Monday, 2. June 2008, 07:25:50
Hi Everybody,
Just writing you from Madrid. The F.C.C. and I just got through
performing at the Electric Weekend Festival. Just so you guys know, we
have a special friend traveling with us on this leg of the tour. Isaac
"Eye-Sack" Flores is on the road with us filming every single show plus
a lot of behind the scenes footage that we're compiling for something
special in the future. If you see him, say hi, he might ask you for an
interview.
In the March newsletter, I made mention about a friend who captured
great footage from the Forum in Los Angeles, The Warfield Theatre in
San Fransisco, and La Zona Rosa in Austin, TX during SXSW. Sorry for
the delay in editing it all together but the staff at Serjical Strike
got it done.
Live Serj MontageHope you enjoys the videos and I look forward to seeing all our fans
in Europe. I am expecting to see some passionate and wild fans. Don't
let me down...
Peace,
Serj
Monday, 5. May 2008, 21:10:15
Guitar World, Scars on Broadway, Daron Malakian
Credit: Noahferfer
"Knowing that he [Serj] wasn’t going to be singing these songs, it kind of put me in a direction that’s more suited to my voice, my mood and my character as a singer." ... "I would expect another Scars album before another System album." - Daron Malakian
Kicking back at the Steakhouse Studio in North Hollywood, California, Daron Malakian bobs his Los Angeles Dodgers-capped head while “Funny” tumbles out of the control room speakers. A deliciously hooky pop song with a minor-key melody worthy of the Kinks or the Zombies, “Funny” is one of the tracks featured on the forthcoming self-titled debut from Scars on Broadway, Malakian’s new band with fellow System of a Down-er John Dolmayan. “I think my Sixties influence is bleeding through on this record,” Malakian says.
But anyone who has followed System’s decade-plus career knows that Malakian is capable of changing musical directions and influences multiple times, often in the same songs, and Scars on Broadway’s music is as cheerfully eclectic as anything he’s done with his “other” band. On the hard-hitting, politically charged “3005,” he rages like Arthur Lee mixed with Alice Cooper.
Over the giddy disco sequencer groove of “Chemicals,” he tries to lure a love interest to “eat some chemicals with me.” Other songs recall System (“Universe,” “Kill Each Other”), the Dead Kennedys (“I Like Suicide”) and the Sex Pistols on a garage-rock holiday (“They Say”). Overall, System’s herky-jerky time signatures and chugging guitars are largely absent, replaced by a more swaggering and straightforward musical attack.
“I’ve tried at times to get away from the System sound with this record,” explains Malakian, who handles the album’s vocals and performs guitar and bass. “But I didn’t want to completely get away, because that’s part of me. And I don’t think I can. But I’m definitely more into the rock vibe right now, much more than I’m into metal.”
Guitar World - Were these songs written specifically for Scars on Broadway, or are these just songs that you happened to come up with at the time?
Daron Malakian - This is just where I’ve evolved as a writer. Since it’s a new band, it’s made me feel even more free to go in different directions. But I think that even if this were going to be a System of a Down album, these songs would be my contribution. Whatever I write has to evolve around my taste in music at that moment, because that always changes.
GW - There are several tracks that sound as if you’ve been listening to a lot of Sixties garage and psych lately.
Malakian - Yeah, I’ve been listening to the Nuggets boxes and a lot of weird Japanese psych. A lot of that stuff came out in what I did with System, but since there is less metal in Scars on Broadway, I think you can hear those influences more.
GW - There’s also a classic Seventies punk vibe coming across on this record.
Malakian - I’ve always been into Seventies punk, whether it’s the Dead Boys or the Damned. That’s my favorite kind of punk rock. I like [San Francisco post-punk group] Chrome; they go into these synthy types of moments, and it doesn’t really fit in the song! [laughs] I like what they did a lot, but I also like Fleetwood Mac, I like Yes. I’m just all over the place.
GW - The guitar tones definitely have more of an organic, Seventies rock sound than anything you’ve recorded previously. There’s not a lot of processing or effects.
Malakian - Effects-wise, I’ve never really used anything. I’ve always gone right through the amp.
GW - Were you using more amp distortion in the past?
Malakian - No, I think it’s what I’m playing on guitar, the kind of chords and the kind of riffs. If I played more in that ku-chunk-chunk style in the past, I think it’s the songs making the guitar sound like that, rather than the guitars.
GW - Do you see Scars on Broadway as a new band or as a System side project?
