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 Calm and mellow, Serj Tankian seems like he could easily write "The Rock Star's Guide to Zen." His music, however, is where the emotions soar – "a violin in a storm," as he described to me years ago. Sounds range from the angry metal howls of his group, System of a Down, to the round-the-world musical odyssey of his side project, Serart. Arto Tuncboyaciyan, an Armenian avant-garde multi-instrumentalist, makes up the other half of Serart. Arto has worked with the likes of Chat Baker and Al Di Meola, and fronts the Armenian Navy Band. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Tell me how you met Arto. You apparently saw him performing with a Coke bottle? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Yeah, I saw him onstage at the Armenian Music awards in Glendale, CA, two years ago. He caught my attention because he was... there are a lot of musicians but very few artists, I always say. And he's definitely an artist. So he caught my attention with a variety – a diversity – of sound. This uniqueness of sound that he created was called "Blood on My Tambourine." He did this drum-n-bass thing and the background with the tambourine, making these Old World type of sounds with a Coke bottle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
There's an intro on the Serart album. What about the outro? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | The whole album's an outro (laughs). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
With Serart, you're opening your System of a Down fans to different musical avenues. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | To me, it's just one moment in the studio with an artist that I had no choice but to work with because he was so amazing. I think the [fans] will be laughing more than anything. I think it's amusing. Serart's very funny. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
It's the most complete mix of genres. You've got rock, Middle Eastern sounds, Armenian music, lots of African, jazz... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Japanese, Chinese. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Did you use any weird instruments? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | The weirdest instruments we used were the traditional instruments. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You didn't make anything weird yourselves? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Yeah, we did in certain ways. We used everything in the room – everything. I had brought in a bunch of toys for me and Arto to play with besides traditional instruments. So we had those. But Arto's amazing. Like he uses his pockets to make bird sounds. Just amazing stuff; I can't even describe. Instrument-wise, everything's an instrument. It depends on how you look at it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Who played the instruments? I mean, did you have other musicians working with you as well? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Arto and myself, mostly. I had a couple of friends come in and Jenna Ross, who is a female vocalist, came and sang on "Narina" and a little back-up on "Devil's Wedding," and my friend Vahé did one guitar solo in "Devil's Wedding." And Shavo (Odadjian, bass player in System of a Down) came and did some scratching on a couple of the songs, DJ stuff. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
He's moonlighting as a DJ now, isn't he? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | He's always DJed. He's always played on the table basically. He's most of the time directing right now, videos and stuff. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What has he directed lately? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | I think the Tap Root video. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How's your brother? He's been DJing, too, right? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | He's good. Want me to say hi? I will! He's been DJing for a while. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
How does it feel working on something so different like Serart? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: |
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NYROCK: |
It actually sounds like the soundtrack of an arthouse film. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Yeah, that's cool! What's an arthouse film? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
An artsy-fartsy film, usually in black and white because the sound is so colorful. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Yeah, I think I get it. We're actually doing a DVD with the release of a 13-minute film called The Sun-Angled Calculator. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
There's a part in "Devil's Wedding" which Armenians will relate to. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Really? To me, it's more African. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
The sound, yes, but I meant the word "sadana," which means "devil" in Armenian. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | You know what's funny is that "sadana" is "sadana" in a lot of languages, not just Armenian. Yeah, like in a lot of Indo-European languages. It's more than the Armenians that can understand "sadana." What does it mean to you? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
I picture Bush and Saddam! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Getting married? That's really interesting! That sounds like a good explanation to me. Songs have no explanation. They live for what they are. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Michael Moore directed the "Boom!" video. Did you choose him for his stance on the war? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | No. I only had Michael in mind for "Boom!" because Michael has a very prominent appeal and he has a very intuitive appeal to people. He can actually tell the truth very bluntly in a way people understand and eventually politicize people that would not be politicized otherwise. It's pretty impressive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Has rock stardom given you a voice? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | I hate that word. I still don't know what it means, but I understand what you're trying to say. I have just some type of a voice. But we all have a voice; we each have different listeners. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
You're really close with Tom Morello, who shares your beliefs. Any plans on sharing a music studio as well? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | We're already doing some stuff in a radio show. We're DJing a radio show. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Which station should I tune to? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | KTFK in Los Angeles – 90.7. We're doing the Axis of Justice, which is our organization. I think one of the satellite stations in the U.S. is picking us up. And we just want to take the three shows over three months, once a month kind of thing. We did an interview with Michael Moore for our first show (aired April 4). We just played a bunch of socially and politically conscious music. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Michael's directing is very real, in your face, more real than reality TV. Do you ever watch "The Osbournes"? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | I've seen one episode only. I own a television, but I don't own cable. I've just got a DVD and a VHS hooked up to it for movies. I don't have any channels, so I don't watch any television. I watch movies. And so I've never actually seen a reality show. I've seen one episode of "The Osbournes" while I was on tour on Ozzfest and that's it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Do you think it's voyeuristic or sad? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | I think it has less to do with the programs and more with the people who actually [watch it]. Some people are so bored with their lives that they need to actually see other people living. Just go out, just turn off the TV! Go out, enjoy your life, meet actual people, talk to actual people, have conversations, go to a museum, go to a movie, you know, live your life! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
People are leading a virtual life. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | They're becoming virtually dead. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Any plans to publish more poetry? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | I don't have any plans to do so at the current time, no. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Would you publish other writers one day? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | I'm not really into that right now. I'm really busy with the music side. I've got four releases this year on my record company, so I'm busy with that. I might write a book one day, maybe write a novel or something, maybe come and live in Paris for a year and write a novel (laughs). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Like Hemingway. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Or Henry Miller. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Tell me about those four releases. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Well, the first release on Serjical Records is Serart, obviously. Then we have the bands that we signed, one of which I'm producing called Slow Motion Reign, and they're an amazing Beatlesque type of four piece, singer-songwriters, amazing melodies. They'll probably be out by September, October. The next band is called Kittens For Christian. Their record's actually done, but we're going to release them in September. They are a really cool, raw Goth band kind of thing. It's pretty much straight-up rock, very updated rock but very Goth-influenced, reminiscent of early Jesus Lizard, Birthday Party. Then there's a band called Bad Acid Trip, which Daron (Malakian) my guitarist is producing. They're some old friends of ours and they're this amazing thrash-core band. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What about System? When should fans expect new material? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Probably – maybe – end of 2004. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Are you guys already writing, I mean individually since you're each involved in other projects? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Daron's writing some songs now. I'm writing some songs, but we're doing some of our other projects right now and we won't be getting together until probably end of summer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Would you play Serart during a System concert? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | No, why would I? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Just to give a shock to the system, no pun intended! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | It won't work. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What does Serart mean? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | It could mean a lot of things. Serj and Arto first of all. And "ser" means, in Armenian, love. "Art" is art in English. Is "art" Armenian for art? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
No, art is "arvesd" in Armenian. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | Oh yeah, that's right. I was trying to convince myself maybe. So love, it's like the love of art and also can be the art of loving. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
What new stuff have you been listening to lately? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SERJ: | I haven't been listening to a lot of new records. I've been getting a lot of older records, a lot of old soul records like Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, John McLauglin, a lot of jazz, Miles Davis and Billie Holiday. July 2003
CD Review: Serart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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