Serj Tankian’s five song EP Perplex Cities was released Oct 21st on Serjical Strike. This is the System of a Down’s singer follow up to his 2021 solo EP Elasticity. Serj, as usual, is not afraid to venture into new musical landscapes and every song on this EP has a unique vibe and story.

As Serj explains it, “This whole collection of songs within Perplex Cities is a completely different sound than what I’ve done before. More electronic, subtle and deeper in terms of its layer of presentation musically.”

Tankian has always been a trailblazing artist and he provides his fans with an immersive experience releasing his songs on the Arloopa app. While listening to the songs, you get an Augmented Reality Serj describing the inspiration behind each song.

The two stand out tracks for me are “The Race” and “Rumi Loves His Cars.” “The Race” gives off Radiohead elements with electronic beats, floating guitars and ethereal vocals. Serj explains this song inspired the release of the project. He doesn’t go into explaining the lyrical content because he wants the listener to gather their own interpretations.

The inspiration behind “Rumi Loves His Cars” is Serj’s son Rumi and his love for cars. The beautiful song is an ode to enjoying fatherhood as an artist and  songwriter and looking at life through the eyes of a toddler.

Perplex Cities takes listeners on a thought provoking and intimate musical adventure. The use of AR Serj sitting with you while you listen as he explains the background of the songs is a revealing experience that makes this EP even more uniquely engaging.

I’m Music Magazine Writer Meesha Walden