Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian Quotes

United States, Musician
April 22, 1974

Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian (Armenian: Շավարշ "Շավո" Օդաջյան; born April 22, 1974) is an Armenian-American musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music video director, and painter. He is best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and occasional songwriter of the Grammy Award-winning metal band System of a Down. During the band's hiatus from 2006 to 2010, Odadjian collaborated with Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA on a project called AcHoZeN, which contributed a number of songs to the motion picture Babylon A.D. A compilation album was released in 2015. Odadjian is also credited with the musical scoring of the film, alongside The Rza and Hans Zimmer. He originally used Gibson Thunderbird basses, a Fender Jazz Bass, an Ibanez BTB bass guitar, and a Music Man StingRay, but has since moved on to Warwick basses.

Also known as Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist, Music Director, Painter

It was all done at the same time. We sort of arranged the whole thing and cut it in half. A good example is an artist who does two canvases. He paints an abstract painting and then splits them. He shows the public the first piece and has them get used to that first piece. Then he gets the second piece and lets them get used to it, and then he puts them together and lets them see how they make sense together. So they make sense separately, but they also make sense together.

Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian Achozen
- Artist
- Example
- Abstract
He sees it totally differently. It's not because he's from there, but because it's family. He doesn't know when he's going to get that call saying something's happened to somebody.

Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian Achozen
- Saying
- Happened
- Call

This time around was different. Daron brought a song in and we had to record it the next day. I just wasn't about it and I didn't do it perfectly. It took some time, or I wanted to play it a different way and the song had not been developed yet. I had to get it. It was more work-oriented and less about a vibe and art.

Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian Achozen
- Song
- Record
- Next
We've all grown up not the same, but with very similar morals and values. We know how it is. We know not to talk about anyone's mother and sister.

Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian Achozen
- Mother
- Talk
- Morals
That's just a really catchy song, and I don't know if we want to release such a catchy song. I'd rather kinda push people's brains. I'd hate being known as the band that is recognized for that song. So I don't know. ... It's weird with our songs because it's like the weirdest song that you would never think could be a single becomes a single.

Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian Achozen
- Hate
- Band
- Known
It's a song, but it's a jam because it's without vocals, that's why I say that.

Shavarsh "Shavo" Odadjian Achozen
- Jam