Author: Frangulian Shushan

Russian ambassador of OSCE Minsk group satisfied with talks in Baku
Today, Azerbaijan
May 31 2005
31 May 2005 [14:32] – Today.Az
Russian Ambassador Yuriy Merzlyakov, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair,
is satisfied with the results of OSCE Mink Group co-chairs to
the region and talks held under the peaceable resolution of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
In his exclusive interview for Trend Merzlyakov said that he had very
good impression and talks with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister were
too constrictive. “At least, we defined approximate date of the next
meeting of the Foreign Ministers with the participation of the OSCE
Minsk Group c-chairs. Now the prospects are clear,” the diplomat said.
Merzlyakov attributed the meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev, held at the initiative of Azerbaijan, as important. “Our
current tour of the region was not a traditional and usual visit,
that the co-chairs do, as it targeted meeting with the Foreign
Minister. “We are very grateful to the President, who found time to
receive the mediators after a difficult period of preparations for the
opening ceremony of the Azerbaijani section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
main export oil pipeline. We had interesting, important and makes us
hopeful for further constructive development of talks,” the Russian
Ambassador stressed.
In two days the exact date of the meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs with the Armenian Foreign Minister, Vardan Oskanian,
approximately scheduled for early June 2005, will be determined. Late
in June it is planned to hold a meeting in the format of OSCE Minsk
co-chairs and Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers. Besides,
the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs are planning to pay a visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict region.
URL:

VENICE COMMISSION: THE DRAFT ARMENIAN CONSTITUTION NEEDS DRASTIC CHANGES
STRASBOURG, MAY 30. ARMINFO. The Council of Europe’s Commission for
Democracy through Law (“Venice Commission”) has assessed the draft
constitutional amendments, as adopted by the Armenian National Assembly
in a first reading on 11 May 2005.
The CE press service reports that the members of the Venice
Commission’s Working Group on constitutional reform in Armenia
expressed their deep dissatisfaction with this text, as most of the
Commission’s comments (*) have not been taken into consideration,
notably those concerning the balance of powers between the President
and the Parliament – which implies a stronger role of the National
Assembly -, the independence of the judiciary and the election of
the Mayor of Yerevan (instead of his/her appointment by the President).
“The draft constitutional amendments need to be drastically revised
before they undergo the second reading” said Kaarlo Tuori, member
of the Venice Commission in respect of Finland. The members of the
Working Group also stated that if the text does not fully reflect the
Venice Commission’s opinions, the whole constitutional reform process
would fail to bring Armenia closer to European values and attain the
aim of further European integration.
Representatives of the Working Group will visit Armenia on 2 June to
discuss these issues with the Armenian authorities.

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES CHAIRPERSONS OF TURKISH
ATATURK INSTITUTION AND RESEARCH CENTER
[May 30, 2005, 20:38:37]
Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
May 30 2005
President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev on 30 May received
Chairman of the Turkish Ataturk Higher Institution for Culture,
Language and History professor Sadig Kamal Tural and Chairman of the
Ataturk Research Center professor Mehmet Saray.
Head of the Azerbaijan State highly assessed the II International
Symposium on the topic ‘Armenian Claims And Azerbaijan Realities’
held in Baku. Noting that for tens of years the states of Azerbaijan
and Turkey have been facing political and ideological provocations
and groundless claims of the Armenians, President Ilham Aliyev said
only by strengthening of cooperation relations, we could prevent
the Armenian propaganda with centuries-old insidious experience and
malicious enmity against the Turks and assure the world community in
our fair cause. President of Azerbaijan expressed confidence that the
Symposium, by attracting the Armenian-Turkish relations to objective
researches would make weighty contributions to opening of the true
essence of these relations, at the same time, reach a turning point
in bringing towards the world community the scientific-historical
reality on the so-called Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
and the “Armenian genocide”.
Underlining necessity of similar actions in wider space, President
Ilham Aliyev said he always paid great attention to these matters
during his activity in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe and in further international arrangements, what he does at
the present. Head of the Azerbaijan State reiterated that this is
the fair cause and needs to be propagandized in broader space.
Speaking of creation of the Ataturk Center by the nationwide leader
of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev professor Mehmet Saray said the great
leader paid special attention to dissemination and propaganda
of the realities on Azerbaijan and the entire Turkic world on the
international arena. Noting that Ataturk and Heydar Aliyev have huge
contributions before the Turkic world, the guest emphasized necessity
of propaganda of their ideas, and reminded saying by Heydar Aliyev
“one nation, two states” which brings closer the two countries.
