your question:

06/10/2023

Hi Trevor, what's the cover image of debutantes & centipedes? Great record, by the way. I just heard it for the first time in like 15 years. I was surprised by how much it touches on Sonny Sharrock, Black Sabbath, Mahavishnu, etc. and way more bluesy in the guitar than I had remembered!

my answer:

That’s from a Dutch photo book called “Nachten van Parijs” by Jan Brusse, who I credited in the liner notes of the original CD. Yes, bluesy! That’s Adam Levy on guitar. Those are some key touches you mention.

your question:

05/29/2023 Cedric the Jerry Seinfeld

Did you hear Avenged Sevenfold interpolating Mr. Bungle's music in their new song "We Love You"? Here it's the heavy part in Slowly Growing Deaf https://youtu.be/4-NHVWecj2U?t=66 and here it's the softer intro part https://youtu.be/4-NHVWecj2U?t=121 ; plus there's this acoustic coda that I can't help but feel also harks back to Retrovertigo https://youtu.be/4-NHVWecj2U?t=274 What do you think of this type of "tribute"?

my answer:

This is the first I’ve heard it. I suppose I can sorta hear what you’re talking about; maybe less so in the first example. I think interpolation might not be the accurate word though. It’s no mystery that they have been influenced by Bungle but it seems that they are doing their own thing with it here, which isn’t necessarily my thing. I’m happy to be someone’s influence as long as they make it their own, which is what I try to do with the things that have come before me.

your question:

05/24/2023 Kenny

Hey Trevor, I was curious what kind of movies you like? I kinda take you for being a David Lynch kinda guy, maybe some Tarantino thrown in there as well. If you could list out some of your favorite movies and/or directors, I'd really appreciate reading it.
Also, not relevant to the above - Do you ever listen to the original Raging Wrath demo? If so, what do you hear when you listen to it? I still think that, despite sounding like shit, it's a GREAT show of young talent that hadn't been correctly honed yet.

my answer:

I can’t really stand Tarantino. Don’t get me started. Yes, Lynch of course, but I tend to go for a lot of film noir and ‘60s/‘70s American directors like Elia Kazan, Hal Ashby, Polanski, Cronenberg, John Huston. But I also love Ingmar Bergman and probably my favorite director is Andrei Tarkovsky.
I do not listen to that demo, although I had to in order to relearn that music; The sound quality takes me back to my bedroom and the smell of paint in Eureka.

your question:

05/24/2023 Easter Bunni

How is it that your bass is more audible/perceptible on the ‘86 tape than it is on the 2020 re-recording? On the original demo I can always hear what you’re playing, every bassline is perfectly clear. But on the new recording I basically can’t tell what you’re playing at all. This isn’t a dig at you or the new record, I’m just wondering why there’s such a big difference in the bass’ presence and what, if anything, went into this choice, because everything else (drums, guitars, vocals, and obviously overall fidelity) is so much clearer on the new recording as is to be expected. It’s pretty wild that I have to go back to the ‘86 recordings to learn the bass parts!

my answer:

Wow, I don’t know what you’re listening to but I would totally disagree with this perception. But let’s face it, the original demo was recorded with two mics in a room & the drums are buried. There’s a lot less going on frequency-wise, despite the amateurish quality. I am very happy with the tone I got on the 2020 reboot; it’s distinct from the guitars by not being over-saturated, yet still has grit and it’s own place in the mix. If you’re not hearing that you might want to check your stereo, honestly. Also, the two guitars and I are essentially playing in unison the entire time, so it should be pretty clear what’s going on.

your question:

05/16/2023 Phil

Sorry if this has already been asked & answered, I’ve been trying to figure this out for years - what are the figures on the cover of the OU818 demo? Random toys? Some fast food place mascots?

my answer:

Toys from the personal collection of one Danny Heifetz. I think that’s a Bob’s Big Boy -type figure that “pees”. Might be hard to tell but we jammed an American flag in there.

your question:

04/18/2023 KyriosKri

I read an interview of Weasel Walter mentioning that you introduced him to the metal genre. Like Deicide's 2nd album. Getting into the genre the same way myself (free jazz - >flying luttenbachers->...), could you list some albums you recomended him and he really liked?

my answer:

Hm, I find that hard to believe; that I was the one who introduced him. But I suppose it’s not implausible. It’s true though that Legion was the one Deicide record I owned, and it is a good one. I have no recollection of a conversation that Weasel and I had about metal, but I probably just rattled off a few of my favorites like Damaged: Token Remedies Research; Soilent Green: Sewn Mouth Secrets; VoiVod: Morgöth Tales. Also some of what might be considered “metal adjacent” music, bands like NoMeansNo, Melt Banana, Full of Hell, Die Kreuzen, Cephalic Carnage.

your question:

04/06/2023 Enda

Hi Trevor. It's April 2023. I've only gotten around to listening to 'Séances' as of today. Is there a particular torture I can administer to myself for my previous six months of ignorance, or is the knowledge of what I have deprived myself of enough?

my answer:

Hi Enda, It’s April 2024 and I’m just getting around to responding to your question. This is one you’ll have to figure out for yourself. Whatever self-punishment seems necessary, if at all. I wouldn’t go to hard on yourself though. The world is saturated with music and it’s difficult to keep up, and you also have to consider not listening to music. Give your ears a rest once in a while. Listen to silence. Indeed knowledge can be a very painful thing, but only you know what is enough, and if you don’t then embrace the not-knowing.

your question:

03/03/2023 Jhoann Silver

1) how it was to record then-ex-Korn Brian Welch's Save Me from Myself back in 2008 ?
2) Mr. Bungle was a huge influence for Korn in the early 90's, they claim. any thoughts?
thank you, Mr. Dunn. hope you're doing well.My answer:

My answer:

1) I’ve mentioned this many times in interviews and such, but suffice it to say it was a bizarre experience. I showed up in Phoenix and recorded for two days to what I believe was an almost finished album. It was mostly myself and three engineers in a small control room. I was reading charts and supposedly replacing someone else’s bass parts. It took about six months to get paid.
2) Head himself told me that. In fact, he told me how they actually “stole” stuff from us including stage antics. I always thought it was hilarious that they claimed to be influenced by what they called “the Bungle Chord” which was nothing more than a tritone.

your question:

02/20/2023 Jake Hex

Did Napoleon XIV influence you in any way?
(Also I love you so much Trevor!!)

my answer:

The only Napoleon XIV I knew was They’re Coming To Take Me Away, which was definitely an influence as was a lot of stuff I heard on the Dr. Demento show in the ‘80s. Napoleon XIV’s posthumous album (the ‘feces’ one) is a bit cringe, as the kids say.

your question:

02/18/2023 Magpie O'Hara

Have you ever felt pressured into supporting fellow acts in a "scene" you were a part of and conflicted because you felt you would rather not support them given the quality (or lack thereof) of their output or you disliked them in any way? Or perhaps you've never caved to those pressures? No need to name names.

my answer:

I try to be honest and not give unnecessary compliments. If for some reason I feel compromised or awkward I will find my exit (sometimes I do that regardless). But pressured? No. I think that kind of pressure only comes from one’s self. I would hate it if someone gave me a false compliment out of pressure. But on the other hand, I don’t have to like something to be supportive. If the conviction is there, just being an artist can be enough for me to be encouraging or sympathetic. My tastes are subjective and I have to keep myself in check with that fact.

your question:

02/06/2023 Bob Balaban

I've been diving into The New Zealand band Split Enz 1970's stuff and was wondering it they influenced Mr. Bungle at all back in the day. Their early videos are pretty incredible.

