System Of A Down vocalist Serj Tankian will be releasing a live album from his solo days with his backing band The F.C.C.. Titled “Live At Leeds“, that effort appears to have been recorded back during his 2008 appearance at the annual ‘Leeds Festival‘. This live outing will hit digital service providers on April 08th and can be pre-saved here.
For now, Tankian has shared a preview of the featured live rendition of “Empty Walls” from that set below:
Read full article on The PRP:“Live At Leeds” will be streaming everywhere on April 8. Here’s a short snippet of “Empty Walls” for now. I’m excited to share more from that memorable festival set performed with my band The F.C.C. in the days to come. Check out https://t.co/ydXjD4nz4H to pre-save on @spotify pic.twitter.com/3An5PZev4e
— Serj Tankian (@serjtankian) March 30, 2022
System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian To Release Solo “Live At Leeds” Album In April
]]>By Jon Hadusek / Consequence (Full Article)
Tom Morello, Serj Tankian, and more have teamed up with The Miraculous Love Kids — a group comprised of Afghan schoolgirls — for the Morello-penned song “God Help Us All.”
We previously covered the schoolgirls’ collaboration with Sammy Hagar and Chad Kroeger — a cover of Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like an Eagle.” Before the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, The Miraculous Love Kids — a non-profit organization — was the country’s only school of music where guitar lessons were taught to girls and young women.
“Today, our lives are in great danger as the success we achieved in becoming part of an international cultural scene has now marked us for persecution,” the organization said in a statement.
The peril facing The Miraculous Love Kids and Afghanistan makes the collective’s latest song even more poignant. In addition to Morello and Tankian, many other notable musicians helped on the collab: Nandi Bushell, Victoria Williams, Julien Baker, Nils Lofgren, and more.
The Miraculous Love Kids recorded the song before the Taliban takeover effectively halted all activity.
“It has been a hellish past six months trying to evacuate and relocate the girls and their families,” said Lanny Cordola, the group’s founder and director. “Tom Morello’s soul hymn perfectly encapsulates this feeling.”
When Tankian heard about the situation, he offered his support: “The singing voice is one of the best representations of people’s spirits. It can never be confined or locked in. It was an honor to work with The Miraculous Love Kids on this song along with my peers in music.”
You can watch the video for “God Help Us All” below. For more information on The Miraculous Love Kids, visit the organization’s official website.
]]>
By Jamie Redman | Bitcoin.com
Last month, the lead vocalist of System of a Down, Serj Tankian, hosted an art exhibition with the non-fungible token (NFT) platform and marketplace Curio NFT. The physical and virtual-melded art show was called “Not for Touching” and this week Tankian told Bitcoin.com News that he believes NFT technology has opened new doors for his artistic expression.
This week Bitcoin.com News chatted with System of a Down’s (SoaD) lead vocalist, Serj Tankian, about non-fungible token (NFT) tech and how it has given him the ability to express his art in a new way. In December, Tankian and Curio NFT hosted an art exhibition featuring the artist’s NFT artwork called “Not for Touching.”
Read full article: 'Making a Stronger Impact Artistically' — An In-Depth Discussion About NFTs With System of a Down’s Serj Tankian
]]>By Consequence Staff | Consequence (Consequence Podcast Network)
Serj Tankian sits down with Kyle Meredith to talk about his new art and music exhibition, Not for Touching: The Intangible Exhibition, which finds the System of a Down frontman animating his paintings, setting them to music, and presenting them in the NFT world.
Read full article: System of a Down’s Serj Tankian on His New NFT Exhibition, Film Scores, and Upcoming Projects
]]>Talk to System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian, as I have countless times over the years, and you will find Tankian is as much, or even more, of an activist than he is a musician. And that passion he brings to his activism is particularly strong when it comes to his Armenian roots.
So even when he had COVID recently and was forced to postpone System's two shows at Los Angeles' Banc Of California stadium, he was more than happy to take time out to discuss his role with TUMO, the Center For Creative Technologies, which started in Armenia and has now grown globally.
Founded by Sam and Sylva Simonian, the incredibly ambitious program offers free education and training to teens in 14 different subjects, from music, filmmaking and animation to programming, robotics and 3D modeling.
