Serj Tankian is releasing his new EP through an augmented reality app.
The System of a Down frontman has announced plans for his new collection ‘Perplex Cities’ – the follow-up to 2021’s ‘Elasticity’ – as he looks to drop a new track each week via the Arloopa app.
Starting on Monday (19.09.22), Serj will release a new song with the musician “appearing in the same space as the listener-viewer to explain the music and listen along”.
In a statement, he said: “I’m always trying to create new and interesting ways to connect with people via my music.
“We made some amazing videos for the last EP ‘Elasticity’, so I wanted to try something different for ‘Perplex Cities’.
“I love the idea of appearing in the room with someone listening to my music. It’s intimate, fun, and different.”
The record will feature the songs ‘Pop Imperialism’, ‘The Race’, ‘I Spoke Up’, ‘Rumi Loves His Cares’ and ‘Forgive Me Father’.
On October 21, the EP will be released in its entirety on streaming services via the singer’s Serjical Strike label.
He teased: “[‘Perplex Cities’] is a completely different sound than what I’ve done before. “More electronic, subtle and deeper in terms of its layers of presentation musically. ‘Perplex Cities’ gives off an aura that is unique and unlike my previous releases.”
Meanwhile, the most recent System of a Down tracks – ‘Protect the Land’ and ‘Genocidal Humanoidz’ – were released in 2020, with no plans to record a new album.
He previously explained: “We still have something to give to the world, and when you put something out that actually makes an impact, you’re, like, ‘Why aren’t we doing this all the time?’
“And then I go down the rabbit hole of frustration and anger. I’m a sensitive person, so I can’t just hold this stuff in — it has to come out one way or the other.
“And it takes me a long time to deal with it and to cope with it because I also am realistic in that life is finite; you only have a certain amount of time. And here we are.”