YOUR QUESTION:

08/15/2020 Liz

Hello! Random question. My husband and I were watching commercials from old toys from the '80s and watched this one for My Pet Monster: https://youtu.be/PQ1-RH_8fro. That bass line in the jingle certainly sounds a lot like the bass part for "Dead Goon." What say you?
(I also sent this to your Twitter... sorry for the repeated question.)

MY ANSWER:

Ah, nostalgic toy commercials—the apogee of married life. I think it sounds only vaguely similar. Kinda the same tempo and 8th-note vibe, but only uses half the notes and isn’t chromatic at all. But I think one of the kids in that commercial fell victim to auto-asphyxiation if I’m not mistaken. I very well could be mistaken.

YOUR QUESTION:

08/15/2020 Josashi

Its been many years since we've spoken and you may have no recollection of me at all but, on three separate tours disco volante, secret chiefs 3 and California, we (varoius others included) smoked copious amounts of weed and discussed music. I hooked you and Trey up with some really good weed on a couple of those occasions. Anyway I have a couple of questions. I would have sent a text but, my phone with you and Treys contact info has long been destroyed. My first question is about a conversation we had in regard to soul, r&b, funk and hop hop.i seem to recall that you have a love hate relationship with those forms of music.
1. Have you heard Hiatus Kaiyote? If so, what do you think?
2. You and Trey said you'd "hook me up" next time you were in town. Well, I'm just wondering if that offer still stands? I'm out of weed..

MY ANSWER:

I have serious doubts that I smoked “copious” amounts of weed back then. I would venture to say you smoked me out once. And I thank you for that. In terms of the love/hate relationship you speak of it couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve been influence by R&B, funk and soul for as long as I’ve played bass and probably longer due to watching Tina Turner with my father on the Flip Wilson show or wherever. So, you my friend, need to cut back on the herbal jazz. It’s more likely that we were relenting the influence of funk on white boys in SF in the ‘90s. 1) No, but I will give it a shot now…..ah, just watched their Tiny Desk concert from just a few months ago. Love it. Much the same vibe in terms of tempo, but it’s a strong vibe. 2) We lied.

Your Question:

08/15/2020

Curious why you guys decided on the new release to swap “Spreading” and “Raping” in the running order but keep everything else in the same order.

MY ANSWER:

The sequence of an albums songs, much to the bafflement of the digital era’s skip and search culture, is integral to the shape and direction of the whole. As the 2020 Raging Wrath added a few songs and left others out from the original 1986 version, the sequence demanded altering.

YOUR QUESTION:

08/14/2020 Me

Hey, what does SpermChurch mean?

MY ANSWER:

Whatever you want it to!

YOUR QUESTION:

08/13/2020 Simon James

Firstly, thanks for having patience in answering my last vague question.

I live in Japan. I know Zorn spent some time here, and you’ve been here with Fantomas. Seeing as you’ve toured with X girl and Melt Banana to name a few Japanese bands, along with your interest in pushing musical boundaries, have you ever considered living here yourself?

MY ANSWER:

As much as I love Japan I can’t see myself integrating there as an American. I would like to spend more time there. Book me some gigs!

YOUR QUESTION:

08/13/2020 Jcr

Of the 4 demos, OU818 and Goddammit I Love America are pretty polished and sound great....obviously Wraging Wrath and Bowel of Chiley are raw and poorly recorded. You rectified Wraging by re-recording it.....any chance of Bowel of Chiley 2.0? Ready to get your slap bass on?

MY ANSWER:

Nah. No chance. Most of that stuff is crap — us experimenting and mostly failing in my opinion. Let it die. May the master tapes disintegrate and the adolescence of it all evaporate from our collective memories.