Mehmet Saray said currently President Ilham Aliyev successfully
continues this policy, makes tremendous efforts during his foreign
visits to bring the truth on Azerbaijan and Turkic world to the world
community, which arouse deep interest in the Turkic countries.
Professor Sadig Kamal Tural stressed high activity of the Ataturk
Center in Baku created on initiative of the great leader Heydar
Aliyev, and with pleasure noted its contributions to the Turkish
speaking nations. He said Heydar Aliyev paid constant attention to
strengthening of links with the Ataturk Research Center and other
structures, positive results of which are available in relations of the
fraternal countries. He expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev
for nice conditions created to widen the links in this direction.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
May 30 2005
AZERBAIJANIS CREATES “TURKEL” FUND IN KYRGYZSTAN
[May 30, 2005, 14:31:02]
As reported AzerTAj’s own correspondent, Azerbaijanis living in
Kyrgyzstan have created the Public Fund ‘Turkel” with participation
of 25 delegates from various regions of this country.
A conference which was held in capital Bishkek has elected Mrs.
Hokuma Khalilova as the Fund’s president. The Fund is planning
to publish newspaper and to gather all our compatriots around the
national ideas.
Fund’s President Hokuma Khalilova said the newly establishing
organization will propagandize Azerbaijan literature, culture,
history, art and traditions in Kyrgyzstan. There are unbiased
reports on Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh will
be disseminating in a local mass media too.

MEPs: Greek Cypriot entry was a mistake
Monday, May 30, 2005
DIPLOMACY
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News
A European parliamentary delegation led by Joost Lagendijk,
co-chairperson of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission, said
the European Union made a “mistake” by accepting the Greek Cypriots
in May of last year for membership as representing the entire island
without having first reached a resolution on the Cyprus dispute.
The delegation, in an internal report written following talks on
both the Turkish and Greek sides of the divided island in April,
said Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos has been engaged in
politics that do not aim to reach a resolution to the Cyprus dispute
but instead which are intended to pressure Turkey into recognizing
the Greek Cypriot government, using EU membership as a tool.
“The EU, by keeping the promises it once gave the Turkish Cypriots,
should rescue this [Turkish] part of the island from isolation,” the
report signed by Lagendijk said, at the same time urging the bloc to
abandon policies encouraging the Greek Cypriots.
Giving Turkish Cypriot students opportunities in EU education
programs and the participation of Turkish Cypriot parliamentarians
in European Parliament sessions under the status of “observer” are
among suggestions of the delegation to the EU.

NA GROUPS AND FACTIONS ESTIMATE PARLIAMENT’S TWO-YEAR ACTIVITY
YEREVAN, MAY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. “In legislative respect I estimate
parliament’s activity very positively as we have no promise or project
we haven’t fulfilled. In political respect I estimate parliament’s
activity negatively,” Galust Sahakian, Head of the NA RPA faction,
declared during the May 27 press briefing while summarizing the
results of the spring session and parliament’s 2-year activity. In
case of giving marks by a 5-point scale, the MP, who is a pedagogue by
speciality, on the whole, would give a “satisfactory” mark to
parliament’s activity. Levon Mkrtchian, Head of the ARF faction, would
estimate parliament’s activity as “satisfactory” as the parliament has
fulfilled its functions, in essence, providing the legislative field,
but the opposition’s boycott had a great impact on the parliament also
influencing the quality of adopted documents and general atmosphere.
Samvel Balasanian, Head of the Orinats Yerkir (Country of Law)
faction, would give a “good” mark to parliament’s activity. If party
Chairman Artur Baghdasarian weren’t NA Speaker, the MP might even give
an “excellent” mark. According to him, he would like the parliament’s
activity to be not 30% but much higher. Rafik Petrosian, member of the
National Deputy MP group, RPA member, would give a mark of “3.5”
points to parliament’s activity. 1.5 points lacking for an “excellent”
mark refer to the fact that not all MPs are engaged in legislative
activity, including the opposition that have been boycotting
parliament’s work for nearly 1.5 years, and the burden of fulfilling
their obligations also falls on nearly 30% of MPs carrying out
legislative activity. In the opinion of Viktor Dallakian, Secretary of
the Ardarutiun (Justice) faction, he could give an “excellent” mark to
MP Arshak Sadoyan and “satisfactory” to the rest of MPs, modestly
including himself, too.

