Serj Tankian's new sound

Relevant offers

Music

The Stone Roses reunion Web humorists hit new low City and Colour grants fans' wish Adele's ex-boyfriend deserves credit This Is Not a Love Song (list) Beyonce pays special Whitney tribute Sony plans Houston marketing Tim caught the Fame bug Adele's the big winner at Grammys Winehouse's parents accept Grammy

An experiment with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra has led to an interesting new sound for former System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian.

After rewriting the tracks on his Elect the Dead album for a full orchestra, Tankian performed with the APO at Auckland Town Hall in March last year to a sellout crowd.

"It was fun working with professional musicians that didn't have an association with rock music - they said no audience had ever screamed so loud for them," Tankian told stuff.co.nz.

That show resulted in requests for repeat performances.

"We're doing a bunch of shows in Europe and some in the States as well, with different orchestras. We've got a date in Moscow and Prague and Warsaw, Berlin, Milan and Vienna."

Tankian said his performance with the APO partly inspired him to take his song writing in a new direction for his next solo album.

"It's opened up doors for me; to use the orchestra in my sound palette in a more confidant way. I've integrated some live orchestral recordings for my next solo record which I'm finishing off now."

That album should be out in August or September this year, 'if everything goes to plan'.

The record is, according to Tankian, the biggest thing he's ever done.

"It's electronic-orchestral with hints of jazz. It's a wall of sound, it's so powerful."

But Tankian admits that the sound which has resulted is a little hard to define.

"I know the record label is having trouble, I mean how do you market this? Do we market this as a rock record, as an electronic or an orchestral record?"

Along with the new solo record Tankian has also written another full orchestral symphony.

With so many solo projects on the go Tankian says that he and former System of a Down members have not decided on reunion date yet.

"But the doors are open. It could happen in the near future, but it could take longer," he adds enigmatically.

The DVD of Serj Tankain's Elect the Dead Symphony featuring the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra is in stores on March 8.

- © Fairfax NZ News