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Serj Tankian: “We Haven’t Decided If the Future Contains System or Not”

8/14/08, 5:39 pm EST

Ten months after releasing Elect the Dead, his solo debut, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian isn’t taking time to look back. After settling into the role of sole songwriter and the name on the marquee (”I guess people have to get used to my funny name”), Tankian is finding he can’t stop. After a set on Ozzfest’s main stage last weekend and staring a slate of impending European festivals in the face, he’s looking to wind down the Elect the Dead cycle and push on not only with another solo record, but a handful of other projects.

“I have five hundred recorded songs that are unreleased,” he said. “I’ve been composing for a play with Steven Sater, who did Spring Awakening. I just did a track with Mike Patton for a film called Body of Lies, and there are other films that I’m composing or co-composing.” With that mischievous smile on his face that makes it hard to tell if he’s on the level, Tankian elaborated on his plans for his second album.

“I’m structuring the next record kind of like a jazz orchestral,” he said. “I’ve got a full orchestra interested, so I want this giant electric guitar in the air to be played by a full orchestra. I want the orchestra to be the electric guitar. I want to make an orchestra do what it’s never done before, like a GG Allin type orchestra. Think of that.”

As far as the future of System of a Down, Tankian isn’t thinking too hard about what is next for his platinum-selling, arena-filling other band. Two of his cohorts — guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan — released their debut as Scars on Broadway last month (Serj has the record, but hasn’t listened to the whole thing yet), and Tankian says the timing just made sense to take an indefinite breather. “You shouldn’t have to wait until people are not buying your records or your tickets for you to stop, I think that’s ridiculous,” he said. “So I think you should do it when it’s the right time, when it makes sense artistically and personally. It’s a hiatus, we’re all friends, the door’s open. We haven’t decided what the future contains, whether it contains System or not, and that’s fine.”


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Comments

amir | 8/14/2008, 8:11 pm EST

Come on Serj! It’s kind of arrogant for you to say you didn’t listen to Daron’s album. Let me be honest!Neither you or Daron would be who you are if you were solo artists. Your solo albums are good and not great. You guys became who you are because TOGETHER you put something together that was phenomenal, not just good.

brent | 8/15/2008, 12:15 am EST

both the serj and scars albums are good, but neither is near what system was. its pretty sad when i had no desire to go to ozzfest b/c 3 of my favorite bands’ lead singers were playing, but not the whole bands: system, korn, and sabbath. they could’ve easily still put out a system album every 3-4 years and done these side projects too. i don’t see why they felt the need to basically break up (by copping out with the infamous “indefinate hiatus) when they could’ve made time if they stuck to it and were inspired (which 500 songs recorded obviously proves serj is inspired). bottom line- rock needs system of a down.

The Intl | 8/15/2008, 12:29 am EST

A “G G Allin type orchestra” – what the hell does THAT mean, they’re all gonna try & kill themselves?

GGALLIN | 8/15/2008, 1:20 am EST

I LUV THIS BAND
“SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!”

CiHuY | 8/15/2008, 3:10 am EST

Oh my god!
I just wanna listen SoAD again..!
Please guys..
You are really incredible when you are together..

Jughead | 8/15/2008, 1:12 pm EST

By GG Allin type orchestra I think Serj is saying is that he wants the orchestra to defecate on stage during concerts and have them smear their feces on their bodies and also throw their feces into the audience just like GG Allin did at some of his concerts. I’ll go see that.

Imperfect perfection | 8/17/2008, 9:26 am EST

i love Serj’s solo album and Scars on Broadway, but for SOAD to go on an indefinite hiatus because they’re clearly becoming too big headed and selfish to take the glory as a BAND is just saddening.

CDoris | 8/17/2008, 10:46 am EST

Can’t wait for the next album, though i hope he stays away from some of GG Allin’s stuff O.o

Shamsi | 8/17/2008, 11:29 am EST

Serj and scars are good.

Kiyak | 8/17/2008, 4:02 pm EST

“It’s kind of arrogent for you to say youn didn’t listen to Daron’s album.”

I Remember recently reading an interview with Daron where he states that he STILL hasn’t listened to any of Serj’s stuff yet, never mind buy his CD.

