System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian will be keeping busy this summer with the release of two of his side projects. First up will be his symphony, Orca on June 25th. According to an official press release:
“Recorded in Linz, Austria in October of 2012, Orca was composed and demoed in Tankian‘s home studio and fully realized after a successful Kickstarter campaign that helped fund a recording and debut performance at the regal Brucknerhaus with the “Das Karussell Ensemble“. With conductor Werner Steinmetz at the helm, the four acts of Orca mix influences from early 20th century composers with modern film compositional dynamics showing influences ranging from Ennio Morricone to Philip Glass. Listeners are met with a mingling of sounds and intertwining pieces that are both serene and bombastic at the same time, offering a fresh interpretation to the classical art.”
Meanwhile, the following month will see the release of his jazz offering Jazz-Iz Christ on July 23rd. Of that the same press release offered:
“Jazz-iz Christ is Serj‘s brainchild, but truly is a collaborative effort between many musicians that Tankian curated to be part of the group and self-titled album. Among others, there are considerable contributions from renowned pianist Tigran Hamasyan, flautist Valeri Tolstov, and trumpet player Tom Duprey. Additional performances from Stewart Copeland and actor/musician Davis Alpay and Vincent Pedulla make for a very unique collaboration. The 15 tracks that comprise Jazz-iz Christ, a mostly instrumental effort except for 4 tracks, are an amalgam of progressive jazz, electronic, ethnic and even rock elements, displaying a unique presentation of the genre itself.”
Both albums will surface through his own Serjical Strike Records. In addition to digital releases, deluxe limited editions will also be made available with pre-orders to kick off May 01st for Orca and May 15th for Jazz-Iz Christ via Serjicalstrike.com.
Meanwhile, more dates have surfaced for Tankian‘s coming orchestral engagements overseas. Those stops will find him performing all four acts of Orca along with arrangements from his previous “Elect The Dead” symphony run. Here’s where they will hit:
09/19 Kiev, UKR – Ukraina Hall
09/21 Yekaterinburg, RUS – Kosmos Hall
09/23 Novosibirsk, RUS – DK Zheleznodorozhnik
09/25 Krasnoyarsk, RUS – Philharmony
09/27 Moscow, RUS – Crocus City Hall
09/28 St. Petersburg, RUS – Orjktybyrsky Concert Hall
10/03 Florence, ITA – Teatro Comunale
10/04 Padova, ITA – Gran Teatro Geox
10/05 Rome, ITA – Auditorium Parco Della Musica
