Serj Tankian

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Serj Tankian

Background information
Born August 21, 1967 (1967-08-21) (age 40)[1] Beirut, Lebanon[1]
Origin Armenian and Lebanese
Genre(s) Hard rock
Alternative metal
Experimental rock
Progressive metal
Funk metal
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, poet
Instrument(s) Vocals, Keyboards/Piano, Guitar, Bass, Synthesizer, Drum machine, Melodica
Years active 1993 – present
Label(s) Serjical Strike, Reprise, American, Columbia, Axis of Justice
Associated acts System of a Down
Serart
Axis of Justice
Buckethead & Friends
Website www.serjicalstrike.com

www.serjtankian.com
Members
Serj Tankian
Dan Monti
Larry "Ler" LaLonde
Mario Pagliarulo
Troy Zeigler
Erwin Khachikian

Serj Tankian (Armenian: Սերժ Թանգեան) (born August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon[1]) is a Lebanese-born Armenian-American singer, songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist of the alternative metal band System of a Down. In 2002, Serj and Tom Morello co-founded a non-profit political activist organization, Axis of Justice. During his entertainment career, he has released five albums with System of a Down, one with Arto Tunçboyacıyan (Serart), and also recently a solo album, Elect the Dead, on October 23, 2007.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life and career

Tankian was born on August 21, 1967, in Beirut, Lebanon. He and his family immigrated to Los Angeles in 1975[1]. While his time in Beirut, Tankian took flute lessons as a young child. He earned a degree in Marketing and Business from California State University, Northridge[2] and started his own software company before beginning his music career[1]. In 1993, he founded his first rock band, Soil (not to be confused with SOiL) with Daron Malakian, Domingo Laranio, Dave Hakopyan, and later, Shavo Odadjian. Two years later, in 1995, after one supposed jam session recording and one live show, Dave and Domingo left. Shavo (who went on to become the bass player) brought in drummer Andy Khachaturian. The four of them then named themselves System of a Down.

During System's days, he sang in other bands for certain songs such as Mushroom Cult by Dog Fashion Disco and lent his vocals to the song Mein by Deftones. He produced "Enter the Chicken" by Buckethead, and provided vocals to the Buckethead songs We Are One, Coma, and Waiting Here. With Serjical Strike Records, he endeavours to offer those musicians often ignored by the mainstream a possibility to release their music and be heard. The first release of Tankian's new label was Serart, a project consisting of Tankian himself, and Arto Tunçboyacıyan, an Armenian friend of Tankian's.

More recently, he sang with Les Rita Mitsouko on the song "Terminal Beauty". Also, he sang with the band Fair to Midland during a live improvisational version of their song "Walls of Jericho", from the album Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True, which was a massive hit with fans. He often collaborates as well with his close friend, director Diran Noubar on various projects, including the voice-over of Noubar's "Armenia, a Country Under Blockade". Noubar played some guitar on Tankian's Elect the Dead album on the track "Saving Us" and directed the music video for "Baby".

Tankian is also very involved politically. Together with Tom Morello, he founded the organization Axis of Justice. Tankian has a secondary vacation cabin in New Zealand. There has been a misconception that he intends to stay in New Zealand until the Iraq War is over, but as stated in an interview, Tankian has no intention of doing so. Tankian often speaks publicly against violence and injustice in the world.

Tankian is at work on a second album, due in 2009. It is said to be more of a jazz and orchestral based sound. A new song, "Sounds of War", has shown up in recent concert setlists, it has a jazz fusion style, it is unknown if it will be on the second record.

Tankian is currently co-writing a musical with the American playwright Steven Sater. It is based on the Ancient Greek Tragedy Prometheus Bound. He stated that eight songs have been completed and that there will be a record.[3]

In a recent interview with Czech TV, Tankian stated that he quite smoking about four or five months ago because it was time to do so.[4]

[edit] The F.C.C.

  • Serj Tankian - lead vocals, keyboard, piano, rhythm guitar (2007-present)
  • Dan Monti - lead guitar, backing vocals (2007-present)
  • Larry "Ler" LaLonde - rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2007-present)
  • Mario Pagliarulo - bass, backing vocals (2007-present)
  • Troy Zeigler - drums, backing vocals (2007-present)
  • Erwin Khachikian - piano, keyboard, backing vocals (2007-present)

[edit] Discography

[edit] System of a Down

Main article: System of a Down discography

[edit] Serart

[edit] Axis of Justice

[edit] Solo

[edit] Singles

Year Title Chart positions Album
US
Hot 100		 US
Mod. Rock		 US
Main. Rock		 UK UK
Rock Track		 CAN
Hot 100
2007 "The Unthinking Majority" 2 - - - - - - Elect the Dead
"Empty Walls" 97 3 4 78 1 75
"Lie Lie Lie" 2 - - - - - -
2008 "Sky Is Over" 1 [6] - 22 23 - - -
  • 1 Still active on charts.
  • 2 Only released as a digital download single

