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System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian has a few words for fans and
music listeners who think they know what to expect on the just-released second
half of its "Mezmerize/Hypnotize" project.
"What to expect from us is the unexpected, I guess," Odadjian said, speaking via
telephone from a recent System of a Down show at Nationwide Arena. "If we do
something common, it doesn't match us. People look at us differently. They look
at us with one eye and say, 'Why are they doing that?'"
Fans haven't questioned the odd time signatures, socio-political lyrics and
aggressive rhythm section. The first half of the group's two-album set,
"Mezmerize"--released in May, and produced by Rick Rubin and System of a Down
guitarist Daron Malakian--hit No. 1 on The Billboard 200 charts after selling
about 475,000 copies during its first week out. Vocalist Serj Tankian and
drummer John Dolmayan round out the group's lineup.
Why did you decide to film the video for your new single, "Hypnotize"--which
you're directing--in Grand Rapids, MI?
Shavo Odadjian: One: geographically, it was perfect for us because of the time.
No. 2: I think the kids are pretty crazy in those areas. I know it's not going
to be super, super packed, so I have room to put cameras in the back. It's a
live video.
Is directing something you enjoy doing?
I did "Question!" "Aerials" and "Toxicity." I guess I enjoy doing it. I
wouldn't be ripping my a-- off if I wasn't. In the future, I want to do movies.
I recently read a story that said you're working with Miramax on a film
project.
That's false. I've been going through scripts. One of them was from Miramax. But
I don't have a deal with them. That got really escalated. They also said that
someone else from System of a Down with working with the Wu-Tang Clan. I'm
working with the Wu-Tang Clan.
What have you done with them?
I did three songs on the new record. We have future projects. I'm working with
the GZA to do a record. We're going to put a record together. I'll bring in Meth
(Method Man) and RZA. It's an album. It's a story that GZA is writing, and I'm
writing all the music to it. Each song's going to be a chapter. We're working on
it separately. But right now--when this tour ends--I'm going to go and we're
going to work in the studio.
How did you meet the Wu-Tang Clan?
I've been a huge fan ever since I can remember, when RZA used to be Prince
Rakeem. What happened was we got offered to be on this compilation for Loud
Records. They asked us to either pick a Mobb Deep song or a Wu-Tang song. I
really wanted to do it, and the band was just, "We don't do rap." I said, "I
know we don't but we can do it System style. Let's do a Wu-Tang song. It would
be cool to do for me." We decided to do "Shame on a Nigga," which, with four
white-looking dudes, we did it and I was kind of leery of yelling the word "Nigga."
I was friends with Method Man because we toured together and we became friends
after the tour. I was at a Method show, I saw RZA there, and I said this is what
we did. He said, "Well, I've heard it." He said it's good. I said, "Can you be
on it please?" He said "It's good the way it is, but I will if you want me to."
A week later, we go in the studio, and I met all of them. We did the "Shame"
song, and I guess I got some [phone] numbers. We've been contacting each other
ever since. Right before this tour started, they were in L.A., RZA called me and
said, "I'm in L.A. come hang out and we're doing a new record." I went the first
day and they were like, "Do you want to play on this thing?" I went home, got a
bass for the next day. I went in again and we recorded until 7 a.m. And, man,
RZA was really cool. We jammed, really. Then GZA asked if I wanted to do a
record and I said, "Hell, yeah." If you asked me a year ago or two years ago,
who would be my dream lyricist to work with, I'd say probably GZA because I'd
say he's amazing. He's not just a rapper. When everybody's hanging out smoking
weed, he's reading the dictionary. They don't call him the genius for no reason.
I'm looking forward to it.
Why did you decide to do two System albums at once?
["Hypnotize"] is sort of part two. It's a double album we split in two. Our
original plan was to do one album, and when the songs kept pouring out, we
thought, "We can't throw away these songs. They're good songs. They're not
B-level songs. It wouldn't be right to throw them away." We decided to do a
double record, but we're like, in this day and age, with attention spans of
people, including ourselves, it's hard to get used to 24 [songs] at once. Our
songs are pretty crazy, pretty out there, up and down, so we decided to do this.
It's really one record. It's not two records. We titled them
"Mezmerize/Hypnotize" because when you have both of them, the albums link
together and they become one record, within the packaging and musically. If you
played the first album, "Mezmerize," into "Hypnotize" to the end, it's one
complete [project]. It's bookended.
Were you surprised when "Mezmerize" hit No. 1?
Yeah, pretty much. I'm pretty much surprised whenever we do well [with the
masses]. I never saw us as a public band. Who ever thought that a song that I
wrote on my mom's bed would be our first single? We all wrote those songs for
ourselves. It's fun to play. We never planned on being international musicians
and professional musicians.
What do you think it is about "Mezmerize" that struck a chord with fans?
I think it's different. I don't like to boast about ourselves. The reason I'm a
fan of our music is because I'm intrigued. Daron is a hell of a songwriter. He
writes a lot of our music. I think our band has a good team put together. If
someone's good at something, they do what they do. We aren't stepping on their
toes. When I have a video concept, they let me go on with it. I do the set
designs.
I've heard that you like to do everything in house.
Everything. Every video we've done has been a collaboration. We hold ourselves
and our band very tight, you know? We're very protective in our ideas and
things. I like to be doing things and not be the guy sitting in the back
watching things happen. When we do get success, it wasn't because of luck, it
was because of hard work. When you put in hard work and you get rewarded it's
one thing. It's totally another thing when you just sit back and everyone does
everything and you're just a face.
Interview by Christina Fuoco
liveDaily Contributor
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