Read full article: Q&A: Serj Tankian On TUMO Learning Centers And Why He Gives Back To Education
]]>By Wookubus | The PRP
System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian is readying two live albums. The first to see a release is a past solo performance he played with his backing band The F.C.C. in Edmonton, Alberta. Dubbed “Live In Edmonton“, that album will be out on November 29th and feature the previously unreleased “Sounds Of War” and a cover of the Dead Kennedys‘ “Holiday In Cambodia“. You can pre-save it now here. Details for the second live offering he has planned have yet to be revealed.
Read full article: System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian To Release Solo Live Album “Live In Edmonton”
]]>By Jon Blistein | Rolling Stone
System of a Down’s Serj Tankian is taking his next art exhibition online, offering a mix of animated non-fungible tokens and archival giclée prints.
Read full article: System of a Down’s Serj Tankian Preps NFTs, Signed Prints for New Digital Art Exhibit
]]>Presiding over a career spanning more than two decades and an eclectic host of genres, Armenian American rock star Serj Tankian has continued to push political and artistic boundaries, undeterred by his critics or naysayers.
I had a chance to speak with the System of a Down frontman in an exclusive interview for the Washington Examiner about culture and politics: the two sides of Tankian’s artistic persona. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Read full article: Serj Tankian is making the art he wants
]]>By Gary Graff | Billboard
Serj Tankian on scoring 'I Am Not Alone' and viewing it in light of recent developments.
Much has happened in Armenia — and much of it troubling — since the documentary I Am Not Alone was filmed during the 2018 revolution and subsequently premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. But System of a Down’s Serj Tankian is confident that Garin Hovannisian film’s triumphal tone holds up as it opens wide on Sept. 17 via Virtual Cinema.
Read full article: Serj Tankian on Watching ‘I Am Not Alone’ In Light of Armenia’s Current Troubles
]]>System Of A Down‘s Serj Tankian appears in a new video for ‘Moonhearts In Space’, the latest song by cellist Tina Guo.
Premiering today (August 28), the track is lifted from Guo’s latest studio release, ‘Dies Irae’, out now.
Read full article: Serj Tankian appears in Tina Guo’s ‘Moonhearts in Space’ video
]]>By Jon Hadusek | Consequence
Serj Tankian has released the Cinematique Series, a 25-track, two-part collection of instrumental music.
The collection is assembled in two separate albums: Illuminate and Violent Violins. The former features classical, cinematic arrangements and instrumentation, where as Violent Violins melds that style to a more modern approach featuring synths and electronica.
Read full article: System of a Down’s Serj Tankian Releases Instrumental Cinematique Series: Stream
]]>By Jon Blistein | Rolling Stone
New piece arrives with an animated video crafted by visual artist David Bradford.
System of a Down’s Serj Tankian pairs his poetry with classical music in the new video for “Disarming Time: A Modern Piano Concerto.” The piece appears on a new collection, Cool Gardens Poetry Suite, which arrives Thursday, July 8th.
Read full article: System of a Down’s Serj Tankian Pairs His Poetry With a Piano Concerto on ‘Disarming Time’
]]>By Araksya Karapetyan | FOX 11 Los Angeles
GLENDALE, Calif. - System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian's art exhibition is now open for public viewing from July 2 to 16 at Tufenkian Fine Arts in Glendale.
The exhibit "The Incandescent Pause" offers a unique chance to view the artwork through an audible and visual experience. Those who wish to attend are being asked to bring headphones, download Arloopa and listen to the musical pieces he has composed for each piece.
Read full article: 'The Incandescent Pause': See System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian's art exhibit in Glendale
]]>By Daniel Kreps | Rolling Stone
Serj Tankian has shared a 24-minute instrumental titled “Disarming Time: A Modern Piano Concerto,” a portion of a classical composition that the System of a Down frontman worked on during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read full article: Hear Serj Tankian’s 24-Minute Piano Concerto ‘Disarming Time’
]]>By Jon Bistein | Rolling Stone
System of a Down’s Serj Tankian has released the new music video for “Rumi,” a track of his recent solo EP Elasticity.
Read full article: Serj Tankian Shows the Power of Sage Advice in New ‘Rumi’ Video
]]>By Steve Baltin | Forbes
The documentary Truth To Power is a powerful look at Serj Tankian as an activist, tracing his ascent as an activist/multi-platinum frontman in System Of A Down from his childhood to college at Cal State University Northridge to his heroes' welcome in Armenia last year during the revolution.
