Serj Tankian explains System Of A Down's creative process
In a recent interview with LiveSigning, Serj Tankian – that in September will release solo EP “Foundations” – talked about the songwriting process in system of a Downalmost entirely by Tankian and the guitarist Daron Malakian.
The singer of Armenian origin explained how the creative process works within the American band: “At the beginning, when we founded System Of A Down, I was mainly the lyricist and he was the author of the music. To be honest Shavo (Odadjian, the bassist, ed.) also brought some riffs, which we would then work on. As time went on, I became a better instrumentalist, playing and composing, and Daron became a better lyricist, so we started bringing more complete songs, then whatever was missing, the other would make up for it.”
Serj Tankian he continued, “So, for example, if Daron brought in a song and had an idea for the chorus that he liked and that worked really well, I would write the verses, the middle part, maybe I would contribute an idea for the musical arrangement, together with the rest of the band. So it was a process that was developed and changed over time.”
THE
system of a Down
as for albums, they are recordally stuck in 2005 when they released six months later, before
“Mezmerize”
(
read the review here
) and then
“Hypnotize”
. Last April 27 the band performed in concert in Las Vegas in the second edition of Sick New World and will return in concert, in its second live of 2024, as co-headliner with
Deftones
at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California on August 17.