Sebastian Komor interview: on Icon of Coil, SRK Group and fatherhood
Sebastian Komor discusses Icon of Coil’s new album, SRK Group, working with Alphaville, fatherhood and film scoring in this Side-Line interview.
Sebastian Komor has worked across the electronic and industrial music scene for decades, through Icon of Coil alongside Andy LaPlegua and Christian Lund, Komor Kommando, SRK Group, and production and remix work for artists including Alphaville, KMFDM and Ayria. With new SRK Group material, an Icon of Coil album in progress and a live Icon of Coil appearance booked for Dark Force Fest in 2027, Side-Line spoke with Komor about that work, his years in Poland, Norway and Canada, fatherhood, film scoring, and his view of how the industrial scene has changed since the late 1990s.
Sebastian Komor interview
Sebastian, you’ve been involved in so many projects over the years that I sometimes wonder whether even you can keep track of them all. Icon of Coil, Komor Kommando, SRK Group, countless productions and remixes… After all these years, what still makes you sit down and think, “I need to make some noise”? And is there anything you’ve reached the point of never wanting to do again?
Komor: It is who I am. It is in my blood. Despite the moments when I sit in the studio thinking, “I can’t do this anymore!”, I have, at this stage in life, concluded that my path in life is music and sound, in whatever capacity that may exist moving forward. It’s that fire within. The flame that never dies.
There’s a certain Komor sound that’s pretty hard to miss, even when you’re working with somebody else. You’ve worked with artists ranging from Alphaville to KMFDM, and more recently produced Ayria’s “13 Stitches.” When does helping an artist find their sound turn into putting too much of yourself into it? And which collaboration has pushed you furthest outside your comfort zone?
Komor: I would say working with Alphaville was the one that pushed me the most. I think the pressure I felt had something to do with it. Sitting next to the man who sang “Forever Young” and “Big in Japan,” holding the original tapes of those songs in my hands, was one of the greatest experiences of my career. Once you connect with the people behind the music and learn who they are, what excites them, what inspires them, that’s when magic happens.
I keep hearing that I have a sound. Still, to this day, I am not sure what that is, but it’s a good thing. Authenticity and personality are key, even more so in the days of AI. When I am in the producer’s chair, for me it’s a balance between doing what I am asked to, circling back to that certain sound, and listening to what the song itself says, all while having dialogues with the artist. Sometimes I get raw, minimal demos. In those cases, the vocals and the overall feel dictate what seems right, while I stay open to radically different ideas and sounds than one would “usually” use.
SRK Group has been making some noise with “Spitfire” and “Bleeding Heartsicle.” What’s happening in that head of yours at the moment? Is there a bigger plan behind these releases, or do you prefer the freedom of doing whatever you fancy? And should we assume Komor Kommando and your other projects are quietly plotting something in the background?
Komor: At the moment, my head is filled with ideas, negotiations and recalibrations. Musically and personally, I’ve always been more of an observer, that guy sitting in the corner, watching, listening, picking up on body language and patterns, making notes. When it comes to SRK Group, there is a goal we’re building towards, with the current focus on releasing one single a month. Komor Kommando is absolutely overdue for a new EP; plenty of tracks are in a demo stage. Then there is what is now official and public: a new Icon of Coil album in the making.
Born in Poland, raised in Norway, and eventually making Canada your home. That’s quite a few different worlds to grow up and live in. When someone asks where you’re from, is there even a simple answer anymore? And how much have those different cultures influenced not just your music, but your values, your worldview and the way you deal with people?
Komor: All vastly different countries and cultures indeed. Music is the bridge between them all. No matter where in the world you are, music finds a way to connect and unite people. The one thing about having lived in three different countries is that sense of never finding “home,” or a sense of where home is. Once I became a father, I found it. My son is the key, the light. In the last year or so, I have discovered that home is not external. Home is within. I am grateful for the path of Poland, Norway and Canada, and for the travelling that came with music: seeing the best and worst in people, experiencing the various cultures, speaking with people from all walks of life.
Icon of Coil still means an awful lot to people, even after more than twenty years. But here’s something I’ve been wondering: do you ever feel that some fans are still attached to the Sebastian they knew back then, while the actual Sebastian has moved on? And is there anything about those days you genuinely miss, or are you quite happy to leave certain things in the past?
Komor: People tend to lock onto fragments of time, or imply that the person on stage and in the music is my entire self. It’s the nature of things, I guess, when people know you for what you do, not you as a person. Icon of Coil was and will always be a big part of my career and history, a history I am proud of, considering all the sacrifices over the years it took to get there. That being said, becoming a father was a pivotal point in my life; the benefits of working from home made it possible. My son even helped with promo photos for Komor Kommando. Introducing him to music is magical; he loves Kraftwerk and Deadmau5. Icon of Coil, the complete live band, will be performing live at Dark Force Fest in 2027, the first time in about fifteen years.
You recently remixed “We Bring the Beat” for Aesthetic Perfection. Daniel Graves isn’t exactly famous for playing by the rules of any particular genre, and neither are you. How did you two end up working together, and what happens when two people who don’t particularly care about musical boundaries cross paths?
Komor: The first time we met must have been back in 2001. I heard “We Bring the Beat” on YouTube and immediately thought it was a killer song, so I asked if he would be down with me doing a remix of it for the hell of it. I appreciate his no-holds-barred approach to his sound and style. He found his thing, and it’s working. We also end up nerding out about music, music tools and tricks of the trade.