While most Tankian interviews focus on when or if there will be a new System Of A Down album, I spoke with him about his activist influences, from his good friend Tom Morello to icons such as Bob Marley; the post 9/11 controversy he encountered and how being a parent has impacted his life.
Read full article: Q&A: Serj Tankian On His Activist Voice, ‘If It’s The Truth I Have To Say It’
]]>“This is extremely important but only a milestone towards the long road of justice ahead with Turkey,” System of a Down singer writes.
Serj Tankian thanked President Joe Biden Saturday after the president declared April 24th as “Armenian Remembrance Day,” which coincides with the United States recognizing the 1915 Armenian genocide for the first time.
Read full article: Serj Tankian Thanks President Biden for Recognizing Armenian Genocide
]]>By Kory Grow | Rolling Stone
Serj Tankian mocks would-be martyrs and jihadists waging war in the name of religion on “Your Mom,” a track off his recent Elasticity EP. He plays up the song’s cartoonish side in a new lyric video.
Read full article: See Serj Tankian Compare Holy Wars to ‘Your Mom’ in New Lyric Video
]]>By Rob Duguay | FLOOD Magazine
Whether it’s with System of a Down or as a solo artist, Serj Tankian is always making music with a message. It could be commentary on the political structure of the United States, the conflict in Armenia, or more personal outlooks and reflections, delivering these messages with his trademark intensely operatic voice that fuels his artistic identity. Tankian runs the gamut on these topics with his new Elasticity EP, released via Alchemy Recordings and BMG Rights Management earlier this month. Along with the new record, he’s been working on film and video game soundtracks—adding to his work on the 2016 film 1915 about the Armenian genocide, the 2017 documentary Intent to Destroy, and the first-person shooter video game Midnight Star that came out in 2019—and a film he co-produced that’ll be out later this year.
We recently talked about the making of the EP, his love of creating soundtracks, a 2020 Armenian war that you might not know about, and the possibility of System of a Down releasing their long awaited and highly anticipated sixth album.
Read full article: In Conversation: Serj Tankian on His Vision for the “Elasticity” EP
]]>Kevin EG Perry | The Guardian
Of all the nights Serj Tankian has stood on stage surveying a crowd of 50,000 faces roaring his own words back at him, there is one that the System of a Down frontman will never forget. On 23 April 2015, the metal band gave a two-and-half hour, 37-song set to a rapturous audience in Republic Square, in the heart of the Armenian capital Yerevan. For a band formed in the diaspora community of Los Angeles’ Little Armenia in 1994, the occasion could not have been more significant: they had been invited to perform in the country for the first time as part of events marking the centenary of the Armenian genocide, in which an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed between 1915 and 1922. “The overwhelming feeling was of belonging,” says Tankian, 53, speaking from his airy home studio in Los Angeles. “It felt like we were created 21 years earlier so we could be there that night.”
For Tankian, whose outspoken political activism often animates his songwriting, seeking international recognition of the Armenian genocide has been a lifelong and personal campaign. On stage that night in Yerevan he told the story of his grandfather Stepan Haytayan, who was just five years old when he saw his father murdered in the atrocities; he later went blind from hunger. Between songs, Tankian railed against Barack Obama’s resistance to using the term “genocide” to describe the atrocities after taking office, before turning his ire on Armenia’s authoritarian president, Serzh Sargsyan. “We’ve come a long way, Armenia, but there’s still a lot of fucking work to do,” Tankian told the audience, before calling out the “institutional injustice” of Sargsyan’s administration and demanding the introduction of an “egalitarian civil society”.
Read full article: System of a Down's Serj Tankian: 'If something is true, it should be said'
]]>By Jeff Cornell | Variety
System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian is no stranger to backlash, death threats, making enemies with various governments and even being labeled a spy on his quest for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and his work to bring true democracy to his homeland. The documentary “Truth To Power” lifts the veil on Tankian’s life, his rise to fame with System of a Down, his prolific solo music career and showcases his tireless activism.
Read full article: System of a Down’s Serj Tankian Proves ‘Culture Can Be a Potent Force in Progress’ in ‘Truth to Power’ Documentary
]]>By Daniel Kreps (Rolling Stone): Original Article
System of a Down’s Serj Tankian has announced his new solo EP Elasticity, and with it the video for the title track.
