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Serj Tankian (Armenian: Սերժ Թանգյան) (born August 21, 1967 in Beirut, Lebanon) is an Lebanese-American musician and songwriter of Armenian descent. Tankian is in the alternative metal band System of a Down. He is a co-founder of Axis of Justice.
Early life and career
At age five, Serj Tankian moved with his parents to Los Angeles, California. After high school, he studied marketing. He took singing lessons for four years and also took guitar lessons as a young child. In 1993, he founded the band Soil (not to be confused with SOiL) with Daron Malakian, which later broke up, and most of the members joined together to form a new band, System of a Down. Tankian is not only a member of the band System of a Down, but also has his own record label which is called Serjical Strike Records, a sub-division of Columbia Records. He has also sung 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 Serj's new label was Serart, a project consisting of Tankian himself, and Arto Tunçboyaçiyan, an Armenian friend of Tankian's. More recently, he sang with The Rita Mitsouko on the song "Terminal Beauty". Also, he sang with the band Fair to Midland during alive performance of "Walls of Jericho." Tankian is also very involved politically. Together with Tom Morello, he founded the organization Axis Of Justice. Tankian often speaks publicly against violence and injustice in the world.
Serj is currently working on his solo album "Elect the Dead", which is expected to be released in Fall 2007.
Born August 21, 1967
Beirut, Lebanon Flag of Lebanon
Genre(s) Alternative metal
Experimental rock
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s) vocals
keyboard
guitar
Label(s) Serjical Strike
Associated
acts Serj Tankian (Solo)
System of a Down
Axis of Justice
Serart
Soil
Understanding Oil
Two days after the attacks on September 11, 2001, Serj posted a highly controversial essay on the band's website. It was promptly taken down by Sony, the band's record label. Sony's opinion was that Tankian had tried to justify the terrorist attacks and that his claims were unfounded.
Poetry
Tankian's first poetry book, Cool Gardens, was published by MTV Books and released on October 1st, 2002. It is a collection of seven to eight years of Tankian's reflections on life, and features artwork by fellow Armenian, Sako Shahinian. The book has received much praise in the artistic community. On Rolling Stone's website, Saul Williams posted the following comments about Tankian's book: Serj's words, like his voice, have a distinct aesthetic sensibility connected to an unyielding, visceral roar of passion. His capacity 'to mock a killing bird' while we wonder at the grace, beauty, and colorful range of his wingspan will be the trademark of both of his singing and writing careers. Serj is an amazing artist, full of passion, with a beautiful heart that pumps the essence of his vision and talent. Serj states that he might be releasing a new book of poetry down the line, but if anything, writing wise that is, he says that he will write a novel rather that another book, even though he has volumes and volumes of more poetry that he has been keeping himself in his own personal collection.
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