You’ve remixed everyone from Front Line Assembly and Nitzer Ebb to Apoptygma Berzerk and VNV Nation. Which remix are you personally most proud of, regardless of whether anyone else agrees? And who’s still on your dream collaboration list, living or dead?
Komor: The best I can do is a top three, in random order, from the perspective of the remixes I am happiest with sonically, and what they meant for me personally and career-wise: Celldweller – “Into the Void”; Rammstein – “Sonne”; Front Line Assembly – “Unleashed”, since FLA was a massive inspiration and this was closing a circle. Honourable mentions go to Apoptygma Berzerk‘s “Suffer in Silence” and Alphaville’s “To Germany with Love.” Dream collaborations: Hans Zimmer, Joel Zimmerman, Trent Reznor, Björk and Tool. Working on an alternative electro album with David Bowie or Kurt Cobain would also be amazing.
Your work has also taken you into sound design, film scoring and music for television. Quite a different playground from making people sweat on a dancefloor. Was there ever a project that made you think, “How the hell did I end up doing this?” And is there some completely different creative territory you’d still love to explore?
Komor: I’ve always been fascinated by film scoring. Maybe that is also part of how I ended up in the world of industrial, EBM and techno music, through sound design, the art of sampling, using any source as an instrument to convey an emotion or scenario. What I love most about music for film and TV is how non-formulaic and free from a grid it is, with tempo changes and an ebb and flow that work to evoke emotion. I have had the pleasure of working on some AAA Hollywood movies, helping out with some scenes, bending time and space, working off timecode rather than a set BPM.
You’ve watched the electronic and industrial scene change over several decades. Some things have moved forward, others seem permanently stuck somewhere around 1998. What do you think the scene seriously needs to get over? And what’s something from those earlier days that you wish we hadn’t lost along the way?
Komor: I think politics have corrupted the scene, ripping apart what used to be united. Being someone who cut my teeth with no manual to go by, one thing I cherish is belonging to something understood by people all over the world. We were there for the music, the friendships, the appreciation for the art and culture, the excitement. As much as I appreciate technological advancements, spending so much time on phones and devices, being fed news around the clock and arguing with strangers, is not healthy for society. Lastly, you are not an artist if you rely on AI to write the music for you; you are denying yourself the joy of learning the craft.
When music is both your passion and your job, I imagine there must be days when you don’t want to hear another bloody beat. So what happens when Sebastian Komor closes the studio door? And what’s something about your everyday life that would completely destroy your industrial credibility if people found out?
Komor: Music is on my mind at all times, whether I want it to be or not. As my studio has been at home for over twenty years, it’s never really closed, which is a benefit and a curse, but great for quickly getting an idea down or jumping on projects at short notice. Regarding my industrial credibility: I rarely listen to industrial music anymore. Bands I listen to these days are Kraftwerk, Queens of the Stone Age, Rezz, Automatic, Gojira, BodyImage, Crowbar, and a Vancouver band called The Organist Collective.
Open mic: anything you’d like to get off your chest, clear up or talk about that hasn’t come up?
Komor: I do not care where you are from, what colour skin you have, what language you speak, what your gender is. None of that matters. What matters is how you treat others, and who you are as a human being. I wish everyone the best, and I hope that whatever is at the root of the hate in their hearts gets resolved. Life is precious. Be grateful for having one.
About Sebastian Komor
Sebastian Komor is an electronic and industrial music producer, born in Poland, raised in Norway and now based in Canada. He is best known as one half of Icon of Coil, the Norwegian electro-industrial act he formed with Andy LaPlegua and Christian Lund; the band’s 2025 reissue of “Serenity is the Devil” marked its 25th anniversary, and a new Icon of Coil album is now in the making, ahead of a live performance booked for Dark Force Fest in 2027, the band’s first live show in around fifteen years.
Komor also records as Komor Kommando and, more recently, as SRK Group, which has released the singles “Spitfire” and “Bleeding Heartsicle.” Beyond his own projects, he has produced and remixed artists across the industrial and synthpop spectrum, including Ayria’s “13 Stitches,” Aesthetic Perfection’s “We Bring the Beat,” Alphaville’s “To Germany with Love,” and tracks by Front Line Assembly, Nitzer Ebb, Apoptygma Berzerk, VNV Nation, Rammstein and Celldweller. He has also contributed production work to acts including Noctortoise and KMFDM, and has worked in sound design and scoring for film and television.
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For almost 15 years I’ve been writing about music, interviewing artists and reviewing releases for Peek-A-Boo Magazine. Recently, I also launched my own WordPress website, where I continue to share interviews, reviews and news from the underground scene. The darker side of music has been part of my life for more than 30 years, with a passion for everything from ’80s synthpop and New Wave to EBM, Futurepop and dark electronic music in general. Also Metal and Rock is part of my world. Away from the scene, I work in a public library, where books are part of my everyday life. I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction, especially books on politics, religion, health and travel. I’m also a fan of thrillers and horror films. When I’m not listening to music or reading, you’ll usually find me exploring nature, enjoying a good sauna, experimenting with vegan cooking, or travelling to my second home, Finland. I’ve always believed the underground has the best stories. My job is simply to help tell them
