PROG-ROCKER SERJ TANKIAN IS NOT DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM
By David Burger
Salt Lake Tribune
/entertainment/ci_8606496
March 18 2008
Utah
He talks about music, politics and memories of Utah
Serj Tankian’s solo tour stops in Salt Lake City Wednesday night,
a good opportunity to catch up with him and his band, System of a Down.
By all accounts, the seminal Armenian-American prog-rock band hasn’t
broken up – they’re technically just on hiatus. The hiatus comes
after five platinum albums since 1998, including three albums that
landed at No.1 on the Billboard album charts.
The band’s sound is hard to categorize, as they are fond of changing
tempos and keys several times in their intense, political songs. Take
for example one of their biggest hits: "B.Y.O.B." The lilting, pleasant
chorus is as accessible as anything on pop radio: "Everybody is going
to the party, have a real good time / Dancing in the desert, blowing
up the sunshine." But out of nowhere, raging verses kick in and the
song turns into an angry diatribe: "Why don’t presidents fight the
war? Why do they always send the poor?"
Playing politics: Tankian’s solo album, "Elect the Dead," follows much
of the same formula, an inventive mishmash of hard-core influences
with politically incisive lyrics. He answered five questions posed
by The Salt Lake Tribune in an e-mail exchange.
Q:With Serjical Strike Records, you offer musicians often ignored by
the mainstream a possibility to release their music and be heard.
Bassist Shavo Odadjian has recently started UrSESSION.com, with a
similar aim. Guitarist Daron Malakian also has EatUrMusic. Why do
you think you all are concerned with measures to help other bands?
A: I guess when we started we had wished that we had joined a community
of artists that nurtured and supported us. We did that with other
bands and friends instead.
Q: Why play most of the instruments yourself on "Elect the Dead"?
A: Why not?
Blogs Burger with Relish: Music writer David Burger
Q: Any Salt Lake City or Utah memories?
A: Well, we’ve had lots of great shows in Salt Lake. One that comes
to mind is with Mr. Bungle on Snowcore years back, where [Mr.
Bungle frontman] Mike Patton promised a few kids passes to jump into
the Great Salt Lake.
Q: Are you inspired at all by the current presidential campaigns?
A: I think this year’s elections are unique in terms of the enthusiasm
generated, specifically by the Dems. However, we can’t rely on a
president to fix all our problems. Voting is a must but not enough. We
need to educate and organize ourselves to force public opinion onto
the corridors of power. Check out www.electthe dead.com for five
electoral reform points I’m putting forth to nudge our democracy
towards greater autonomy from monied interests.
Q: What are some of the other projects you are working on or hope to
work on within the next year?
A: More compositions for films, video games, collaborations. [I]
just started doing music for theater and I plan on doing something
with a symphonic orchestra for my next solo record.
Web success: In a telephone interview, bassist Odadjian was most
excited about his social networking Web site, UrSession.com, where
unsigned bands can post videos of themselves and communicate with
other musicians. He launched the Web site on Jan. 31, and said he
was thrilled with the site’s success so far.
"It’s just spreading virally," he said. "I like things that start
from the ground up."
Helping out other bands was the impetus for developing the site,
said Odadjian.
"Lots of artists who don’t know anyone don’t have enough money to
make a demo," he said. "They don’t live in L.A. or New York City."
Bands who upload riveting auditions of themselves might get the
opportunity to sign to Odadjian’s record label.
"I’m finding some bands that I really love," he said.
As for the band’s other members, guitarist Malakian and drummer John
Dolmayan have started a side project called Scars On Broadway, with
a debut album reportedly due on March 28.
None of the musicians called System of a Down a dead band – just
a group of individuals with a lot of creativity. The band has not
broken up, Odadjian said.
"We have to do what we need to do so that we miss each other," he
said. "It is like that Cinderella song, ‘Don’t Know What You’ve Got
Til It’s Gone’."
— * DAVID BURGER can be reached at [email protected] or
801-257-8620. Send comments about this story to livingeditor
@sltrib.com.
If you go Serj Tankian performs Wednesday at In the Venue, 579 W. 200
South, Salt Lake City. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $24 in advance,
$25 day of, at SmithsTix.
Tankian’s take on politics Serj Tankian’s five electoral reform points:
* 1. Get rid of the electoral college.
* 2. Equalize corporate funding in elections.
* 3. Citizens should choose where the taxes they pay should go.
* 4. Voting should be done by ranking candidates in order of
preference.
* 5. Abolish all paid and professional lobby firms.