I think end of the day, they aren’t too bothered about each others work purely because both parties have got so much on their plate at the moment, and i dont think they mean any disrespect to each other for not listening to each others records.

As for those 500 songs, get them online! Let people download them for 10p a song or something and give something back to us fans!!!

jdo | 8/17/2008, 5:19 pm EST

System of a Down Blows. No biggie.

Ani | 8/17/2008, 7:01 pm EST

I am so fucking tired of this man, he need to go away. Who truly cares about anything this numb nuts says? I guess some do, not me.

system of a poop | 8/18/2008, 3:06 pm EST

500 songs my butt! im sure 490 of them are spectacular crap! he hasnt penned a decent song since the toxciity album, and half that was crap. go find rick rubin, hole up somewhere in wyoming, listen to the first album a million times, then write something…and dont let daron sing anymore! that guy sounds like a monkey

omar | 8/20/2008, 11:43 am EST

you guys have to stop comparing serj and scars to system. system is system and there will never be anything like it. respect their solo projects and let them be. i love system but i became a bigger serj fan when he went solo, yeah it aint system, but it meaning now. the songs mean something now and he is the mozart of our generation. now he wants to do jazz, im sure ill be listening to jazz from now on… serj is god!!!

sanchez | 8/26/2008, 8:38 pm EST

i love all you guys know more about being creative and writing good music than someone who has made several multi platinum albums. why are you posting on a message board instead of making millions?

james savage | 8/27/2008, 8:40 pm EST

Its funny that Serj and Mike Patton worked together, considering soad completely ripped off Faith No More’s sound.

m4i r0flc0pt3r g035 s01 | 10/3/2008, 5:46 am EST

sorry about the stupid name im in school andi dont want to get tracked SOAD were amazing together but seperately theyr almost as good i respect them all for doing their own things but i really think that SOADshould come of hiatus in thenext year or two

SERJISGOD | 12/8/2008, 1:36 pm EST

i thought serjs solo album was kick ass ass for scares they suck daron cant sing for shit but he is a bad ass guitarist just not a good singer at all bring soad back

Rodman | 12/8/2008, 1:38 pm EST

You people need to quit your whining and face up to the fact that these guys may have made a choice to disband system and pursue other projects, projects that are both just a good as system. Serj put out a decent album, but Scars on Broadway’s album is amazing from start to finish, after hearing it i could go on without system. I mean you lose one good group but gain two, sounds like a fair deal to me. By the way this is all coming from a guy who at the begining loved Serj and hated Daron.

admiral | 12/23/2008, 12:55 am EST

umm i went to listen to one of serj’s songs and it said this song is no longer avalible due to a copyright of a third party whats with that

Serj | 12/24/2008, 11:54 am EST

Vopshem, dzer gorce 4i te yes in4 em uzum anem, kuzem System of a Down-@ noric kverakangnem, 4em uzi 4em verakangni
Yeah, i speak armenian!

Anonymous | 2/1/2009, 2:33 am EST

man i wish i would’ve went to see SOAD when they co-headlined ozzfest in 06. i don’t like daron as much as i like serj, but daron’s music is catchier than serj’s. i think its mainly because serj tried something different. lol and as for ‘arrogance’, watch any interview with SOAD. john and serj are pretty pleasant for the most part, but daron is an ass to the person interviewing them. and shavo really doesn’t say anything

RAMF | 2/1/2009, 2:33 am EST

man i wish i would’ve went to see SOAD when they co-headlined ozzfest in 06. i don’t like daron as much as i like serj, but daron’s music is catchier than serj’s. i think its mainly because serj tried something different. lol and as for ‘arrogance’, watch any interview with SOAD. john and serj are pretty pleasant for the most part, but daron is an ass to the person interviewing them. and shavo really doesn’t say anything

Daron L. Musick | 5/20/2009, 4:39 pm EST

Ancient world maps deciphered off a Mayan temple. Maps match ancient sites around world. A world system already is in place.

Derek | 6/1/2009, 12:01 am EST

Man come on System was amazing i mean hands down the best band in the past ten years in my opinion And serj’s album was really good go buy it scars is not as good but still nice

soad16 | 10/29/2009, 3:22 pm EST

hmmmmmmmmmm……

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