System Of A Down bassist launching online community

System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian is launching a new online initiative called urSession.com , a web-based music community that also doubles as a record company. Odadjian told us how the site will give musical acts the chance to both promote their own music and get an opportunity to sign with the urSession label: [ Click to listen if you have a backstage pass] "It's the first online label to actually audition artists via audio uploads and video uploads. You know, what's big right now? Community. So I thought if urSession could be a big art district community, so then the community votes for who I sign. So after a 10-month, 11-month running of artists, whoever gets the most votes, I go over and I sign."

The urSession.com site will go live in late July or early August.

Odadjian said that the urSession label will be distributed digitally, although he has had discussions with major record companies about distribution.

Artists signing up with the urSession site will also have opportunities to promote their music independently and earn money through shared advertising revenue.

Odadjian is continuing his career as a video director, having recently helmed a new clip for legendary punk act the Bad Brains. He's also working on a side project with the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA that's called Achozen.

System Of A Down has been on hiatus since last year as its members pursue various individual projects.