Malakian - The creative force and the drive and everything that goes on with the band is me and John, and we take this pretty seriously. This is not my side project - this is my band right now. I’m not doing anything with System, we don’t have any plans on doing anything with System, and I would expect another Scars album before another System album.
GW - Is the way you and John work together in Scars similar to the way you’ve worked in System?
Malakian - It’s the same, especially on the last System records, Mezmerize and Hypnotize. On those records, I played bass, guitar, some of the keyboards, and I did a lot of the vocals. Aside from Serj, everything you hear on those records is me and John. A lot of the vocals that you hear on System songs, whether they’re sung by me or not, were written by me. So you’ll hear those links. But at the same time, I didn’t want to repeat myself. This record is just where I was at the time I wrote it. I think I felt more free to go into the rock world with this project. Whenever I’m writing and I have Serj in mind, I can never picture him singing some of the more rock-oriented stuff.
GW - Why, because his voice doesn’t lend itself to straight-up rock and roll?
Malakian - It’s more about the attitude behind rock. I think he’s more eclectic, more experimental and complex. But when it comes to singing “Whole Lotta Rosie,” it’s just not him, you know? [laughs] And I felt more free to be that, because that’s more me. Knowing that he wasn’t going to be singing these songs, it kind of put me in a direction that’s more suited to my voice, my mood and my character as a singer.
GW - What’s the story behind the name of the band?
Malakian - In Glendale, where I live, there’s a street called Broadway. The bottoms of the light posts have swastikas on them. They were made that way [in the Twenties]; It’s not like skinheads carved them in or anything like that. The symbols aren’t tilted, like Nazi swastikas are but it’s obvious what they are. And I always thought it was a trip, like, “What’s up with that?” There was always something a little mysterious about it. So one day I was talking to my friend - we were on our way to a hockey game - and he said something about, “Yeah, those swastikas on Broadway.” And I said, “Wait I second…” I didn’t think I wanted to call the band Swastikas on Broadway [laughs], but Scars on Broadway came to me right after that, because of the light posts.
GW - Do you have any sense of when the album’s going to come out?
Malakian - No. [laughs] But I’d hope the end of summer, at latest. I think before we put out the album we’re going to put a few songs on the net, just to give the fans a taste of what’s going on. I would love for them to hear it tomorrow, but it’s just not ready. I’m excited for people to hear it. And I’m kinda nervous, too. But I believe in it; I believe in the songs. I believe that they keep up with anything else I’ve written in my life, and I feel really good about it.
Interview by Dan Epstein
Guitar World Magazine, July 2008 Issue
Credit: SOADFans.com
Thursday, 24. April 2008, 07:01:40
Coachella, Scars on Broadway, Daron Malakian, They Say
...
Last week I had the chance to talk with System of a Down's Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan about their new project, "Scars on Broadway," which is playing at Coachella this weekend.
I wrote a piece that ran in today's paper, but here are some tidbits that didn't make the story:
First off, I just want to say how cool these guys were and that they are really dedicated to Scars on Broadway.
The band actually did a surprise show at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood on April 11 and Malakian was stunned by the reaction of the fans.
"The kids were responding like they've known the songs forever," he said.
He said the Whisky show was a bit nerve-wracking, playing with new people for the first time with a new project.
"I kind of got those little butterflies out," he said. "Now it's just the everyday show jitters."
As for the music, both explained that Scars on Broadway is not where System of a Down left off. There are electronics involved. Malakian said he's hoping some more of his 1970s influences bleed through, but the songwriting process isn't much different, he said.
"I write for the band, I don't just write for me...in this case it was different instruments," he said.
"One thing Daron is really good at is creating melody," Dolmayan said.
Malakian and Dolmayan both said one of the toughest things in putting the project together was whittling down songs for the debut album. There are just shy of two dozen recorded and selecting the songs has been a challenge.
Dolmayan talked about the importance of finding the right balance of songs on a record.
"You want to provide the listener with a roller coaster," he said.
And while there won't be any cross-pollination between Scars on Broadway's set and System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian's solo set on Friday, don't be shocked if you see the members at each other's performances.
"He's a friend first," Dolmayan said.
Source
Thursday, 24. April 2008, 06:50:31
John Dolmayan, Coachella, Scars on Broadway, Daron Malakian
...
For a musician, Daron Malakian talks like a chef.
The Scars on Broadway leader began writing recipes for songs years ago while working on the last two albums for his other band, System of a Down. He tested out the ingredients, going through two drummers before asking System band-mate John Dolmayan to join.
"It's not easy to put together a band with the right people and let it evolve and marinate into what it's gonna be," Malakian said in a recent telephone interview.
