Samuum

Name, where are you from?
My name is Lusine, and I was born in post-war Yerevan, Armenia. Now I live in LA, sunbathing.

Describe your style in three words?
Boots, Jacket, Shemagh.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Crazy live set by Young Fathers in Kiev. It was the first time I realised that people don't necessarily need instruments to make music. They can be the music themselves. I lost myself during their performance of 'Get Up'. Don't remember anything, total blackout. Maybe I travelled to Mars earlier than 'Space X' at that moment.

If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history?
First is Ella Fitzgerald because of her hairstyle, retro-mics and endlessly bleeding soul that you can hear in every sound she makes. Second is Serj Tankian. 'Aerials' by System Of A Down is the anthem of my life.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
Definitely rap. When I was 11 years old I had been hiding a CD of K-Maro from my mom: she thought I'd get into trouble because of that music and run away with a criminal one day. My bandmates were raised on punk like Ramones and noisy stuff such as NiN, Mars Volta and Fugazi. Weirdos.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian. I would love to look into his eyes for 55 minutes trying to figure out how he came up with the idea of 'Sabre Dance'. Last 5 minutes I would spend asking him if he really saw Salvador Dali naked riding a broom, as the rumours say.

Of all the venues you’ve been to or played, which is your favourite?
When I was 16 I got the feeling that I needed to keep my grandma's voice somehow. So I just took her to my godfather's studio and we recorded an Armenian song called 'Dle Yaman' together. I get Glastonbury Main Stage-size goosebumps every time I relisten to that rec.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Jozef Van Wissem. F*cking deepest current balladist. It's still not too late for us to start loving him harder. He got older, partly lost his hair but he's alive and seems ready for additional fame.

Based in LA, American-Armenian art-rap collective Samuum challenges the societal norms of Middle Eastern culture with their music and creative concept. 

Samuum’s self-titled album, scheduled to be out in Spring 2021 is to be a mix of Armenian ethno-EDM, punk and hip-hop.