Vertigo - California Bungles


by Danny C, November 1999


If you haven't yet been introduced to the eclectic sounds of Mr Bungle, then here's your chance. Their hotly anticipated 3rd album titled 'California' is about to be unleashed and I tell you that it will seriously take the world by storm. So here's a bit of a history on the band that everybody will be talking about this year. Mr Bungle formed in 1985 in Eureka, California while they were still in high school. Since then, they have played with just about every musical style possible. They released 4 demos over 4 years in 1986-1989 with each being quite different from the other. Starting with a death metal/punk sound, they moved on to ska/punk, funk and then mixed these elements while adding a whole lot more on what became their debut major label self-titled album which was released in 1991. This album was a truly unique & chaotic mix of unstructured sonic mayhem that was way ahead of its time. It wasn't until 1995 that Mr Bungle followed up this masterpiece with yet another true masterpiece titled 'Disco Volante'. This was a musical concoction mixing jazz, death metal, techno, cartoon & film soundtrack music with a whole range of other experimental sounds. Again, it was completely different to the first album and just goes to show that you CANNOT pigeonhole Mr Bungle's music. It's no surprise then that 'California' sees the band taking another new direction. I recently hooked up with Trey Spruance from Mr Bungle to talk about the new album.

Tell us about the new album 'California'. Was there a lot of technology use?
The tech side of things stayed fairly "old school", meaning no Hard Disk Computer tracking. But then, the production was fairly elaborate. Pretty much the same as Disco Volante but way more insane - at times involving up to three 24-track machines at a time for as many as 64 analog tracks. It turned out great, but I have two words to sum the experience of doing it that way for you: Never Again!

It has also been said that it's more "poppy" - so what is poppy for Mr Bungle? Does that mean that there are more radio friendly tracks on there or perhaps some ballads? Are there any reasons for taking this direction?
It would have been too easy to make a Disco Volante II. It just happens that, as an unspoken rule, we go to new places with each album. California is not really that "poppy" in the modern sense - it might be OUR projected fantasy of "pop" music, as it certainly draws on recent decades of popular entertainment. It's true that the album has potential to cross into some of the tastes of the moment, but I'm not holding my breath about any radio airplay. We've been around long enough to know how these things work! We made the album for ourselves and for the people who follow our music.

Warner Bros seem more confident to push this album. What have they said about it?
Same as always. Except this time we have a good press person!

Did you use any samples?
As per Disco Volante, NO SAMPLES.

I remember the rumours of a 3CD set a few years ago...why was that idea canned? Will those cover songs that you recorded in mid 1997 ever see the light of day (even as b-sides)?
Someday those will surface, but there are no immediate plans. There are also some leftovers from this album and Disco Volante.

I also remember Danny (the drummer) saying after Disco Volante came out that there was a lot of material sitting around that is never likely to be released. Ween once put out an album that was made available just for their fans over the internet for just one day and then taken off. Would you consider doing something like that?
I would, I don't know how the rest of the band feels. It would probably be better to put together a tour EP or something, though.

Did you all write material for the album collectively or did things just happen individually?
We trade demo tapes, pick and choose parts, and then the arrangements begin. Sometimes a song is written start to finish, lyrics and all, by one person. Other times it is collective and incestuous. Just like on DV.

In response to a lyric question about California directed to vocalist Mike Patton:
I'll just chime in here to inform you that Trevor (Mr. Bungle's bass player) wrote lyrics for two songs, as did I.

Is there a theme to California like there was with DV? How did the name come about?
It's weird for me, because I was planning to name an album in another project of mine "California", and do all California-based cover songs in a very extreme noise format. I had the whole package designed, complete with palm-trees and such, and a history of the "old money" and rather satanic side of California as a phenomenal, hallucinatory event. And then Trevor rattled "California" off of a list of his ideas for potential titles that would go with Mike's idea for a palm tree/sunset theme. I just shit!

Did you have a lot to do with the artwork?
Not really. A little.

Could you name some of the guest musicians appearing on it and did they have a lot to contribute?
Lots of great musicians! For awhile there we were like guild or co-op of REAL songwriter/composers, transcribing parts on the fly and working with these great, wonderful, amazing musicians on union deadlines. Thank God they could make sense of our bullshit notations!

Do you have any idea how the demos for your first 2 CD's leaked out into the public? Were they demos that you gave to the record company or were they your home demos? And do you think you'll ever re-release your early demos?
Most were home demos. Since there are no plans to re-release them, they should be uploaded onto a fan MP3 site to discourage bootleg profiteering, I think. As a band we are in a stalemate over this issue.

How did the My Ass Is On Fire video come about? Did you make it yourselves or was it Warner Bros work? Have you made any other videos besides this and Travolta?
No other videos. Our friend Steve Lederman who was a roadie on our first tour shot that stuff for the My Ass Is On Fire clip, and he put it together for us as a gift. Nice guy, Steve.

Will we have to wait another 4 years for another Mr Bungle album??
Probably not, but I'm not going to go on record promising anything. This fucking band's schedule is too fucked-up to ever predict.

How much of an inspiration has John Zorn been on you guys?
Musically only very little for me. But I like him a lot as a person. He's very very nice, and funny as hell.

What other things inspire you? Stanley Kubrick seems to be one...

Film-wise for me it would be Tarkovsky, Mike Leigh. Consistently through life writer Jorge Luis Borges seems to always kick my ass. I'm forever indebted to the strange works of Hermeticism. Most of all, the Medieval Persian/Islamic Esotericism opened up to me first by Henry Corbin is an endless wellspring. I'm definately fucked for life!!!

How is work on the next Secret Chiefs 3 album coming along (Secret Chiefs 3 happens to be one of the many other musical projects that Trey is involved with)?

Great! I don't know when I'll finish it, but it will be quite nice.

Mr. Bungle's California is scheduled for a July 13 release. An Australian tour is expected early next year. For more info, email me at: [email protected]


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