Serjical Strike Records
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn American independent-minded record label founded by System of a Down vocalist Serj Tankian for eclectic and experimental music.
Last updated August 24, 2026
Overview
Serjical Strike Records is an American record label founded in April 2001 by Serj Tankian, the vocalist of System of a Down. The label was established as a vehicle for music that Tankian and his collaborators considered too unconventional, diverse, or artistically independent for the standard large-label model. Its stated ambition was to function as an arts-oriented home for a broad range of styles rather than as a narrowly defined rock imprint. The label's recorded output has been closely associated with Tankian's solo work and with a network of experimental, alternative, metal, world-music, and politically engaged artists. Its releases have included the Serart collaboration between Tankian and Armenian instrumentalist Arto Tunçboyacıyan, the Axis of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1 live album and DVD, Buckethead & Friends' Enter the Chicken, and Tankian's debut solo album Elect the Dead, which was issued through Serjical Strike in association with Reprise Records. The label has also been connected with artists and projects including Bad Acid Trip, Kittens for Christian, Slow Motion Reign, Fair to Midland, Viza, Khatchadour Tankian, the Armenian Navy Band, Death by Stereo, Mt. Helium, Ontronik Khachaturian, The Cause, Flying Cunts of Chaos, and Axis of Justice. Serjical Strike's identity rests less on a single commercial sound than on curation and artistic breadth. Its public mission described the label as an oasis for musical diversity and uniqueness, opposing formulaic commercial culture and encouraging listeners to move across genres. This positioning allowed the label to operate as a platform for projects that combined alternative rock, heavy music, Armenian and broader world-music influences, improvisation, and activist performance. The label also developed a relationship with Columbia Records during its early years, helping provide additional distribution and industry connections while retaining a distinct artistic identity. By the mid-2000s, its releases had expanded beyond conventional studio albums to include collaborative projects, live recordings, and audiovisual products. In August 2007, Serjical Strike opened a YouTube account, giving the label an additional channel for communicating with audiences and presenting its artists. Wikipedia describes Serjical Strike Records as owned by Universal Music Group and operating under Republic Records. The available public reference material does not establish a complete current artist roster, release schedule, headquarters structure, or whether the label remains actively releasing music under the same operating model. It is therefore best characterized as a Tankian-founded label with a documented historical catalog and an uncertain present status.
History
Serjical Strike Records was founded in April 2001 by Serj Tankian, best known as the lead vocalist of System of a Down. Tankian created the label to provide an outlet for music that did not fit the standardized expectations of large commercial record companies. Its founding concept emphasized imagination, artistic autonomy, and the coexistence of many musical styles under one label identity. During its first years, Serjical Strike developed a roster that reflected this broad remit. Artists and projects associated with the label included Bad Acid Trip, Kittens for Christian, Slow Motion Reign, and Fair to Midland, alongside Tankian's own solo work and collaborations. The label also maintained a relationship with Columbia Records, which helped connect its releases to a larger distribution and industry network without erasing the Serjical Strike brand's independent and experimental positioning. One of the label's notable early projects was Serart, a collaboration between Tankian and Armenian musician Arto Tunçboyacıyan. The project joined alternative and experimental rock sensibilities with Armenian and broader world-music influences, illustrating the label's preference for cross-genre work. Serjical Strike was also associated with Axis of Justice, the activist music project connected with Tankian and Tom Morello, and released Axis of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1 as a live album and DVD. In 2005, Buckethead & Friends' Enter the Chicken further extended the catalog toward experimental guitar music and collaborative heavy-rock performance. Tankian's solo career became a central part of the label's public profile. His debut solo album, Elect the Dead, was released through Serjical Strike Records in conjunction with Reprise Records. This arrangement showed how the label could serve as an artist-centered imprint while working alongside established music-company infrastructure. The associated artist list broadened over time and included Viza, Khatchadour Tankian, the Armenian Navy Band, Death by Stereo, Mt. Helium, Ontronik Khachaturian, The Cause, Flying Cunts of Chaos, and other projects. Some were identified as current artists in the historical reference material, while others were listed as former artists, indicating that the roster changed over time. The label's catalog also included or promoted additional recordings such as Bigelf's Money Machine. Serjical Strike described its mission in terms of creating a refuge for musical diversity and resisting repetitive commercial formulas. Rather than relying on a single genre designation, it presented itself as an arts label capable of housing alternative metal, experimental rock, world music, live activism-oriented performances, and other independent projects. In August 2007, it established a YouTube account, reflecting the growing importance of direct online communication for labels and artists. The available reference material identifies Universal Music Group as the label's owner and Republic Records as its operating home. It does not provide a complete chronology of corporate transactions, a definitive current roster, or enough information to establish whether Serjical Strike remains actively releasing music today. Its documented historical importance therefore lies primarily in the platform it gave Tankian's solo and collaborative work and in its attempt to combine major-label reach with a deliberately eclectic, artist-led identity.
