IAMX – ‘Metanoia’ (album stream) (premiere)

The brainchild of Chris Corner of ’90s electronica band Sneaker Pimps, IAMX has been cleverly bridging rock electronic, burlesque, dance,and onstage theatrics for the past decade. His sixth album Metanoia is set to come out tomorrow, but you can hear it in its entirety a day early below.

“When I was looking for a word to describe the last two years of my life, the turmoil and mental struggle, the word Metanoia kept showing up. I feel like it embodies perfectly the message behind the album. I use it in the context of a Jungian psychological transformation. The breakdown of the constructed self through a process of despair, depression and encounter with the inner void. This of course can lead to questions of spirituality, but it’s important that it’s not taken in sense of a religious conversion. I am in no way religious. It’s the psychology that fascinates me.

“Metanoia is the most specific record I’ve done. Unfortunately or fortunately, mental illness has given me a lot to write about. It became almost a mission for me to explore those issues. When I was at my worst I constantly searched for people going through the same shit. It would help me not feel alone or insane. I want to give that to others with this record because depression is an epidemic and tragically under discussed. Before I started on the album I wrote a blog about my experiences. I thought it was risky at the time because mental challenges are rarely honestly talked about and I didn’t want to put people off or alienate them. But the response was incredibly heartwarming. It showed me just how many of my fans go through similar struggles. Hence, I felt it my duty to write an album about it.

“I’ve tried in my past to make music just a job or dabbled with banal meaningless pop. But it always leaves me feeling dirty. The only way I can make IAMX records is for it to be deeply personal and transformative but this album is special. I feel something fundamental has changed.”

Be sure to catch IAMX on tour this month:

Oct 06 Constellation Room Costa Mesa, CA

Oct 07 The Casbah San Diego, CA

Oct 09 Fonda Theater Los Angeles, CA

Oct 10 Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA

Oct 12 Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR

Oct 13 Neumo’s Seattle, WA

Oct 16 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT

Oct 17 Marquis Theater Denver, CO

Oct 19 Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN

Oct 20 Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL

Oct 22 The Shelter Detroit, MI

Oct 23 Lee’s Palace Toronto, ON

Oct 24 Virgin Mobile Corona Theater Montreal, QC

Oct 26 Brighton Music Hall Boston, MA

Oct 27 Underground Arts Philadelphia, PA

Oct 28 U Street Music Hall Washington, DC

Oct 30 Webster Hall New York, NY