Pan Armenian News
ROBERT KOCHARIAN DECORATED CHARLES AZNAVOUR WITH ORDER OF FATHERLAND
27.05.2005 03:41
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with famous
singer Charles Aznavour, RA President’s Press Service reported. Robert
Kocharian decorated the singer with the Order of Fatherland, the Supreme
Order of the Republic of Armenia. At that the President noted that this
order once again proves the great love and gratitude of the Armenian people.
In his turn Charles Aznavour handed to the Armenian leader a hand-written
book which he purchased at an auction. During the meeting the parties
discussed the progress of the republic, the Armenia-Diaspora ties and some
cultural issues. Charles Aznavour pointed out to the changes that took place
in Yerevan while Robert Kocharian expressed hope that our outstanding
compatriot will enjoy the May festivities and the visits to the places of
interest.

Frankfurter Rundschau
24. Mai 2005
Die weiße Revolution ;
Professor Garabed Antranikian fahndet nach Extremorganismen, die die
industrielle Produktion umweltfreundlich machen
VON JOACHIM WILLE
Es kocht. Es brodelt. Es stinkt. Garabed Antranikian ist in seinem
Element. Der Hamburger Professor kauert am Ufer einer heißen Quelle,
hoch oben in den Bergen der größten Azoren-Insel São Miguel.
Vorsichtig taucht der Wissenschaftler seine Schöpfkelle in das
infernalische Gebräu.
“Man muss schon aufpassen”, sagt er. Die heißen Schwefeldämpfe, die
hier aufsteigen, können einem den Atem nehmen, die Sinne rauben. Ihm
ist es einmal passiert. Beinahe wäre er in der kochend heißen Brühe
gelandet. Die Folgen – lieber nicht dran denken. Trotzdem zieht es
Antranikian immer wieder an solch unwirtliche Orte auf der Erde,
egal, ob heiße Quellen, schweflige Vulkane, salzige Seen, versauerte
Felder. “Ich muss mitkriegen”, sagt er, “wie es da ist.”
Der Hamburger Mikrobioge Antranikian liebt die Extreme. Genauer: die,
die die Extreme lieben, die “Extremophilen”. Das sind
Kleinstlebewesen, die sich darauf spezialisiert haben, in den
unwirtlichsten Umgebungen zu überleben. Bakterien, die bei minus fünf
Grad Celsius gedeihen oder bei plus 103, Bakterien, die es in heißer
Säure aushalten, Bakterien, die sich bei 1000 bar Druck erst so
richtig wohlfühlen.
Doch nicht pure Lust am Wissen, Erforschen, Zurückdrängen des
Unbekannten treibt den Professor um, sondern das Ziel, eine veritable
neue industrielle Revolution anzustoßen. Umweltfreundlich, nachhaltig
und am besten auch noch billiger sollen Produktion und Produkte
werden – durch “weiße Biotechnologie”. Das Potenzial als biologische
Katalysatoren, das in den zwei Mikrometer kleinen Spezialisten aus
den extremen ökologischen Nischen der Erde steckt, scheint riesig.
Dazu nimmt man schon einmal etwas Kraxelei in Kauf.
Von der Straße geht es eine halbe Stunde über schmale Pfade hinauf zu
den heißen Quellen. Einen Expeditionskoffer haben Antranikian und
sein Team immer dabei. Die Proben aus dem brodelnden Wasser füllen
sie in vorher sterilisierte Flaschen ab, dann geht es mit der
unscheinbaren, doch potentiell wertvolle Kollektion wieder hinunter
zum Auto. “Auf São Miguel sind die Bedingungen gut”, erläutert der
Professor. Dort hat die Universität von Acores ein Biotechnik-Labor.
Hier können die Wissenschaftler ihre Proben ohne Verzögerung
untersuchen. Sie isolieren die Mikroorganismen und machen sie
“transportfähig”. Ziel der sich anschließenden Flugreise: ein
Eisschrank im Institut für Technische Mikrobiologie an der TU
Hamburg-Harburg. “Minus 80 Grad” steht an dem weißen Kasten. “Das
ist”, sagt Antranikian, “unsere Schatzkammer.”
Zwei der Kälteboxen stehen bereits im Labor. Vier weitere sollen
hinzukommen, eine davon wird die Mikroorganismen sogar bei Minus 150
Grad frisch halten. Ziel der frostigen Aufrüstung: In dem Institut
entsteht die weltweit größte Genbank von “Biokatalysatoren”.
Antranikian und sein 20-köpfiges Team wollen künftig auf Anfrage von
Unternehmen in kürzester Zeit geeignete Hilfsstoffe für die
Produktion, die so genannten Enzyme, bereitstellen können. Die
aufwendigen Expeditionen wie die auf die Azoren, aber auch in die
Tiefsee vor Japan oder in den Eiskeller der Arktis sind dann nicht
mehr nötig. “Wir tauen die Proben auf, und schon sind die
Mikroorganismen wieder putzmunter”, sagt Antranikians Mitarbeiter
Ralf Grote. Er lacht: “Dann quälen wir sie.” Nämlich, um ihnen ihr
Geheimnis zu entlocken.
Warum die Hamburger Forscher den Aufwand treiben? Die weiße
Biotechnologie gilt als große Hoffnung für den integrierten
Umweltschutz, der bereits in der industriellen Produktion ansetzt und
ökologische Probleme von Anfang an vermeidet. Nachgeschaltete
Schadstoff-Filter werden unnötig, und die Produktion läuft abfallarm
und mit niedrigerem Energieaufwand. Enzyme sind natürliche
Eiweißmoleküle, die chemische Reaktionen beschleunigen und so
Stoffumwandlungen ermöglichen, die sonst nur langsam oder überhaupt
nicht ablaufen. “Sie arbeiten besonders zielgenau”, sagt Antranikian,
“das ist ihr Vorteil.” Besonders vielversprechend, das zeichnet sich
ab, sind sie in der Produktion von Arzneimittelvorstufen, Vitaminen,
Feinchemikalien, Textilien, Papier und Futtermitteln.
Biokraft in der Waschmaschine
Schon heute lässt sich leicht illustrieren, welche Vorteile der
Umstieg von der klassischen Chemie auf biotechnische Verfahren
bringt. “Schauen Sie sich die modernen Waschmittel an”, sagt
Antranikian. “Haben die gleiche Waschleistung bei 40 statt bei 60
Grad, und man braucht weniger Pulver.” Der Clou: Sie arbeiten mit
Enzymen, die aus Bakterien isoliert und dann gentechnisch vermehrt
wurden. Die Energiebilanz lässt sich sehen. Möglicher Einspareffekt
in Deutschland allein durch den Dreh am Temperaturknopf: 1,3
Millionen Tonnen des Treibhausgases Kohlendioxid (CO2).
Oder ein Beispiel aus der Textilindustrie: Durch den Einsatz des
Enzyms Katalase beim Färben von Baumwolle kann der Wasserverbrauch
pro Tonne Textilien um 19 000 Liter verringert werden: Zudem werden
500 Kilowattstunden Strom eingespart. Antranikian verweist gerne
darauf, dass nicht nur kleine Pionierfirmen, sondern auch
Großkonzerne wie die BASF bereits “angebissen” haben. Der
Ludwigshafener Multi, berichtet er, hat den traditionellen,
achtstufigen Prozess zur Herstellung von Vitamin B2 durch einen
einstufigen biotechnischen ersetzt. Ergebnis: Produktionskosten
gesenkt und 60 Prozent weniger CO2.
Doch kein solcher Erfolg ohne besagte “Qual”. Der Institutschef, im
vergangenen Herbst für seine Pionierarbeiten mit dem begehrten Preis
der Deutschen Bundesstiftung Umwelt ausgezeichnet, führt gerne durch
das “Folter-Labor” im Erdgeschoss des modernen Institutsgebäudes. Um
heraus zu bekommen, welche in den Industrieprozessen nutzbare
Eigenschaften die Mikroorganismen haben, werden sie in Nährlösung
vermehrt, auf viele Glasfläschchen verteilt und nach allen Regeln der
Wissenschaft durchgecheckt: Man setzt sie Ultraschall, hohem Druck,
großer Hitze aus. Man testet, ob sie saure, basische, salzige,
schweflige Milieus tolerieren. Sie werden gerührt, geschüttelt,
gereinigt, mit dem Gas-Chromatographen untersucht.
Um später im industriellen Maßstab mit Biokatalysatoren arbeiten zu
können, sind die Bakterien in ihrer ursprünglichen Form allerdings
nicht geeignet. “Die Extremophilen vermehren sich zu langsam”, sagt
Antranikian. Hier beginnt der eigentliche gentechnische Teil der
Arbeit. Die Erbgut-Sequenzen geeigneter Mikroorganismen, die für den
Job als “Biokatalysator” zuständig sind, werden herausgeschnitten und
in einen “Wirtsstamm” eingefügt. Das Bakterium Escherichia coli zum
Beispiel, das sich sehr leicht vermehren lässt und auch in vielen
anderen Gentech-Produktionen wie der Insulin-Gewinnung benutzt wird.
“Erst so können die nötigen Mengen der Enzyme gewonnen werden”,
erläutert der Professor. Im Hamburger Institut allerdings werden nur
einfache gentechnische Verfahren benutzt. Dass die Versuche kaum
einschlägige Risiken mit sich bringen, kann man daran ablesen, dass
es ein Sicherheitslabor der untersten Stufe “S 1” ist. Nach einer
kurzen Unterweisung kann jeder es betreten.
Antranikian kommt ins Schwärmen. Im Flur des Labors hängen
Wandtafeln, die illustrieren, was seine winzigen, extremen Freunde
auch noch so alles können werden, wenn man nur die richtigen findet.
Erdöl-verseuchte Anlagen dekontaminieren, Wolle so glätten, dass sie
nicht mehr kratzt, Holz und andere nachwachsende Rohstoffe
enzymatisch so aufspalten, dass sie fast alle Grundmaterialien für
die Chemie und Treibstoffe liefern.
Ungenutzte Bio-Abfälle
Stichworte: Bio-Kunststoffe und Bioalkohol. Nach Antranikians
Berechnungen würden bereits die ungenutzten Biomasse-Abfälle in
Forst- und Landwirtschaft ausreichen, um daraus 40 Prozent der heute
produzierten Chemikalien herzustellen. Allerdings: “Vom Himmel fällt
das nicht”, sagt der Professor. Mehr Forschung sei notwendig, vor
allem: “Wir müssen mit unseren Alternativen mindestens so billig sein
wie die herkömmliche Produktion. Sonst stellt niemand um.” Ein wenig
sehnsüchtig schaut Antranikian in die USA, wo die weiße
Biotechnologie mit über 100 Millionen Dollar jährlich gefördert wird.
Und klagt: “Davon sind wir weit entfernt.”
Immerhin scheint die Politik in Berlin inzwischen aufmerksam zu
werden. Wirtschafsminister Wolfgang Clement (SPD) brach jüngst eine
Lanze für das “wichtige Handlungsfeld für eine nachhaltige
Wirtschaftspolitik”. Und sogar die Gentechnik-kritischen Grünen
sprechen sich für die “weiße” Variante aus. “Da war ich platt, wie
offen die dafür sind”, sagt Antranikian.
Doch selbst wenn einmal alle Forscherwünsche in Erfüllung gingen – in
der Arktis würde er selbst niemals nach Extremophilen fahnden: “Da
ist es mir zu kalt.”
Beherrscher der extremen Mikroben~ Professor Garabed Antranikian ist
armenischer Abstammung. Er wurde 1951 in der jordanischen Hauptstadt
Amman geboren, ging in Jerusalem zur Priesterschule und studierte in
den 70er Jahren Biologie an der renommierten amerikanischen
Universität in Beirut. Seinen Plan, die akademische Laufbahn danach
in den USA fortzusetzen, scheiterte an den Wirren in dem damaligen
Bürgerkriegsland. Der Weg zur US-Botschaft in Beirut, bei der er eine
Aufenthaltsgenehmigung beantragen wollte, war zu gefährlich. Die
deutsche Botschaft lag günstiger, und so kam Antranikian an die
Universität in Göttingen. Er promovierte dort 1980 am Institut für
Mikrobiologie und Genetik. 1989 wurde er Professor für Mikrobiologie
an der Technischen Hochschule Hamburg-Harburg. Seit 2003 leitet er
das neu eingerichtete Institut für technische Mikrobiologie, das
stark mit der Industrie zusammenarbeitet. Professor Antranikian ist
Inhaber von mehr als 100 Patenten. jw

Pan Armenian News
NATO DEVELOPS COOPERATION WITH SOUTH CAUCASIAN AND CENTRAL ASIAN PARTNERS
24.05.2005 05:40
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The NATO intensifies relations with partners in the South
Caucasus and Central Asia, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
stated today. In his words, the NATO has `to view some regions from a joint
trans-Atlantic point of view.’ `It is justified in case of the Caucasus,
Central Asia and the Near East,’ the NATO Sec. Gen. added. `The search for
ways of influence upon positive developments in these region should have the
nature of joint trans-Atlantic efforts, otherwise chances for success are
little,’ he added. He also noted, `we use the NATO to stimulate the
trans-Atlantic approach in question.’

Los Angeles Times
May 22, 2005 Sunday
Home Edition
POP MUSIC;
System’s creative overload;
Sold-out theaters. An oddly functional partnership. A double dose of
new music. These guys certainly proved the industry wrong.
by Richard Cromelin, Times Staff Writer
System OF A DOWN’S singer Serj Tankian and guitarist Daron Malakian
are as oddly matched as the components of their band’s epically
disjointed music.
With his Rasputin look and guru’s serenity, Tankian sits on
a dressing-room couch backstage at the Gibson Amphitheatre and
contributes concise observations and epigrams (“The future doesn’t
exist, my friend — we’re making it right now”) to the interview.
Malakian, eight years younger at 29, is a prototype rock dude with
a sensitive streak, and he seems full of nervous energy as he sits
beside his bandmate, talking in rushes punctuated by loud laughs.
“Daron is a true artist,” says Rick Rubin, who has produced or
co-produced all four of System’s albums, including the new “Mezmerize,”
for his American Recordings label. “He doesn’t really live in the
world. He lives in a bubble and the bubble is filled with music. All
he does is listen to music and play music all day every day. He’s got
no interests or hobbies or social life or any of those things…. I’m
not saying it’s healthy, but it makes for good music.”
That’s a matter of taste, of course, but even critics who generally
avoid the harder stuff have developed a soft spot for the Los Angeles
band’s unlikely, unpredictable juxtapositions of heavy rock riffing
and mock-operatic declamation. By turns surreal, absurd and pointedly
political, System’s music is what you might get if the Marx Brothers
took possession of Metallica and hired Frank Zappa as arranger.
As unconventional as it is, it has also become extremely popular. An
hour after the interview, Tankian and Malakian join drummer John
Dolmayan and bassist Shavo Odadjian in front of a full house at
the 6,000-seat amphitheater for their annual “Souls” concert, which
commemorates the Armenian genocide of the early 1900s.
When the band takes the stage and launches into its new radio hit
“B.Y.O.B.,” the audience explodes in greeting. These fans have been
waiting a long time since System’s last formal album, “Toxicity,”
came out in 2001.
Sparked by the hit singles “Chop Suey,” “Toxicity” and “Aerials,”
the album sold 3.5 million copies in the U.S. and established System
as a genre unto itself, with one foot in a form of heavy art-rock
and the other in traditional headbanging. So anticipation was at a
high pitch for its return to concerts and for last week’s release of
“Mezmerize,” which is expected to contend for the No. 1 position on
the national sales chart.
*
Creative chemistry altered
It looks like business as usual for System of a Down, but behind
the statistics and below the surface, internal balances have shifted
significantly, and creative ambitions have risen.
“If you go back to the first discussion [the band] ever had about this
record, maybe years ago,” says Malakian, “it was about stretching it,
about not repeating ourselves, trying to do other things.”
As potent and provocative as the new album is, it’s only half the
story. As they recorded, they found themselves juggling too many songs
for one CD, and rather than release a double-disc set or two separate
albums at the same time, they assembled “Mezmerize” for release now and
set aside a second full album, “Hypnotize,” to come out in the fall.
And the album reflects an altered creative chemistry. Malakian has
always been the primary musical force, writing most of the music and
co-producing with Rubin, but on “Mezmerize” he asserts a much more
prominent presence as lyricist and singer.
“I was a little nervous at first because I felt that I needed to sing a
little bit more on these songs, but I wasn’t sure how that would affect
the band’s sound,” says Malakian. “Till now Serj’s voice has been the
main voice of System, and now I’m coming in a little bit more…. You
know, you try things, you’re not sure how they’re gonna come out.”