Read more...
Thursday, 24. April 2008, 06:47:53
Wu-Tang, Shavo, UrSession, RZA
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Is rap-rock primed for a return? No? Good then! System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian and legendary Wu-Tang Clan producer/spiritual center the RZA himself insist their new collaboration Achozen (which also includes Killarmy's renamed Kinetic 9 and newcomer Reverend William Burke) and their summer debut album (via Odadjian's own online digital label, urSESSION) will definitely not be a rap-metal hybrid as most would expect. Yet, strangely they still insist on describing themselves as "heavy hip-hop."
"The music is dark, the sound, the arrangements, we used a lot of minor notes, groove oriented beats, it's very bass heavy," explains Odadjian. "Achozen's music is emotional, and some of the lyrics give me chills! We are speaking about real things, we speak against wickedness and we speak for benevolence, we speak about how hard it is to remain benevolent or righteous and how easy it is to turn the other way."
In another surprise for those familiar with metal and hip-hop archetypes, Odadjian avoided the almost token Parental Advisory sticker. "One thing I've asked everyone who's come and done vocals on the album is to not cuss," he says. "We want kids to be able to hear this. I asked everyone to try and teach something with their lyrics, maybe something they learned from their grandma or uncle, maybe an experience in their life that could help someone else, maybe answer a question about an issue."
As for whether any notable elements from the foursome's more well-known projects would be retained in Achozen's music, Odadjian says that, "From System of a Down, song arrangement is definitely a major part of Achozen. Most hip-hop songs just have a beat or sample that runs throughout the track, and that's it. The Achozen songs have lots of changes, middle breakdowns, bridges, diversity in vocal styles. I've been a DJ for the past 10, 12 years as DJ Tactics, so lots that I've learned as a DJ is incorporated into Achozen songs: hard breaks, hard house, hard bass lines, heavy techno, no trance. Real different sounds and effects."
A final tracklist for the LP and tour dates are exepected to be announced, but a preview track, "Deuces," will premiere on www.urSESSION.com April 22. And don't forget to pick up RZA's latest offering as Bobby Digital, Digi Snacks, July 1 via Koch and catch him on a solo summer jaunt as well.
Source
Monday, 14. April 2008, 22:03:10
"Come eat some chemicals with me," screamed Daron Malakian, the creative mastermind behind System of a Down, and now, Scars on Broadway. That's an invitation that 90 percent of the packed crowd in Hollywood's famous Whisky-a-go-go was gladly ready to take him up on. However, it was merely the refrain from one of Scar's amazing new tracks and not a come-with-me-backstage-and-get-fucked-up proclamation. This delightful little chorus came halfway through Scars' phenomenal debut show at The Whisky on Friday night. The club could not have been more crowded, with bodies packed to the walls. The show's VIP-set included legendary, rock royalty Rick Rubin and Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains , just to name a few. However, the legend in the house that mattered most was Malakian, who, alongside System skinsman John Dolmayan, proved that Scars will be one of heavy music's most important acts.
Read more...
Sunday, 13. April 2008, 00:00:05
System of a Down, Achozen, SOAD, UrSession
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There’s been plenty of talk about whether or not System Of A Down is on a permanent hiatus, but bassist Shavo Odadjian made it quite clear in a recent interview with Ultimate-Guitar that he doesn’t intend on ever tossing his platinum-selling group to the wayside. The time off has been all about exploring new creative outlets, and since the break was announced, Odadjian could easily be described as the most prolific member.
It’s true that Odadjian has been recording an album with his hip-hop project Achozen, but it’s his work away from the traditional band format that should likely draw the most attention. His grandest endeavor has been launching UrSession.com, a new website that was created in response to the rapidly dying major label system. The site gives musicians the opportunity to essentially audition for a record contract via uploaded videos or audio. And who exactly is the judge of all the video submissions? We are. As soon as you sign up as a member of UrSession.com (it’s free, so no worries), you can pretty much decide the fate of thousands of bands.
Read more...
Thursday, 10. April 2008, 00:35:56
Scars, SOB, Scars on Broadway, Rollingstone
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With System of a Down on hiatus, guitarist Daron Malakian took the opportunity to explore more song-based work, writing most of the album on keyboard. That said, several tracks have an intense metal-prog feel, which SOAD fans will find familiar. "I wouldn't say it's where we left off with System," Malakian says of the Scars project, which he produced himself (with early input from Rick Rubin) — and also includes SOAD drummer John Dolmayan. "I have been trying to go to another place with it — without completely losing who I am."
Source
WIDGETIZE