Serj Tankian

Serj Tankian is a Grammy-award-winning artist best known for being the frontman of System Of A Down. His powerful vocals and thought-provoking lyrics helped the group achieve wild success, including over 40 million records sold worldwide, multiple platinum albums, more than a billion KZbin plays, and multiple Grammy nominations (winning Best Hard Rock Performance in 2006 for "B.Y.O.B."). Beyond System Of A Down, Tankian has released five solo albums (Elect the Dead, Imperfect Harmonies, Harakiri, Orca, Jazz-Iz-Christ, and Elasticity), composed music for film and television (Body of Lies, Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, among many more), and been a prominent activist for human rights, environmental issues, and causes related to his Armenian heritage (In 2011, he was awarded the Armenian Prime Minister's Medal for his significant contributions to the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide). His book Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts)-which shares his extraordinary life story, from his childhood in war-torn Beirut and his family’s move to Los Angeles, to his decision to pursue music and his rise to fame as the lead singer of System-is out now!
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[@jonmartinez3482]

Daron and Serj have the best harmonization of all time, man. I miss the fuck out of that. It was pure ecstasy. System of a down is timeless.

[@bobbytassone7533]

Best podcast on the web. Extremely grateful to master Rubin.

[@MidExpanse]

Master? Master of what exactly?

[@bobbytassone7533]

@@MidExpanse imho he is a master of many disciplines. Most important of which is life. I believe humans are inherently artists. He literally wrote the book on creativity, an artists lifeblood. And if you can’t acknowledge he is a master at producing music I can’t help you, but wish you well.

[@brandonedge]

Master of interviewers

[@ajagoff]

​@@bobbytassone7533That's some serious cringe, man.

[@BeyondTheMysteries]

Facts.

[@shapursasan9019]

Amazing interview! Thank you both!

[@jordansarkisian]

As an Armenian this one hit a bit different for me. My great grandparents came to America in the early 1900s and had my Grandpa, lost 2 of their daughters over there, felt very relatable to hear his family’s story. He's passed now but I can remember him talking on the phone in Armenian and the pictures of family that were affected by the earthquake, hearing him discuss it brought back lots of early memories for me.

[@CrunchyXL]

Literally the best artist now days

[@dkarahtee5340]

I met serj the morning of the free Hollywood show. By the Roosevelt hotel. It was at the parking lot across the street. Me and my 2 buddies saw him leaving via his SUV and waved him down. He was awesome, friendly. Then when he tried to leave, the guy couldn't give him change so we paid for Serjs parking! He gave us wristbands and we spent half the day having no idea what they were for. I've wanted to talk to him about that for 20 years because I had such a a different perspective being down on the ground the whole day. It often gets buried with the 9/11 and his oil essay. Maybe this is my chance! Serj! Or anyone who knows him or can reach him. If you read this and remember us, please let me know! I have my own wild tale from that day! Horses with swat gear, tear gas, climbing fifteen foot fences, rubber bullets.

[@galdo06]

Why does this has 10k views??? It should be 10m by now. Is AMAZING!

[@DavidTizzard]

I had never considered the intersection between spirituality and justice, nor he broader implications of the Armenian genocide. Thank you for the music, and thank you for this conversation. I learned a lot.

[@justintriplett6885]

This little nugget of preciousness is equivalent to gold

[@th3stringman]

hands down the best serj interview available. thanks Rick you did it again.

[@o.g.willing]

Looking forward to this one !

[@doctorquid]

We love you

[@beyounglove6278]

Somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep

[@Bennymoth]

This was such an amazing podcast, the song with Serj''sfather also hearing he's been scoring music. Quality conversations, cheers m8!

[@joannabreaks435]

Thank you so much Rick this artist has managed to be tender and powerful at the same time ❤🎉

[@joarsolbakk7160]

Thanks serj! I really enjoyed the reflections from you guys, good vibes 🎉

[@mikeschneider]

This was really great :)

[@CT-fb2mw]

Hell of a final line to end on

[@ThaTruFily]

"Wired were the eyes of the horse on a jet pilot! When he smiled when he flew over the bay!" He's got the rythm lasered into his mind just like me heh

[@johnJDRdoe]

i did not realize how absolutely incredible Rick is with guiding an interview as one of the best conversational and comfortable flows anyone has ever done. Im floored at how amazing of a journalist this man has inside him.

[@alistairmaleficent8776]

It's always great to hear a musician talk passionately about things they know other than music.

