Erwin Khachikian
Erwin Khachikian, (Armenian: Էրվին Խաչիկյան born on 1973 in Tehran, Iran) is an Armenian-American musician, singer and producer. He is a member of Serj Tankian's solo band The F.C.C. and also founder of Karmandan band, which is focused in Persian music market.
Early life
Erwin Khachikian was born in Tehran, Iran into an Armenian family in 1973. He first discovered his love for music at the age of 10. Being raised in a household surrounded by music, Erwin initially became influenced by his father’s talent on the guitar and the organ.
Erwin began his classical training at 11 years old and continued his instruction when he moved to the United States 2 years later in 1987. Throughout junior-high, high school and college, he studied music privately and in school, simultaneously attending the Grove School of Music in Los Angeles. After graduating in 1996 from Cal State University of Northridge with a BA in psychology, he began his career as a professional musician.
The Major Label Era
The past 15 years have been a blessed musical journey for Erwin. Since the mid '90's, he has been on tour and recording in the studio with various well-known artists. He is a member ofSerj Tankian’s (System of a Down) solo project called Serj Tankian and the FCC. Since August 2007, the band has toured with The Foo Fighters, Ozzy Osborne, Metallica, REM, Rage Against the Machine, and appeared on TV shows, such as Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, andCarson Daly. In 2010, they began touring and collaborating with Europe's finest and most prestigious symphony orchestras. The band has performed in sold out arenas and festivals all over the world, one of which included Germany's Rock Am Ring in front of an audience of 80,000.
From 2001 to 2006, Erwin was a member of the very promising band Slow Motion Reign. Signed with Columbia Records/Serjical Strike Records, the band released an album in 2004. During that time, Erwin had the opportunity to support and perform with artists such as Neal Schon of ‘Journey’, Cliff Hue of ‘Supertramp’ and Jerry Cantrell of ‘Alice and Chains’ andOzomatli.
Sticking To His Roots
Between the years 2001 and 2004, Erwin co-produced and arranged 2 albums ‘Neghab’and ‘Bi Sarzamin tar az bad’ for a famous Persian artist, Siavash Ghomeyshi. With the success of these albums, along with leading the band for the live performances, Erwin earned his place as a top producer and musical director in the Persian music scene. He has worked in the studio and toured within the US, Australia, Europe and the Middle East with other artists such as Andy, Mansour, Martik, Helen, to name a few. In 2010, Erwin was part of a documentary and a compilation made in Iran called ‘Gheseye Zirzamin’ about Iran's innovative and somewhat controversial underground music. In addition, Erwin’s solo project Karmandan released a full-length album in 2011. Erwin has helped Persian music make significant strides in the contemporary arena.
Currently, Erwin is producing and collaborating with Iranian-American rising star Rana Mansour on her upcoming debut album. They are also teaming up on a project called 'The Animates', which is sure to grab the attention of many once released.
The Man Behind the Mission
It is Erwin's musical versatility coupeled with his intense passion that has made him the unsurpassable musician that he is. Still going strong after many years as a professional in the business, Erwin humbly says “the most important thing is to keep balance and peace in your life while still remaining open to learning and experiencing new things.” Using this mantra as a way to find his inner peace and keep his creativity fresh and alive, Erwin will continue to be a successful and sought-out performer and producer of music. Liked and admired by many in both his professional and personal life, we definitely have much more to see and hear of Erwin Khachikian.