Serj Tankian Will Release Music He Wrote for System of a Down as Solo EP
Serj Tankian has been keeping himself busy with a ton of projects over the past decade-and-a-half during which System of a Down haven’t released any new music, but he’s been teasing a collection of “rock songs” he penned with System in mind since at least June of 2018. While the other three members of the band wrote an album’s worth of System material in recent years, Serj now says he will forge ahead with his songs for a solo release as creative differences continue to prevent the four of them from working together on new material.
In an interview with Spin about his new Fuktronic electronic project with Mindless Self Indulgence’s Jimmy Urine, the subject turned to System — as it always inevitably does — and Serj elaborated on the rock songs he’s had brewing for a while:
Tell me more about this rock EP you’re putting out.
“Originally I had these songs in mind for a System record if we were to end up doing a System record. But as we could not really see eye to eye on how to go forward with that I decided to finish them off myself and release them as an EP.”
So people shouldn’t hold their breath for new System of a Down anytime soon.
“I don’t know, man. It hasn’t happened. But I’ll never say never.”
Why does the EP remind you of System?
“I always have random rock tracks done at different times and I sit on them. And then one day the right project or right idea for releasing them will come along. They all have piano or synthesizers, which is a little different than the four-person crew with System, although we had some synths as well. It’s got stuff that’s really heavy, heavy and there’s a funny aspect and then there’s a song about my son. It kind of runs the gauntlet on diversity of thematic expression: political, non-political. I guess that’s always been me, all over the place. I think I’m gonna call it Elasticity just because I wanted to do it with System and it didn’t happen. For me, it’s not Toxicity but it is Toxicity. [Laughs.] That’s what I’m thinking of calling it. I haven’t finalized it, but that’s what I’m thinking of calling it. We’ll probably put it out later this year.”
It’s difficult to determine from the written page whether Serj is joking about the Elasticity title, but if he actually goes through with that it’s a pretty big middle finger in the air to the other System guys! I think he’s joking, though. Right? Either way I like the whole “later this year” part of it. Something to look forward to in these dark times.