[edit] Collaborations/soundtrack contributions

[edit] Albums

Performing and/or writing

[edit] Live performances

[edit] Remixes

[edit] Awards

  • In 2005, He won the award for Best Alternative Act with System in the Europe Music Awards
  • In 2006, System of a Down won their first Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance for "B.Y.O.B."
  • In 2006, they won the "MTV Good Woodie Award" for their song "Question!".
  • In 2006, they were #14 on the VH1 Top 40 Metal Songs with "Toxicity".
  • In 2007, they were nominated for a Grammy Award in Best Hard Rock Performance for their song "Lonely Day".

[edit] Videography

Song name Album Director
"The Unthinking Majority" Elect the Dead (2007) Tawd b. Dorenfeld
"Empty Walls" Elect the Dead (2007) Tony Petrossian
"Saving Us" Elect the Dead (2007) Kevin Estrada
"Feed Us" Elect the Dead (2007) Sevag Vrej
"Lie Lie Lie" Elect the Dead (2007) Martha Colburn
"Honking Antelope" Elect the Dead (2007) Roger Kupelian
"Elect the Dead" Elect the Dead (2007) Gariné Torossian
"Baby" Elect the Dead (2007) Isaac "Eye-Sack" Flores
"Sky Is Over" (independent video) Elect the Dead (2007) José Rivera
"Beethoven's Cunt" Elect the Dead (2007) Adam Egypt Mortimer
"Money" Elect the Dead (2007) Ara Soudjian
"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" Elect the Dead (2007) Greg Watermann
"Sky is Over" (official video) Elect the Dead (2007) Tony Petrossian and Ara Soudjian

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Serj Tankian, MTV
  2. ^ Stereo Subversion - Meaningful Music Exists
  3. ^ Serj Tankian Co-Writing a Musical, Spinner, Last accessed May 22, 2008.
  4. ^ Serj Tankian Czech TV video, YouTube @ 4:50, Last accessed June 11, 2008.
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ SERJ TANKIAN Paints Grim Picture With 'Sky Is Over'
  7. ^ Two Hard Rockin' Compilation CDs Set for Release This Fall. NY Rock. Last accessed November 04, 2007.
  8. ^ Serj To Appear On New Praxis Album, by "pwned", SOADFans.com, 8 March, 2007
  9. ^ Diddy Joins Ecko in Getting Up. IGN. Last accessed November 09, 2007.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Serj Tankian
Serj Tankian · Dan Monti · Larry "Ler" LaLonde · Mario Pagliarulo · Troy Zeigler · Erwin Khachirian
Notable Guests
Brain · John Dolmayan · Diran Noubar · Ani Maldjian · Cameron Stone · Antonio Pontarelli · Fabrice Favre
Albums
Singles
Related articles
v • d • e
System of a Down
John Dolmayan · Daron Malakian · Shavo Odadjian · Serj Tankian
Andy Khachaturian
Albums
EPs
Singles
"Sugar" · "Spiders" · "Johnny" · "Chop Suey!" · "Toxicity" · "Aerials" · "Innervision" · "B.Y.O.B." · "Question!" · "Violent Pornography" · "Hypnotize" · "Lonely Day" · "Kill Rock 'n Roll"
Videos
"War?" (Demo) · "Sugar" · "Spiders" · "The Metro" · "Chop Suey!" · "Toxicity" · "Aerials" · "Boom!" · "B.Y.O.B." · "Question!" · "Hypnotize" · "Lonely Day
Related articles
v • d • e
Serart
Serj Tankian · Arto Tunçboyacıyan
Albums
EPs
Related articles
v • d • e
Axis of Justice
Serj Tankian · Tom Morello (The Nightwatchman)
Notable guests
Flea · Brad Wilk · Pete Yorn · Tim Walker · Maynard James Keenan · Slash  · Jonny Polonsky  · Chris Cornell · Simon Petty · Malcolm Cross · Sid Jordan · Joe Mora · Wayne Kramer · John Dolmayan · Jurassic 5 · Knowledge · Brian O'Connor · Ahmed Ahmed · Boots Riley
Albums
Related articles


Persondata
NAME Tankian, Serj
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Թանգեան, Սերժ
SHORT DESCRIPTION musician
DATE OF BIRTH August 21, 1967
PLACE OF BIRTH Beirut, Lebanon
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH