Sard — Im Yerevan
One of last week’s more pleasant experiences was receiving an ICQ message from Alexander Aslizadyan (Sasha), bassist and founding member of the young but promising local rock band, Sard. Sasha is studying graphic design in Russia and England, so ICQ has been a good way to touch base from time to time, especially about another band he’s close to — the Russian-Armenian Deti Picasso. However, last week’s conversation was a little different.
[20:08] sard: hey onik
how are you?
[20:08] Oneworld Multimedia: fine, thanks. you?
[20:08] sard: I’m just great
in Yerevan
[20:09] Oneworld Multimedia: vay… tsavet danem…
[20:09] sard: and you are in armenia now?
[20:10] Oneworld Multimedia: sure.
[20:10] Oneworld Multimedia: actually, i’m about to shoot off to The Club now if you have nothing planned tonight.
[20:12] sard: hm I have a meeting arranged but I’ll would like to see you to so do you have the same mobile number?
[20:12] Oneworld Multimedia: yeah, i do.
[20:13] sard: OK great so I’ll call you and if it will be posible I’ll join you laiter if not I hope will be able to arrange a meeting another day
Anyways, I met up with Sasha and Sard’s drummer on Thursday and I heard a few of the band’s new tracks on his iPod. Not bad, and I always rated the band as one to look out for in the future since seeing the video for the catchy Zabaikalsky Rap on Yerkir Media TV. One of the new songs has been in the works for some time. In fact, Sasha mentioned Im Yerevan when I interviewed him in December 2004 as part of my ongoing work on the rock scene in Armenia.
When we started writing the music and lyrics for the new album we wanted to make it a kind of Armenian tale but now, something has changed. It will be more about modern Armenian life but to be honest I don’t know what will eventually be.
We’ve got a couple of songs together already and one is called “Im Yerevan” and I think it’s a song for people who live outside of Armenia. There is an acoustic version recorded which I’ve played to [Armenian] friends in Moscow. They said it was a song about them.
Unfortunately, because their guitarist is now doing his military service — apparently becoming somewhat of a hero for catching an Azeri soldier — and Sasha is splitting his time between Russia and England, it’s going to be some time until a new album materializes. In fact, he was talking about years rather than months which is a pity. There is meant to be some new recording at the MDP Studio in a month, however.
My interview with Sasha from 2004 is here, and Sard has a web site at http://arminrock.am/sard/, while Alexander Aslizadyan’s personal web site is at http://sard.ru/. Im Yerevan can be downloaded along with a few other tracks from their live-in-studio album here.
BTW: It’s a nice track to have on my iPod while walking around town. Download it and give it a listen.
There’s also a Sard MySpace page here.
Comment by Onnik — July 30, 2006 @ 3:48 pm
Ok, downloaded. Music is great, I liked it immensely. But the lyrics, mainly those of the chorus, were faded. They sounded like lyrics from another simple diasporan patriotic song. “I farewell to you my Yerevan, I give you my heart, I promise you my Yerevan, that your breath will never be lost”, What is it? Is it how we sing, promise, miss, say good-bye then leave and forget about everything not caring a dime?
Anyways, couldn’t find the gist of the lyrics, though I hope it’s there. But the music is incredible, no doubt.
Comment by Zarchka — July 31, 2006 @ 2:49 am
Ha, like Sasha says it’s a song for Armenians outside Hayastan perhaps. As for the faded vocals, I daresay the song was recorded on a shoestring budget. Their first and so far only album was a live-in-studio album, for example. Still, pretty good and I daresay when the band start work again for real, we’ll be hearing great stuff from them.
One day I’ll lend you their album although it’s in Armenian, Russian and English. Their next album will be in Armenian only, unless something’s changed since my interview with Sasha. Forgot to ask him last week. Anyway, point taken about the lyrics, but that’s an Armenian thing, I guess.
Still, would be nice to hear some lyrics with a social conscience once in a while. It’s also the stuff good rock music is based on.
BTW: Totally off the topic at hand, but related to rock music at least, I managed to find an excellent DVD in Yerevan with a storming performance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers Live at Slane Castle. On the other side are some of their many videos including the excellent Give It Away as well as stuff from By The Way and Californication.
Really recommended. Great value for 3,000 AMD
Incidently, the video for Give It Away is available on YouTube. Magnificent and fun. A classic.
Comment by Onnik — July 31, 2006 @ 10:09 am