Serj Tankian and Brendan Angelides Drop an Experimental Electronic Cover of David Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans"

Composer Brendan Angelides has teamed up with System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian for a fresh take on David Bowie’s classic track“I’m Afraid of Americans”. The cover is an experimental electronic reimagining that trades the original’s industrial rock energy for something quieter and eerier. Tankian delivers the lyrics in a hushed almost secretive vocal style that completely changes the emotional weight of the song.

The track is the latest preview from Angelides’upcoming album“Can You Feel the End Begin?”which drops on August 14th. If his name sounds familiar it might be because he scored major TV shows like“Billions”and“13 Reasons Why”as well as the video game“Assassin’s Creed Mirage”. The music video uses motion capture technology to animate childhood photos of both artists creating a surreal visual experience that matches the song’s unsettling mood.

Angelides noted that Bowie and Brian Eno wrote the song thirty years ago saying“unfortunately it’s still accurate”. That kind of honesty makes this cover feel less like a tribute and more like a continuation of a conversation. What do you think about artists reimagining classic songs for a new generation? Drop your thoughts in the comments.