Adds Tankian, “People look at us, they look at MTV or whatever, ‘This
guy does this, this guy does this.’ None of us are that isolated. We
do a lot of different things…. I think it’s good for people to see
that and not have us in our little walls.”
“There’s an interesting balance in the band,” notes Rubin, “because
most of the musical ideas start with Daron, but then Serj brings a
kind of poet’s mentality to it. It’s that combination that really
pushes the envelope and makes it so extreme.”
The devilishly complex single “B.Y.O.B.,” a montage of desert-warfare
images that hammers the insistent questions “Why don’t presidents
fight the war? Why do they always send the poor?” exemplifies that
byplay, with Malakian’s metal riffs and catchy chorus integrated
with his partner’s edgier collection of shrieks and “la la la la la”
interjections.
“Mezmerize” packs plenty of System’s familiar visceral punch and
jerky, eccentric cadences, with a cleaner sound and even faster tempos
elevating the sheer thrill of the musical chase.
But the album introduces other new elements. Synthesizers and Vocorder
form the setting for “Old School Hollywood,” a quirky account of
Malakian’s day at a celebrity baseball game at Dodger Stadium. “Lost
in Hollywood” is an emotive ballad in a David Bowie vein. And there
are tight vocal harmonies that inspired them to joke in the studio
that they were the black-metal version of Simon & Garfunkel.
In “Violent Pornography,” Malakian recoils from the images offered by
contemporary media; in the soaring, sorrowful chorus of “Sad Statue,”
he imagines the Statue of Liberty weeping over the polarization of
U.S. society.
“I find it to be the tone of the times, when you’ve got red and blue
[states],” he says. “The Statue of Liberty stands there and is for
freedom for all and unity and liberty and all the things that we’re
proud of in America, and it’s crying — it’s kind of a picture you
paint, looking out to modern-day America.”
Not everything is so clear, though.
“I don’t know, man, just a lot of crazed stuff’s going on personally
and in the world, and it’s a reflection of that…. A lot of these
songs I’m still figuring out. What they came from, what they’re
about…. To me, they all have something personal intertwined with
something bigger than just personal, this big social thing….
“People see it as political a little too much, in my opinion. I don’t
think it’s politics that we’re going for. I think it’s more raising
questions — questions that I think people need to ask themselves
before they make big decisions on anything in life, whether it’s
politics or religion or raising their kids, I think they should raise
questions that aren’t asked by the television necessarily.”
*
Compromise-free zone
In the patio area backstage before the concert, the four band members
circulate through a crowd of friends and relatives. The scene is
more family reunion than rock-show party, and it’s a reminder of the
close-knit community that nurtured the musicians
Tankian, Malakian and Odadjian all attended the same private Armenian
school in Hollywood, and the singer and the guitarist later teamed up
in a band called Soil. When Odadjian became the bassist, System of a
Down began its long march in 1995. Dolmayan joined as drummer in 1996.
When the band started playing local clubs it attracted an audience,
but not much encouragement from the music industry. “Don’t scream,
kid, you’re never gonna get signed,” says Tankian with a smile,
recalling unwanted advice from record company people.
Tankian kept screaming and the band kept touring and expanding
its audience. Rubin signed them in 1997, and their fans’ requests
finally forced the single “Sugar” onto the radio. Now they’ve sold 10
million albums worldwide, and in a hard-rock genre that’s struggling
commercially and creatively, they are, in Rubin’s words, “the only
heavy band that matters.”
Most important to the musicians, they’ve done it without making
any compromises.
“We’re not catering to anybody but ourselves,” says Malakian. “All that
makes our success beautiful, because we’ve had so many people say we
can’t make it, whether it’s because of our culture, our looks…. I
can’t tell you how many different things they’ve told us aren’t gonna
work with System of a Down, and the fact that we can be successful
and not be made by a machine is a big deal for us.”
GRAPHIC: PHOTO: THEY WERE WRONG: Tankian says the typical advice from
record company people was, “Don’t scream, kid, you’re never gonna
get signed.” PHOTOGRAPHER: Gina Ferazzi Los Angeles Times PHOTO:
UNPREDICTABLE: The surreal, political alt-metal of System of a Down
comes from Shavo Odadjian, left, Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian and
John Dolmayan. PHOTOGRAPHER: Gina Ferazzi Los Angeles Times