Oops. Meant to be more specific and submitted before finishing, Split Enz! They seemed like a 1976 Mr. Bungle. Maybe musically from a different palette (Kinks, Beatles), but their theatrics are just as wonderful. Contemporaries of Devo, Oingo, Sparks and Queen but less successful in the states, Specifically I'm thinking of their videos for "Late Last Night" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51ib_El-yh4 (I swear I've seen Patton mimic this Tim Finn character live) - "Lovey Dovey" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66s967Qx0dM - Or "Jamboree" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1NAN0-wIcU (4:25 has some Platypus vibes). Thanks man!

my answer:

I don’t remember anyone ever mentioning Split Enz back in the day. I only recently got into Crowded House (and I think Finn is an incredible songwriter) and subsequently Split Enz, which I’ve yet to take the deep dive into. So to answer your question: No, they were not an influence.

your question:

02/14/202 Nathaniel Beall

Will you do an interview with me about something that is not music? I recently started a show about relationships and I'd love to hear about some tools and rules you use/d to maintain relationships while on the road. Let me know?

my answer:

What in God’s name makes you think I have anything to say about relationships and maintaining them. Tools? Rules? It’s all about communication. There, interview over.

your question:

02/07/2023 Francesco

Dear Mr. Dunn,
would you kindly share the music sheet for goodbey sober day?
Thanks in advance

my answer:

There ain’t no sheet music for that! We taught each other most stuff by ear. Actually there could be a few scraps of isolated parts somewhere. Probably getting moldy in my basement.

your question:

02/05/2023 Aaron Gilbreath

Hi Trevor,
The longhaired local clerk at a Tempe, Arizona head shop promised to smuggle my cassette recorder into Bungle's 1992 show at After the Goldrush, so I could record your show. His name was Ted. He said he knew you all somehow. My recording would have sounded like shit on my equipment, but my high school fandom wouldn't be deterred, and I think he felt bad for me. He never met in the club to give me the equipment, though, but afterwards, he said it didn't matter, because you all recorded that particular show through the club's soundboard. I know it's been decades, but I wanted to finally ask if you did record that show? The board tape of you all playing "The Stroke" in Chicago on that tour still hits for me, and the sound is so clear and your energy so resounding, that I hope both new and OG fans like me can hear a full board recording from that wild '92 tour. If not, can you at least let me know if you taped any of your shows like the headshop clerk told my teenage ass? This question lingers from my childhood. And yes, it surprises me that I still wonder, but I've been writing a long article about early Bungle -- your creativity, friendship, and originality -- and this question came up. So did a stack of cool flyers from that show that I saved like the dork that I am. (I'm self-publishing the story on my Alive in the Nineties Substack, for free.) Thank you.
Happy 2023 to you and yours.

My answer:

I don’t think we ever intentionally recorded our live shows. It’s possible our soundguy did. It’s possible i have a cassette of that show in my house somewhere, but I don’t recall seeing “Tempe” written on any cassettes. I don’t know anyone named Ted.

your question:

01/25/2023 Meriadock

Was Elliott Smith's "Waltz. #1" in your mind at all when writing/arranging Holy Filament? There's something that binds those songs together in my mind, probably the piano ideas on some parts... Both tracks have some kind of "space opera" vibe to me (which is a crappy, subjective description, but I mean it as a compliment to both).

my answer:

I wasn’t aware of Elliott’s music until much later. Honestly, I’m not sure what inspired Holy Filament musically.

your question:

12/27/2022 Bird

I recently stumbled upon Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant, a positive of the 4th Quarter of 2022, to me - thank you. I have listened, enjoyed and created my own "art" to the latest 2 albums from the trio - and you sent me to a site where I can buy the 1st album. I appreciate you attending to questions as I sincerely get curious and below I'm wondering: (I don't know music jargon, so I hope these make some sense:)
1. Debutantes & Centipedes - It doesn't say, but did you compose this full project as you did with the two to follow?
2. Improv: How (and did you even) allow for improv/solo's? Were there more so on any of the three projects (albums) than the others and if so, was there a particular reason?
3. What's something (musically) that you have opened up to and or have a different perspective on from your trio's and your personal musical growth between your 1996 release to your current 2022? (Is there something you thought you'd never integrate into your work that you now respect and or vice versa)?
Thank you, whether you have time to respond or not. Thank you for sharing your music -- We've been enjoying! My interpretation/ "art" for Debutantes & Centipedes is already very different from the other two, all in great ways - I think it's song #3 that has me currently, I don't like to look at titles until I get a few listens in! Thanks.

