wasn’t chasing sounds. The production is clean without being sterile. Melodies are strong. The thinking is clear. Songs from 2003 don’t feel dated because they were built on something solid.