I N T E R V I E W

Interview Serj Tankian (by mail)

Hi Serj and thanks for taking some time to talk with us, we are the French webzine Aux Portes Du Metal.

Thank you as well for your interest :)

Your new album "Harakiri" was released in July. In this album, there are really good tracks which could have been really good System of a Down tracks. How do you choose the ones that will appear on your solo albums and the ones that will be for the band?

Since I'm not writing for a System record that's a very easy question to answer.

We've heard about your next albums, can you tell us what do you plan to do?

1) ORCA is my first truly classical symphony. We'll be recording it live on Oct 28th with members of the Bruckner Orkester in Linz, Austria for release next year. Scores and studio versions already done.
2) Jazz-iz-Christ is a progressive jazz collaboration with three incredible jazz impresarios (Tigran Hamasyan on Verve Records, Tom Duprey from Prometheus Bound band, and Valery Tolstov, flautist). We will release this next year as well.
3) Fuktronic/Botched Up is an interactive, mobile, British Gangster electro film project with actors and such collaborated upon with Jimmy Urine from Mindless Self Indulgence.
4) Myear: a film or web series made from an arrests' own Point of View of events covering a whole year.

Can you tell us what happens with System of a Down? How was the tour?

The tour was really great. We played the East coast of North America, which had not been covered by the dates last year.

In this new album, we can hear your wife singing with you, will you keep working together in the future?

She sang on one song, Deafening Silence. She has the key to the studio but prefers her own pursuits.

2011 was a really busy year for you, you went on tour, you published a poetry book, you wrote several records, etc. How was 2012? Did you take some time for yourself?

Not much time was left for reflection or relaxation but I did find time to slow down, yes, by the end of the year.

You are a talented singer, poet, songwriter and composer; can you tell us what/who inspires you to create?

Wow. There are so many things about life, people, art, culture, music, thoughts, and the universe that inspire me, that it's hard to name a few of anything.

You are a well-known activist, what are the current problems that you are fighting against, and that make you want to get more involved? 

There are many issues that take my time up from environmental, to political, to social to hard economic realities requiring attention. Through it all we are fighting injustice and imbalance in all these things.

Your Harakiri world tour has begun, how do you feel about it?

Great. I'm glad I had a week off to recoup between the U.S. leg and Europe. Touring does take its physical toll.

Are you happy to come to France to play at the Zénith on October the 19th?

Of course! I love playing in France due to the enthusiasm of the response. Paris probably has our largest fan base in Europe.

And after this show do you plan to come back soon?

Yes, of course. Probably next year in one form or another. I'd love to do an orchestral show in Paris at a beautiful hall playing Elect the Dead symphony and ORCA.

Is there any other new or any project about yourself or System of a Down you want to talk about?

I'm currently scoring a sci-fi video game for the iPad. I will be doing more film and video game scoring in the coming years, for I do enjoy it immensely.

Do you have something to say to the people who download your music illegally?

Yes, I'm glad you like the music enough to hassle with downloading it. However, just remember that I don't get paid on that and that I can't tour forever.

And finally, do you want to say something special to our readers?

Why would your readers be so special? :) Bon weekend.

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