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IAMX To Release Reinterpretation Album Reworked By Alec Empire, Combichrist

posted February 24, 2010

IAMX To Release Reinterpretation Album Reworked By Alec Empire, Combichrist

While most artists tend to see their art as a finite entity, IAMX's mastermind Chris Corner sees his music as ever-evolving, morphing and shifting... open to interpretation and changes. In this respect, IAMX will be releasing "Dogmatic Infidel Comedown OK," a compilation of reworkings, covers, and remixes of tracks from their full-length album, "Kingdom of Welcome Addiction" (2009) on May 11, 2010, on Metropolis Records.

"IAMX has been remixed in the past but I was never much involved in choosing the artists and somehow it always fell short of my expectations," says Corner. "This is the first time I put my attention to it. Sometimes I am the child in the candy shop with all the tingling excitement, and sometimes my anti-industry-anti-people cynicism kicks in. But I had a feeling that I wouldn't be disappointed with this collection of oddballs."

"Dogmatic Infidel Comedown OK" includes different versions of "Kingdom"'s songs from a diverse collection of musicians, including Combichrist, James Cook, Pull Out Kings, Alec Empire, among many others.

"We targeted artists with the same attitude and free spirit as IAMX... people working on the fringe and being generally ignored by the commercial world," he continues. "I wanted the package to be a special collection of reworks and interpretations - unconventional with an eclectic mixture of styles and an experimental edge. To me, the record has become another little symbol of independence in this confused, bloodsucking music industry."

From the dark and industrial remix of "I Am Terrified" by Atari Teenage Riot's Alec Empire to the midnight dance beat of Black Light Odyssey's take on "Nature of Inviting" to the twangy punk cover of "Think of England" by Miss Derringer, "Dogmatic Infidel Comedown OK" is a fascinating take on how other artists interpret the incredibly deep and complex mind of Chris Corner.

Corner says of some of the different versions: "The first artist I contacted was Alec Empire. I have been a fan of his work for a long time. His remix for 'I Am Terrified' is, as expected, beautifully difficult and powerful. The structure is very dynamic, going from traditional 4-4 time and breaking into the original 6-8. The version of the LA-based band Miss Derringer is probably the most surprising version. They re-recorded 'Think Of England' completely in their own style - a 1950s B-movie rockabilly version. It is very satisfying to be able to present things like this."

"I am always restless with my versions of my songs," Corner further explains. "It seems impossible to be 100 percent comfortable with the final mix, so producing the tracks again in different forms gives me a second chance. My disease is wanting to dress up the tracks in every style at the same time and therefore never being content. In some ways, allowing others to come up with their own interpretations is very freeing. The responsibility is taken away from me and I can enjoy my music from a clean perspective. The closest I get to hearing my music for the first time like everybody else does. But I do always relish the chance to deconstruct myself and play the role of the studio Mad Professor."

IAMX are currently planning the next chapter of their very storied history which includes touring throughout Europe and the follow-up, which is planned for release in Fall 2010.

"After a long hard northern European winter, I have fallen into an impatient and aggressive state of mind," he says. "I have the feeling everything I am writing at the moment is more biting than 'Kingdom of Welcome Addiction.' But then again I am known to have intense mood swings. We will spend a month touring Europe in March and then I will lock myself in my East Berlin playhouse and continue work on the next IAMX album. I plan to release this in the autumn. After the festival season, around the release we will tour extensively in the US and in Europe. In the in-between I will be developing material for online activity, making videos and talking to the wild boars in my garden."

Dogmatic Infidel Comedown OK
Track Listing

  1. Nature of Inviting (Black Light Odyssey)
  2. Tear Garden (UNFALL CHOCOLATEFURWINE)
  3. You Can Be Happy (Combichrist)
  4. Kingdom of Welcome Addiction (Aesthetic Perfection)
  5. The Great Shipwreck of Life (Pull Out Kings)
  6. Tear Garden (UNFALL ART DECO)
  7. Think of England (Miss Derringer)
  8. The Stupid, The Proud (Index)
  9. My Secret Friend (Omega Man)
  10. I Am Terrified (Alec Empire)
  11. An I For An I (UNFALL X-Mess)
  12. The Nature of Inviting (Terence Fixmer)
  13. Running (Dollhouse)

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