After releasing Elect the Dead, his solo debut, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian isnt 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 cant stop. After a set on Ozzfests main stage last weekend and staring a slate of impending European festivals in the face, hes 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. "Ive 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 Im composing or co-composing."
"I?m structuring the next record kind of like a jazz orchestral," he said. "Ive got a full orchestra interested, so I want this giant electric guitar in the air to be played by a full orchestra.
As far as the future of System of a Down, Tankian isnt 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 hasnt listened to the whole thing yet), and Tankian says the timing just made sense to take an indefinite breather. You shouldnt have to wait until people are not buying your records or your tickets for you to stop, I think thats ridiculous, he said. So I think you should do it when its the right time, when it makes sense artistically and personally. Its a hiatus, were all friends, the doors open. We havent decided what the future contains, whether it contains System or not, and thats fine.
|
