Ah, the side project. A ubiquitous part of our musical world that comes around when a band or artist gets super popular and is allowed much (in some cases too much) leeway by their or another record label. In some cases, it's strictly a success cash in write off that doesn't necessarily work out, but in other rare occasions, a chance for a good or great artist to stretch their abilities and experiment in other musical styles. In the former category, you will find artists like Dave Navarro, Scott Weiland, and Tommy Lee whose solo efforts all undoubtedly take up several spaces in the dollar rack of your favorite used record store. In the department of the latter, John Frusciante, Woven Hand (David Eugene Edwards of 16 Horsepower), and Portastatic (Mac McCaughan of Superchunk) have all released brilliant records that are well worth your while.
What then to make of Serart, the collaboration between System of A Down's Serj Tankian and avant-garde folkster Arto Tuncboyaciyan? Considering the pedigree of each artist, you could make a decent claim that there is to be something good found here. Mr. Tankian's day job has released a few of the most challenging hard rock records dotting the cultural landscape as we speak and Mr. Tuncboyaciyan has released over 200 records in Europe and worked with such jazz luminaries as Chet Baker and Al DiMeola.
Not surprisingly, this record is actually pretty damn good. From the first bonafide track (entitled Cinema), you will quickly realize you are in for an interesting ride. Starting off with some light Indian percussion, it quickly sidesteps in with a drum and bass rhythm and some melodic sax. Over all this floats the scatting vocals of Mr. Tuncboyaciyan and the plaintive wail of Mr. Tankian. Before you have time to catch up, the drums turn martial and warlike. This back and forth stretches on until both sides come together and form a unified industrial sound that Trent Reznor would give his pinky fingers to have come up with on his own.
From here on out, all bets are off. One track will feature nothing put pounding percussion and African-style chanting, another a Coil-like soundscape of plucking strings, found sound and hushed vocals, and yet another just a multi-tracked collection of Mr. Tuncboyaciyan's voices filling up your eardrums. The only unifying concept to be found on this record is one of despair at the current global climate. Love Is The Peace uses the sound of guns and bombs to relay its obvious and powerful antiwar message. Claustrophobia gives you a spoken word piece about the overgrowing urban landscape over a heartbreaking flute solo and the sounds of the forest. It may sound like a cheesy new age track, but the effect reached here (with the vocals sounding like they were recorded on an answering machine) is actually quite chilling. There are a couple of throwaway tracks to be found here. The final track, I Don't Want To Go Back Empty Handed, is a little too close to something to be found on a dull Putumayo compilation CD and the one minute or less interstitial tracks might be meant to break things up for the listener but are also entirely unnecessary.
Although this might not stick in my CD player for days on end, this is a fine disc of rhythm, expressionism, and experimentation. It might have been enough to pat Serj on his back for not falling flat on his face with this release, but now we are going to have to give him even more room to pull out any more tricks he might have hiding up his sleeves.
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