Interview with Iamnoone: ‘Darkness Is A Natural Element Of Life And Should Be Understood’
Philippe Marlat and Stephan Seth founded Iamnoone in 2019. Since their debut, this Italian duo has been remarkably prolific, releasing four official albums to date, all under the Cold Transmission Music label—a partnership that perfectly reflects their sound. Drawing inspiration from Dark-Wave and Cold-Wave, Iamnoone’s music delves into haunting atmospheres and emotive depths, a hallmark particularly evident in their most recent release, “The Joy Of Sorrow”. Iamnoone’s work is a profound exploration of self-discovery, inner struggles, and the search for light amidst darkness. Intrigued by the evocative themes and soundscapes of their latest album, I reached out to both members of the duo to learn more about “The Joy Of Sorrow”—an album I highly recommend discovering. (Picture credits by Regina Zverkova – Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: With four official albums under your belt, it’s easy to say you’ve accomplished a lot as a band. How do you reflect on this incredible journey so far, and how do you feel you’ve evolved since the founding of Iamnoone?
Phil: It really seems we’ve been at it for ages, but it’s only been six years since we became Iamnoone. This shows how much we’ve worked, pouring passion into everything we did. We always feel the need to create. As artists, we feel the necessity to grow, and we try to add something new—something we’ve learned—to every song we compose. I still remember 2023, when we were waiting to hit the stage at WGT, sipping tequila. We said, ‘Four years ago, we were no one, and now (we’re still no one, but we’re here’. It’s an incredible journey, driven by creativity.
Stephan: The journey of Iamnoone mirrors the journey we had as friends in life: always trying to become better versions of ourselves and always aiming at growing as persons and as musicians. Since its inception Iamnoone showed us new ways to work together and offered us a lot of occasions to reason about our lives and the messages we wanted to convey through our music. I’m very grateful for the opportunity this project offers me as a person.
Q: Your latest album, “The Joy Of Sorrow”, has been highly anticipated. Can you share how this project came to life? What was the composition process like, and were there any significant innovations or unexpected challenges along the way?
Phil: During the “Dead Season” and “Together Alone” sessions, we had to work separately because of the lockdown. However, when we started composing “The Joy Of Sorrow”, we decided to write the songs together in the studio. In the end, we composed twelve songs together, while another 12–14 songs came from demos we had composed individually. From the very beginning, we chose to incorporate a lot of electronics into this album and to experiment with it. Before the mixing process, we had extensive discussions with our label about what we were working on and, together with them, we selected the final tracklist.
Stephan: We’re constantly writing new music. When ‘it’s time’ to release an album, we develop our demos and record the parts. We usually decide beforehand which are the components of our previous works we want to keep and which ones to let go.
Q: How did you collaborate on this album? Can you walk us through your typical creative process; -who takes on which roles, and how do you complement each other as a team?
Stephan: Usually we send each other embryos of songs, the one who receives the demo comes up with ideas on how to develop the song and we go back and forth until we’re satisfied with the result. Then it’s time to record and add spices. Of course each of us has its strengths: Phil for example is a great sound engineer and has super clear ideas on how to infuse a track with ‘atmosphere’… and I usually mind the harmonies or come up with suggestions for melodies… yeah one might say we complete each other.
Phil: We both write the lyrics, depending on who feels more inspired in a particular moment. For us lyrics are a very important part of the song. The concept of the album, defined by its title, starts taking shape when we add the words to the music.
Q: The title, “The Joy Of Sorrow”, is intriguing. What deeper meaning does it hold, and how does it connect to the album’s lyrical themes? From what I understand, the lyrics also carry a positive message so can you elaborate on that?
Stephan: Sorrow is sometimes a state in which one can find some sort of quiet melancholic peace. In fact we believe the light does not go out in times of sadness, it’s just hidden. We also believe darkness is a natural element of life and should be understood, more than avoided, because when it comes to pass, we can grow a lot as person.
Phil: We believe that life is a balance of opposites. Nature teaches us this, sometimes in a harsh way. Artists often find inspiration to create masterpieces during periods of suffering. They find joy in sorrow. In this album, we deliberately balanced darker aspects with brighter ones. An example is a track like “This Is Forever” compared to a song like “The Age Of Sadness”, which are thematically at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Q: Your work has always carried clear influences from the 80s, and this album is no exception. What makes that era so special to you? Are there any specific artists or producers from that time who have inspired you, and why?
Phil: I don’t know why, perhaps due to childhood memories, but the sound of the 80s has something comfortingly melancholic about it… a kind of sweet melancholy that’s lovely to get lost in. I’ve also always loved the sound of synthesizers and electronic drums, even though my main musical reference period is more the 90s, when I started making music actively. As a music listener, I also prefer discovering new things, especially from the independent scene.
Stephan: To me music is like a tongue. And influences are like accents. If you ask me why I have that accent, well that’s because I grew up there… in terms of music, my main musical education took place in those years… then of course I studied and added lots of other ingredients to my musical background, but my musical roots are deep in the ‘80s
Q: Do you believe that the newest album is always your best work? How do you view your discography as a whole, and what can fans expect in the coming months in terms of new releases, live performances, or other projects?
Phil: We like to live in the here and now. The latest album is always a step forward, but we’re also deeply connected to our past work. Playing or listening to our older albums takes me right back to the moment we were working on them. It reminds me of what season it was, what our expectations were, what the air smelled like… our old records are a sort of a time machine. As for the future, we have a few live shows to play here in Italy. We’re mixing some tracks that didn’t make it onto “The Joy Of Sorrow”, but most importantly, we’re discussing putting down some of the ideas we have in mind for a new album.
Stephan: I believe the last album is the one that mirrors more accurately the present of the project. Listening to the old songs it’s like looking at pictures from the past: even though a lot of those old tracks still have resonance and meaning, to us , it is the new ones that represent us closer.
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