YOUR QUESTION:

08/01/2020 carlos

hi trevor,
i've been listening to you for about 15 years. and i just saw you for the first time alone, mostly alone, at the center for new music in sf with this girl on the computer, i think you call yourselves sperm church, good name and then with amendola at uptown in oakland. i also saw you on youtube play standup bass at the luggage store, a song called pentagram. i hope to see you again in the bay. you're musical ideas have always been interesting to me. a few questions: what inspired that song, pentagram, there's a lot textures and then you break into song with the bow. can you give a reference for the tonality of those parts or even the time structure? also, i recall reading or hearing something about you doing variations on chopin's work. i love chopin. i recently got into his preludes and his nouvelle but i heard his nocturnes 15 years ago. will you or have you already composed and released this concept? will you play an online concert during the covid crisis?

MY ANSWER:

The piece Pentagram is essentially a guided improvisation divided into 5 sections. The first part is based on 5 chords which are played on harmonics, the second section is based on a very simple rhythmic idea which can be varied to no end. The other sections are similarly written with multiple options for improvisational variation and return points. What inspired this piece is a need for ritual. I’ve since put this piece away for further consideration but will perhaps revisit and refine it in the future.
I did reference Chopin’s Nocturnes with my own short and much simpler pieces for piano which you can find on my Tzadik CD “Nocturnes” along with some chamber pieces for strings.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/31/2020 JC

What was Eureka High like in the mid.80s? Was it like every other high school with different cliques and social structures? Were you and Trey and Mike part of the metal denim jacket Judd Nelson Breakfast Club circle or were you guys not in any circles? Did being in a band impress those Eureka girls?

MY ANSWER:

Yes, cliques galore. The punks & metalheads did not hang out together, the jocks and beauty queens walked proudly and the goths and ROTC geeks were banished by everyone. We didn’t subscribe and had skater punk and J.R.R. Tolkien nerds as friends. That said, we ate lunch off campus away from everyone else. So yes, Judd Nelson mostly. Impressing girls, yes, likely, although our general anti-social and misanthropic auras kept them at bay.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/31/2020 mariano

Hi Trevor! first of all, thank you so much for all the music and for being an inspiration with all your projects; it make me become a composer when i first hear Bungle a long time ago. So i have a couple of questions as a musician, 1) When it comes to the compositions in Disco Volante, there´s a sense in dealing historicities of the musical materials to add or insinuate a social critique or humor effect on the compositions? 2) i want to know how is your opinion referred to the state of current technique (compositional) assosiated to the nowadays esthetics.
I hope not to bother with my questions,sorry for my english; cheers from Cordoba, Argentina!

My Answer:

1) It’s never easy to reference my personal mindset from 25 years ago. Also, if I’m understanding you correctly you are asking if there were historical references to the material? Probably. There are always lots of little hidden compositional gems that most people will never find, nor need to, but they do work as part of the structure.
2) I’ll do my best to interpret your question: Today’s compositional techniques have far exceeded what was already over my head in the ‘80s. The kids are up to some crazy shit these days and I love it. Today we see a lot more people breaking down the walls between improvisation and composition (although Earle Brown, John Coltrane & Stockhausen were doing that years ago). The weight of the last century as well as 20 + years into this one rests on the shoulders of all whom wish to carry the torch. More power to them!

YOUR QUESTION:

07/27/2020 Ellie

Hey Trevor! I was just wondering if you have ever heard of Break of Reality "the farewell" specifically, where the cello and drums are paired to enhance the drum sound? I guess what I am trying to ask if this is something you will ever incorporate in your music and your opinion of this song, I personally think it sounds amazing.

MY ANSWER:

Hadn’t heard of them so I checked a live video just now. It’s pretty “cinematic” with a lot of pop qualities to it. I love both of those concepts but somehow this is a bit too obvious to me. Not really my thing. Pairing percussion with strings is a great orchestration and I certainly have done that. This would be a fun group to write for if they’d be into doing some less conventional material. That said, it does sound really good, you’re not wrong.