“When I conceived possibly doing another record with the guys from System of a Down a few years back, I started working on a set of songs that I arranged in rock format for that purpose,” Tankian said in a statement. “As we weren’t able to see eye to eye on the vision going forward with a SOAD album, I decided to release these songs under my moniker.”
In the Kafkaesque video for “Elasticity,” a young woman sits in a line in a circular room full of people, continuously losing her place to confront others in the queue or the security guard when she tries to escape. The visual was directed by Vlad Kaptur.
The Elasticity EP is out on March 19th. In addition to the title track, Elasticity features “Electric Yerevan,” a rallying cry for Armenia; “Rumi,” a song about the poet Rumi and Tankian’s son Rumi; and “Your Mom,” which is described as a “tongue-in-cheek political mash-up.” The five-song EP, available to preorder now in limited-edition indie retail purple vinyl variant and a galaxy vinyl web exclusive, marks Tankian’s first solo release since 2013’s Orca.
On February 19th, Tankian will release his Truth to Power documentary, which examines the singer’s role in the 2018 Armenian Revolution, as well as his history of activism.
Elasticity Tracklist
1. Elasticity
2. Your Mom
3. Rumi
4. How Many Times?
5. Electric Yerevan
By Daniel Kreps | Rolling Stone
System of a Down’s Serj Tankian has shared the new trailer for Truth to Power, a documentary that examines the singer’s role in the 2018 Armenian Revolution, as well as his history of activism.
Read full article: ‘Truth to Power’: See New Trailer for Upcoming Serj Tankian Documentary
]]>By Kory Grow | Rolling Stone
Documentary, which comes out early next year, features interviews with singer’s bandmates, Rick Rubin, and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello.
A new documentary about System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, Truth to Power, will examine the role the singer played in the 2018 Armenian Revolution and his history of activism. The film will come out via Oscilloscope Laboratories on February 19th.
Read full article: Serj Tankian Doc ‘Truth to Power’ Will Focus on System of a Down Singer’s Activism
]]>Three weeks ago, a firefight erupted between Azerbaijani and Armenian soldiers in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, marking the greatest violence the region has seen in 26 years. The fighting escalated quickly as Azerbaijan, with the help of ally Turkey, pummeled Armenians with drone strikes as the people of Nagorno-Karabakh retaliated with counter-fire.
Over the weekend, the newest in a series of failed ceasefires was broken within minutes, as both sides blamed the other for reigniting a conflict which has claimed hundreds of lives.
More than a century after the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian Genocide took 1.5 million lives, natives of Nagorno-Karabakh—also known as the Republic of Artsakh— and the diaspora of Armenians worldwide are overwhelmed and fearful.
For Armenian-American Serj Tankian, the Grammy-winning vocalist from heavy metal outfit System of a Down, the battle has been especially taxing. Tankian, whose grandparents were survivors of the genocide, moved from Lebanon to America when he was just a child. For his entire life, the frontman has been a political advocate for Armenia by pushing for democracy, freedom and peace in the historically war-torn country.
Read full article: System Of A Down Singer Serj Tankian Talks Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict, Response From Trump And Biden
]]>By Bryan Reesman | Grammy.com
The GRAMMY-winning frontman of System Of A Down also talks to the Recording Academy about his film-scoring work and the "repercussions of being an activist musician"
Read full article: Serj Tankian Talks 'Fuktronic,' Working With Jimmy Urine & Pushing Boundaries In Every Direction
]]>From: Collider.com
One of my favorite films at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival was director Garin Hovannisian’s I Am Not Alone. The documentary chronicles the 2018 Armenian revolution which unbelievably started with one man, Nikol Pashinyan, leading a two-week march across the country that ended in the main cities central square. Along the way, Pashinyan was broadcasting live on Facebook and trying to build an organic groundswell of support to show that overthrowing the Prime Minister, Serzh Sargsyan, was possible and they could do it without firing a single bullet. While the original plan didn’t work the way everyone intended, the documentary captures what happened as things took a turn in their favor as the group started using a new idea–decentralized civil disobedience–to try and cause a change in their country. If Hollywood released a movie using the events that actually happened in I Am Not Alone, the audience would say the story is too unbelievable to ever actually happen. But it did, and the story absolutely should be seen to remind every single person what is possible when everyone bands together for a common goal. I Am Not Alone was produced by System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian and filmmaker Joe Berlinger.
