b. 21 August 1967, Beiruit, Lebanon. This Armenian-American singer-songwriter and political activist gained prominence in the late 90s and early 00s as the frontman of System Of A Down. One of the most articulate and politicized of the new generation of alternative rock artists, the band enjoyed mainstream commercial success with a series of controversial albums that pulled no punches in their articulation of radical political opinions. Truly committed to his beliefs, in 2002 Tankian formed the Axis Of Justice organization with Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine in order to promote social justice. During the same year he also launched the Serjical Strike Records label, the first release on which was an album recorded by Tankian and Turkish avant folk artist Arto Tunçboyaciyan under the Serart moniker.
Tankian’s guidance of Serjical Strike over the next few years helped establish the label as one of the most imaginative independents on the US music scene, with signings including Bad Acid Trip, Kittens For Christian and Slow Motion Reign. When System Of A Down was put on a lengthy hiatus at the end of 2006, Tankian immediately began work on his solo debut. Released via Serjical Strike at the end of the following year, Elect The Dead showcased Tankian’s multi-instrumental capabilities (he played everything except the drums and string instruments) and the breadth of his musical vision, which at times threatened to overwhelm the listener with the sheer diversity of ideas on offer. In 2002 Tankian published a book of poetry, Cool Gardens.