Your question:

07/27/2020 Nate from Toledo

Whats up man!
I've never had the chance to see any of your work in person - but boy do I enjoy the hell out of it ... nothing like some Mr. Bungle in the backyard BBQ to really spice up the tunes for everyone. You can thank my (now deceased) - he was a huge Faith No More fan ... and I never really understood why until I got older (37 now).
Anyway - just wanted to say thanks for all the tunes! I'm a huge fan -- keep 'em coming!
I suppose I should 'submit a question' --- I'm sure you've been asked every music question ever... Maybe I can live vicariously through a recommendation.
What would you listen to, cook (eat/drink), and watch on a date night with the wifey, or for a BBQ party?
Eh .. heres a music one. What do you listen to the most this month in the car? Whats your go too song from when you were a kid?

My Answer:

Hey, not much, what’s up with you?
For a date night with the ol’ ball n chain I’d probably listen to Bootsy and try to get her all riled up. Then hit her with some incredibly sexy Twilight Zone episodes from the ‘50s. For a BBQ I’d put on The Ornette box set from Atlantic, or perhaps Tricky.
The last thing I listened to in the car was the Hearty White show on WFMU. It’s on every Thursday at 6pm. Highly recommended.
Go-to song from adolescence: Either Nausea by X or Be True To Your School by the Beach Boys.

Your Question:

07/22/2020 El Deano

Hi Trevor. I saw Madlove in Toronto in maybe 2013? I wanted to say hello to you and some guy in the jacks says 'oh so how do you know Trevor' and I got nervous. I'm a grown adult for god's sake.
Anyway next time i'll catch you hopefully.
I play, write and dream on the side and my day job supports the family. If you weren't a musician what would you do? I'll guess anthropologist or a scientist of some ilk.

My Answer:

I’m pretty approachable when it comes to meeting strangers. It’s once I get to know you that you should be afraid. I think if I weren’t a musician I’d probably either work in a library or be a park ranger and clean up trash in the forest.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/21/2020 Tomek (Warsaw, Poland)

Hey Trevor. I have recently seen lots of interesting posts about your father and his hot rods (sorry to hear about him passing away) and it took me to some kind of nostalgic memories that are not mine. But I just couldn't stop thinking about my returns to places of childhood and the strangeness of them. How do you feel when returning to Eureka? Is it odd, strange, or is it just right feeling?

MY ANSWER:

Thank you for the sentiment. Returning to Eureka, which I’ve been doing at least one a year for the last 30 years, is always a bit strange. The dichotomy between familiar/unfamiliar, changed/unchanged, new/old, etc has a trippy effect on the brain. It doesn’t help that Eureka, like a lot of small towns is now inundated with meth. The chill hippies on the Arcata plaza have been replaced by gutterpunk Plazoids who are certainly not taking care of Mother Earth. I think return, in general, is strange. Memories are strange. I grew up in one household, as rare as that is, and my dreams are often set in that same place, so in a way I’ve never left. Definitely still feel connected to that place and will probably decompose in a mushroom suit there.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/20/2020 Sophia

Would you consider doing online bass lessons?

MY ANSWER:

I have and I do for anyone who takes lessons seriously. Try DMing me in one of the socials. I’ll try to remember to check them.

Your Question:

07/14/2020 Reina Nickels

Are the frequent references to Satan/Satanism meant to be ironic, or do you practice Satanism? If so, is it theistic or LeVeyian?

My Answer:

I appreciate LeVeyian Satanism; I follow The Church of Satan on Twitter and enjoy their debunking of idiocy. However, what I practice falls under my own jurisdiction. I would offer that almost all references to Satanism in metal are ironic and/or misguided and yet, it is a powerful trope that seems to work. If you’re referring to Bungle’s use of Satanic imagery I would say it’s more cultural than theistic.

YOUR QUESTION

08/22/2020 Earworms

The new recording of Raping Your Mind is such a mindfuck because musically/stylistically it sounds *exactly* of its (mid ‘80s) time, as it should, but the production/engineering is unmistakably 21st century. This contrast is what makes it such a peculiar listening experience, unlike anything I’ve experienced before in the context of metal (a genre where musical style and production style seem to be married to each other more so than any other). My question is what was your whole bass rig in the studio for the new record? As much gear/tech/studio geekery as you’re willing to divulge and indulge!