With the film being released theatrically in LA on April 10th and in NY on April 17th, which is timed to the 2-year anniversary of the velvet revolution on April 23rd as well as the Armenian genocide remembrance day on April 24th, we’re happy to premiere the brand new trailer below. While you have a lot of choices on what to watch, I strongly recommend checking this film when you get the chance.
Here’s the official synopsis for I Am Not Alone:
]]>Here’s the official synopsis for I Am Not Alone:On Easter 2018, a man put on a backpack and went live on Facebook to announce that he was beginning a walk across Armenia. His mission: to inspire a velvet revolution — and topple the corrupt regime that enjoys absolute power in his post-soviet nation. With total access to all key players, I AM NOT ALONE tells the miraculous true story of what happens in the next 40 days.
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Garin Hovannisian’s gripping documentary deftly follows the efforts led by journalist, politician, and activist Nikol Pashinyan to prevent the election of the country’s president, Serzh Sargsyan, as the new prime minister — a move that would essentially put Sargsyan in control of Armenia for life, making him a de facto dictator.
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The movement begins hopelessly, with Nikol and just a handful of supporters — including a stray dog — setting out on a 14-day march from one side of the country to the capital Yerevan. As they clash against the regime, there are many moments when their efforts seem doomed to fail, like every democratic movement in Armenia before them. But this time something is different. Step by step, the marchers begin to capture the hearts and minds of the Armenian public. Within a few weeks, the country erupts in a spectacular revolution, as millions of citizens take to the streets, disperse across their neighborhoods, and stage some of the most creative, powerful, and surprising acts of civil disobedience in modern history. This incredible political drama presents an emotional and inspiring roadmap for how a true democratic movement can achieve profound change against all odds. It is packed with rich and memorable characters, plot twists, and a true hero’s journey
By Araksya Karapetyan & Kelli Johnson | FOX 11 Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES - Filmmaker Garin Hovannisian and System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian talked about the new documentary 'I Am Not Alone,' which follows the non-violent yet successful 2018 "Velvet Revolution" in Armenia.
Read full article: 'I Am Not Alone' documentary follows 2018 Armenian Revolution
]]>From Armenpress.am
by Aneta Haratunyan
World famous rock musician, soloist of System of a Down Serj Tankian is taking part in the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2019) in Yerevan, Armenia.
Delivering remarks at the panel titled “Technologies, Society and Democracy”, Tankian said there are a lot of dark sides what’s going on in terms of the digital world, part of which is the isolation that people feel. “For instance, you go on Facebook, there is “friends”, and they are not really your friends”, he said.
Tankian noted that people having the anonymity makes them feel like they have the right to say whatever they want. He stated that there is a lot of this damaging kind of neurosis. He especially highlighted the social media in this regard.
At the same time the world famous rock musician said in today’s world any information is available at a second, as a result of which people are diving into topics. “They are not really embodying the knowledge”, Tankian said.
WCIT 2019 launched in Yerevan, Armenia on October 7. The Congress is hosted by Armenia with the support and under the high patronage of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) was established by the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA). Its main organizing body is the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE). The Congress will last until October 9.
]]>From panarmenia.am
American - Armenian entrepreneur, Reddit and Initialized Capital co-founder Alexis Ohanian and world-known Armenian-American rock musician Serj Tankian announced the launch of “Pan- Armenian digital platform” named HyeConnect. The announcement came on the sidelines of the 23rd World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) underway in Yerevan. As Tankian detailed, HyeConnect will be a digital platform to unite Armenians throughout the world to prosper and succeed.
“We have been discussing this project over the past year. All of us have the experience to contribute to this initiative to come to life. We, the Armenians, deserve this. 10 millions of Armenians are spread in around 180 countries and we need to get connected. The platform will enable Armenians in every corner of the world to get together, get build connections and cooperate,” Tankian added.
Alexis Ohanian, in turn, noted the moment was quite exciting. He told that along with Tankian and Erik Esralian who is the producer of the “Promise” film, he realized the great capabilities they have and decided to make use of them.
Minister of High-Tech Industry Hakob Arshakyan, in turn, announced about a new project “Armenian virtual bridge” that will be built on HyeConnect platform and enable any Armenian or Diaspora-based company to link directly to the world markets and international ecosystems, from attracting talents to the implementation of the whole cycle of exporting the final product.
“The virtual bridge will allow to set up a company here for anyone. We should communicate this initiative with the world and attract investors to Armenia, offering wide opportunities for activity,” the minister said.
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