[@t045tSKT]

He's a vocalist. He hasn't played a lick of music on any of the soad records. He's isn't a musician.

[@alistairmaleficent8776]

@@t045tSKT That's truly one of the dumbest things I've heard someone say this week.

[@t045tSKT]

@alistairmaleficent8776 serj is overrated and wouldn't be famous if it wasn't for Daron writing his lyrics and harmonizing with him. It's why his solo record was trash. Serj isn't an artist. Daron is the artist. Daron is God. Fuck serj! Also, Rick rubin is the single most overrated producer in the world. The guy is only famous because he was in the right dorm room at the right time. He's single handedly responsible for the loudness wars and knows nothing about audio fidelity. My guy gets hired to produce and just sleeps the entire time. Do better, know more about the people you worship. They're both hacks and it's sad you think it's dumb that I'm pointing it out.

[@jake975]

​@t045tSKT what are you talking about? lmao he plays rhythm guitar on multiple system songs, not to mention the amount of piano he plays in his solo material

[@t045tSKT]

@@jake975 he plays live, but he's never played an instrument on a system album. Daron plays it all.

[@helpalongyourwayiitx470]

I hear the duduk. Blood Covenant showcases it live when recording a live show. A mesmerizing instrument, similar to the captivating essence of the oboe. Great interview!

[@vernam.2474]

💫🙏🏼

[@GFormulaPodcast]

I'd love Rick to interview or have a session with Robbie Soukiasyan, he is a milti-diamond / platinum producer, mixer, worked with XXXTentacion, song called Revenge...

[@yvonneraley3050]

Amazing ❤ Time for TM

[@mrlucius57]

✌️💙

[@djmoonchild01]

Second album, Rick, you also did the first album😅😂

[@alexrechkin7]

Needs video

[@mrlucius57]

Rest yer eyes

[@brandonedge]

Armenians were first to adopt Christianity? Crazy. Humanity is insane forever. Blessed are the peacemakers

[@djmoonchild01]

Noah restarted civilization in Armenia after the flood.

[@ThaTruFily]

Hey Mr Jack, don't lock up our fave band!

[@originalmal]

Dick Gregory spoke about a Jukebox 🤺

[@originalmal]

As terrifying as early COVID!

[@thatguyinaband6341]

Man I love System and this conversation is so Amazing! being Cuban, I feel so much the lack of electricity and the hunger, it's still going on in Cuba since the 90's hasn't gotten any better, the average age of a prostitute has dropped from 35 to 12 years old! it's so sad, wish we had a System like band to talk about it, closest thing I think we have is Gran Hechicero but nobody really knows him, he's amazing though, I'll get a link if anyone is curious kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3vTeHalj5mXqtUsi=dOrAqIHzxpw-Xg4q CC is English! Cheers!

[@ExileonBrockSt]

🇨🇦👽🎸👍🏼

[@GospelofWill]

Anyone have any additional info on the last person he mentions who he said was life changing for him in transcendental meditation? I think he said Nancy De Harrah, but I’m searching for that name online and not finding anything. Could be the person has no online presence or maybe the name is wrong. Serj and Rick both spoke extremely high of her so wanted to see if I could find any video or audio from her.

[@GospelofWill]

I believe I found the person. Nancy Cooke de Herrera

[@sachapiccoli4419]

🥁💥Check out my X - SOAD DRUM COVER now 🥁💥 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZC9dGajidSkrNk

[@spiritfoodstamp]

why’d you leave the keys upon the table?

[@GembaDocs]

All these bands I used to like,who raged against the machine who raged on behalf of the establishment during Covid. I’ll never forget.

[@ThaTurdBurglar]

But... whyd you put the kids up on the table ??

[@danparker3765]

That Lucy ad is a bit unnerving. Rick, can you maybe not have ads glorifying nicotine ?

[@perrynichols3672]

Agreed. WTF Rick?!

[@DaPoopIsInDaPudding]

Rick Ruben is overrated

[@peaceofpiety]

Thank you gentlemen for allowing us into this collective space of good energy. 🫂 Rick, you've become the voice that guides me through the dark. When I seek guidance, it's your soft tone that enters in like a tranquil breeze and reminds me to slow down and exhale.

[@t045tSKT]

Wtf? Why are you on ricks nuts like that? The dude is the most overrated producer ever. He's single handedly responsible for the loudness wars and knows nothing about audio fidelity. When he's tapped to "produce" a record, he does nothing but sleep. Kid, you've put your cards into the wrong deck sucking off rick like that. Shows you know absolutely nothing about music producing.