Posted by ZAk on Sunday, March 29, 2009 - 09:13 PM
After Greg Watermann finished documenting the final System of A Down tour, the
Ozzfest summer 2006, Beno (the band's manager) gave him a specific
request, knowing that Greg had an incredible and exclusive collection of live
photos.
Beno asked greg to make something for System of a Down that no one had ever done
before, something
that would blow anyone away, and something that would raise the bar on live rock
n' roll
photography.
"Dream assignment, or nightmare? I had thousands of great images to pick from.
But how could I show so many pictures without boring even the most hard-core
System Of A Down fan? Printing a book would be cool, but really expensive...
plus, that kills trees." Greg Watermann exclusively speaks to SOADFans.
"I decided to go electronic, so that all the fans in the world could
see it on their computers, cell phones, iPods, whatever. I would assemble my
favorite shots from
all those shows, and edit them to music. I was going to make a 4-minute concert
film, entirely out of photographs." Greg explains
"Ok, that means music too, but if it's only four minutes then that's only one
song. How is a one song a concert? And which "one-song" do I choose??"
"Enter DJ LethalRush (a.k.a. Saro). He did the 'Victorious Club Mix' of Serj's
"Empty Walls". He also crafted "Playfully Traumatized" - the insane 47 minute
mash-up of SOAD songs."
Greg persuaded him (DJ LethalRush) to make him a 4-1/2 minute version of a
System concert, using the band's last used set list as a guide (Aug. 13, 2006 -
W. Palm Beach), the set list was:
Solider Side (Intro)
Attack
BYOB
Revenga
Needles
Deer Dance
Suggestions
Psycho
Chop Suey
Lonely Day
Kill Rock 'n' Roll
Old School Hollywood
Violent Pornography
Cigaro
Radio/Video
Hypnotize
Lost in Hollywood
Question?
War
Aerials
Toxicity
Sugar
Greg Continues: "What he gave us, is nothing short of brilliant. The musical
arrangement is a work of art in itself.
Everyone I've played it for has begged me for a copy. I've had other DJ's tell
me they'd put it into their club rotation. I even think it could wind-up being a
radio hit."
"Imagine 22 songs smashed into each other, somehow all working together like a
short symphony. The vocals from one song, layered over the guitar riffs from
another, with the bass and drums from a third song scratched-in underneath
them... that's what it sounds like."
ZAk: That might sound redundant, the songs you have picked up short film
are they live or studio version? Greg Watermann: We're trying to follow the same performance order
that they played at the show - Aug. 13, 2006 - W. Palm Beach, FL.
We're only using the original studio tracks for the mix.
"If they created a System Of A Down ride for an amusement park, this is what
they'd blast out of the speakers while you were riding it."
ZAk: Did any of the members of System involve directly or indirectly with
this project? like review photos or/and music ..etc?
Watermann: Serj has already seen the FOREST demo, and loves it! I
selected the photographs out of the hundreds that the band approved from the
2006 tour. But the band has NOT heard the music mash-up that DJ LethalRush made
yet. I want them to see/hear the whole piece, only when it's finished.
"I searched through all my folders from the last tour and selected my favorite
shots, only including the ones that had the most SOAD energy and personality.
And of course, LOTS of crowd shots from the whole tour."
"We're just now finishing the edit; and currently we have over 400 pictures in
the piece.
But, we're still adding more!", " The direction I gave my editor was,
"Just follow the music. Make it look just like it sounds.It's really like a
giant jigsaw puzzle."
Why did you pick up 'FOREST' as a title for the project?
-The real name is the "System Super Slide Show", but that's too long to say all
the time.
So... System Super Slide Show = S.S.S.S. = 4-S's = "Forest".
Would it be out for free online or there's intention for commercial
selling? if that made sense..
- I'm not sure what the band will do with it. It may be sold on iTunes as a
music video.
Or perhaps they'll do something cool with it, the way NIN has been giving fans
downloads directly off their website.
Greg's editor is working on very advanced software, he's literally able to drop
a photo in exactly the right place to match the beat and energy of the songs
(guitar strum, cymbal crash, etc.)
"Serj dancing. Daron screaming. Shavo clowning. John pounding. And tens of
thousands of fans, going crazy watching it all..." Greg says
FOREST Demo
"Last year, we made a demo, just cutting a few photos to a 20 second
piece of "Old School Hollywood"." I've uploaded it on YouTube to get people's
reaction to it. But trust me, the final edit will be much more", "
interesting and energetic than this test:
When can we see the final project?
- The finished project will debut at my gallery exhibit in Hollywood, May 7th,
2009.
And here's an exclusive photograph for SOADFans: a picture of the band's last
tour in 2006
set list...
Greg Watermann will be doing his first-ever gallery exhibit in
Hollywood on May 7th 2009. It will cover his entire 22-year career as a
photographer.
Everything from Julia Roberts (1987 - before she was in the
movies) - to System Of A Down's last concert. Also included:
Linkin Park, Mudvayne, Coldplay, Kings Of Leon, Flyleaf, etc.
On opening night, he will also be debuting the secret project 'FOREST' he has
been working on for SOAD for over a year.
Look, System's said, ever since the hiatus started, that they were only temporarily stopping their System-ness to do side projects, right? Sooo.... This was their plan, even back then; to make System music in ways like this, to keep us "company" (So to speak) while they work on what they desperately needed: side music.
Dont you see? Greg says that he's been working on this project for over a year FOR System. Did you catch that, he's doing this for System! System told him to do this, and then went on hiatus. See, they WERE trying to keep us entertained with side projects AND System sounds at the same time. It just took longer than expected, a year. But the wait is almost over.
System are geniuses!
Personally, I hope that this mash is a music video. Not a download, I wanna see System on MTV again, even though I hate MTV.
Do you guys understand my point of view? That's just what I think. Plus Im a little high right now, so Im thinking a lot differently than usual. I feel like Ive discovered something serious here, and not that shitty SOB song (no offense, just my opinion agian)
^ I don't think Greg did say that System are enforcing Greg to do this!
Greg decided to start this and then asked the guys what they thought... and then they decided that the SOAD guys can do something with it
This sounds awesome, but what I am interested in hearing is the 47 minute long mashup! Playfully Traumatized < I have never heard of that until just now!
first off, a big thank you to whoever sorted out the video from this website, proof again that this is the best fan site on the net for System. (im guessing it was Zak?? thanks)
however, im just praying....PRAYING that the quality of the visual presentation (not the audio mash up, that is sounding interesting) is better than that 20 sec thing. because, in the words of Christian Bale, that looked "fuckin amateur!!" lol. I'm sure it'll be better though like Greg said, can't wait!