- 2007
YouTube presence begins
[1]Serjical Strike opened its own YouTube account in August 2007.
- 2005
Expansion into collaborative and live projects
[1]The label's documented catalog included Axis of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1 and Buckethead & Friends' Enter the Chicken.
- 2001
Label founded
[1]Serj Tankian founded Serjical Strike Records in April 2001 as an outlet for imaginative, diverse, and non-mainstream music.
Products and positioning
An independent-minded arts label focused on experimental, eclectic, alternative, and non-mainstream music.
Artist catalog
Serj Tankian solo music
Serj Tankian's solo recordings form the label's best-known core catalog. His debut solo album, Elect the Dead, was released through Serjical Strike Records alongside Reprise Records, giving the artist an imprint closely tied to his own creative direction while benefiting from cooperation with a larger record company.
Collaborative album
Serart
Serart is a collaboration between Serj Tankian and Armenian musician Arto Tunçboyacıyan. The project represents the label's interest in combining alternative and experimental rock with Armenian and world-music elements, and is one of the clearest examples of Serjical Strike's cross-genre arts-label identity.
Live album and DVD
Axis of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1
This live audiovisual release documented the Axis of Justice concert project associated with Serj Tankian and activist musician Tom Morello. Its inclusion in the Serjical Strike catalog extended the label beyond conventional studio albums and connected its activities with politically engaged live performance.
Collaborative studio album · 2005
Enter the Chicken
Enter the Chicken is a 2005 release credited to Buckethead & Friends. Its association with Serjical Strike reflects the label's willingness to support experimental guitar music and multi-artist collaborations rather than limit its catalog to Tankian's own recordings.
Studio album
Bigelf — Money Machine
Money Machine by Bigelf was identified in the historical reference material among albums available through the Serjical Strike website. The listing indicates that the label's online catalog or promotional activity extended beyond its principal artist roster.
Brand decisions
2007
Add direct online audience communicationStrategyBackground
Online video platforms were becoming an important way for music labels and artists to communicate directly with listeners.
Action taken
Serjical Strike started its own YouTube account in August 2007.
Aftermath
The move gave the label an additional digital outlet, although the available source does not document the account's subsequent reach or activity.
2001
Create an artist-led alternative to standard major-label formatsStrategyBackground
Tankian established the label in response to the perceived restrictions of large-scale record-company structures and the limited space they could provide for unconventional projects.
Action taken
Serjical Strike was organized as an eclectic arts-oriented imprint intended to release music across a broad range of styles.
Aftermath
The label developed a varied catalog spanning solo recordings, experimental collaborations, alternative and heavy music, live projects, and world-music-influenced work.
Recent events
- 2007
Serjical Strike launches a YouTube account[1]
Campaign
The label began using YouTube in August 2007 as an additional online channel for its music and artist-related communication.
- 2005
Serjical Strike expands its collaborative and live-release catalog[1]
Product launch
The label's mid-2000s catalog included the Axis of Justice live album and DVD and Buckethead & Friends' Enter the Chicken, demonstrating its interest in collaborative and audiovisual releases.
- 2001
Serjical Strike Records is founded[1]
Other
Serj Tankian established the label in April 2001 to support a broad range of imaginative and unconventional musical projects outside the restrictions associated with major-label formats.
Sources1 sources
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