my answer:

1. Yes, all compositions by me.
2. I often write in sections to be soloed over — or leave space for that in the composition, or have someone solo over written parts. There is some level of improvisation on every piece I’ve written for trio-convulsant. How much improv just depends on what I feel the piece needs.
3. I’ve tried to integrate more patience into my work; taking time to let things develop and create more tension. I find abrupt changes to be too easy, but pacing is a difficult thing to harness as a composer, personally speaking. It’s a challenge I want to continue to work on.

your question:

12/23/2022 Christian

Hey Trevor,
The new Convulsant album is phenomenal, keep up the great work!
I was thinking to myself as I was streaming it....how do you consume new music these days? I'm sure that I don't need to list all the problems that exist with streaming platforms (for both artists and consumers), but I am less sure of the best alternatives technologically, sonically, spiritually, etc. There also seems to be a lack of representation for experimental music on platforms like Spottily, and so it can be hard to discover new and interesting stuff.
Are you in on the vinyl thing? Do you still buy CDs? Do you have a preference on how I should be procuring / imbibing your own music?
That's technically three (or more) questions, so I'll stop now.
Thanks again!

my answer:

I still favor CDs soundwise. It baffles me that vinyl made a comeback being an inferior audio experience. But you know, demand, supply, etc. I still buy used vinyl — mostly obscure stuff no one wants in thrift stores like 20th century classical music. I recently bought a bunch of CDs at a TOWER Records in Japan. It was thrilling. I type all this as I listen to the last Little Dragon record on Spotify. I will soon be (should have done it already) switch to Tidal as it pays the artists more fairly. But streaming doesn’t pay shit. I like to use streaming for research and when I find stuff I like, I buy it, which of course, helps to add more plastic to the planet. So, I will be buying Slugs Of Love on CD, then burn it on my ancient laptop so that I can put it on my more ancient ipod. I don’t listen to music on my phone. I still have a fair amount of my own CDs that don’t seem to be selling. I hope I don’t have to throw them in the ocean one day.

your question:

12/12/2022Allen

Hey!
I remember reading that Trey had this hilarious music video idea for Desert Search and WB just shot it down immediately. Something about you guys walking out of a flying saucer? Do you think the band would ever independently fund that now you're reunited and more popular than ever?

my answer:

Make a video for a song we wrote and released 30 years ago? haha doubt it. We had a lot of big ideas that never got realized. But what you heard is a rumor. WB was satisfied with the one video we did make, which MTV rejected. As I recall, it was a collective idea that included camels and UFOs. We also wanted to make a video for Platypus which would have been a hunting safari ending with kicking a platypus off of a mountain top.

your question:

12/08/2022 JDopp

Hey Trevor,
There's a compilation album I've seen called The Twist & Shout 6 O'Clock Good News and on TTT, it shows Mr. Bungle as having an untitled, unlisted track at the end of the album that, from the 30 second sample, sounds an awful lot like Nirvana's song Tourette's. Do you know anything about this Mr. Dunn? Is this even Mr. Bungle playing? If so, care to explain what this is?

my answer:

I just had a listen and I have no idea what that is. It doesn’t sound like us in my opinion. Especially that little octaver part at the end.

your question:

12/02/2022 Juuso

Hey, Trevor, I love you.
Has anything ever happened in your life that at the time felt like a horrible experience with no upsides, but in retrospect feels like something that was beneficial for you?
All the best.

my answer:

Absolutely. I had an experience with a mentor once that almost made me want to quit music. I turned it around though and it made me a stronger person. There are probably more of those than I recall.