MY ANSWER

I went in there planning on using a big SVT with an 8x10. The classic one that was in the studio didn’t have a master volume, so it was impossible for me to not play excruciatingly loud and that didn’t work with us all being in one room. The assistant engineers suggested the Verellen Meat Smoke which I had never used. It worked nicely. That was it! They buried the cab in blankets, mic-ed the thing up, took a direct line and then I adjusted the mix of those to my liking. I also kept additional distortion to a minimum as to avoid being sucked into the guitar mids.

YOUR QUESTION

08/24/2020

hiwhat’s up with your “singing” on the First Grand Constitution & Bylaws album? did it come entirely from you or was there any input/direction from trey? improv or worked out? i’ve always had a hard time making sense of the fact that such an ideologically/philosophically coherent work contains an abundance of what seems to be truly spontaneous improv. but then maybe those things shouldn’t be at odds with each other, what do you think?

MY ANSWER

Not sure why you have to disparage me by putting quotes around “singing”. I jest. That’s all spontaneous free association which Trey knew I could deliver. I certainly think it pairs well with coherency. Ever have a nice expensive wine and a bunch of weird cheeses you couldn’t pronounce, and you didn’t know what order to eat them in, whether you should have both wine and cheese in your mouth at the same time or not? I go for those really strong French cheeses that almost smell like feet and yet you’re attracted to the sensation, kind of like a dog when it finds a dead animal in the pasture and wants to roll around on it. I’m assuming that’s a good analogy.

YOUR QUESTION

08/24/2020 Joe

Hey Trevor, hope this finds you well and safe. How do you balance listening to music, practicing, and creating? Thanks.

MY ANSWER

The eternal question. Hard to say, really. Eliminate the things in your life that are distracting. Make a schedule. Self-discipline is a constant challenge. Sometimes, one thing bleeds into the other, such as practicing into composing. But it’s important to keep in mind that all three things you mention are part of the same thread. When you are listening you are also practicing, for example. Sometimes, if you want to focus on a particular thing, you have to book yourself, as if an external boss. You have to step outside of your habits and tendencies to push yourself. Back in the day, I used to practice all day long, then, if I didn’t have a gig, I’d reward myself by going to the movies. That said, practicing itself is rewarding. But there are only so many hours in the day, so….hell, I don’t know, take shorter naps.

YOUR QUESTION

08/24/2020 Platypus Observer

Hey Trevor, hope you're doing ok. Even pre-pandemic it seems like it's getting increasingly difficult to earn a living doing anything creative - live venues are shutting down, arts funding is being cut, etc... which in some ways is a motivator but then other times I think well, maybe I should just become a developer instead. You're obviously a highly esteemed musician but do you ever struggle with this kind of thing?
I remember the old Q&As on your site, they were awesome - glad you're doing these again, we need more snarkful insight in these challenging times...

MY ANSWER

The end of the line for many musicians is often either teaching or touring. The older I get the more burned out I become on the latter, and that’s in addition to the obstacles you mention. Good and meaningful teaching jobs are also in demand and often secured for years. So yes, I struggle just as much as anyone else. Another option of course, is having a supplement job as many brilliant artists I know have. If you’re dedicated to something you’ll find a way to make it work. It may mean being pro-active, being innovative, etc. But that’s what artists do, no?

YOUR QUESTION

08/25/2020 Elena

You seem like the shy quiet one in the whole Zorn/Tzadik/Downtown scene. As a younger and more introverted one among the family do you ever feel socially out of place, not so much on stage or recording but more so when hanging out, going out to eat, during down time etc?

MY ANSWER

There is a younger generation after me now, but regardless, I feel socially out of place in most situations, which is one reason I prefer to spend those times alone.