My friend Henrik from the cv mailing list recently posted an overview of the Trey Spruance interview recently published in the magazine rock-a-rolla. Go grab a copy, it’s a great read.
I’ve got the new issue with Trey‘s interview and it was pretty
interesting. I’ll mention a few interesting things from the interview.
First of all Trey talked about how he came to do the Xaphan album.
When SC3 were playing at the Stone, Zorn happened to be there and he
ran home and came back with Masada Book II (300 charts) at the end of
the show and offered Trey to make a record and arrange however he
wanted. Next Trey and Jason Schimmel looked through the charts and the
ones Zorn suggested struck him immediately and he knew exactly what he
wanted to do.
Then he compares Zorn’s way of doing this to his own way, for example
the amount of time he spends on SC3 records. Also the way of doing
live shows is different, where Zorn get the players ready on the same
day of the show (or they’ve rehearsed before) and play the show.
Whereas Trey has a “pool” of players that are “broken in” and get
whoever’s available for those shows.
He also says he’s more into composing than being “fixated” on an
instrument. The Book of Souls is divided into three folios and a lot
of it is at the mixing stage and doing the Xaphan got in the way of
that, but helped creatively.
He says that FORMS and Holy Vehm is next up for the live shows.
Furthermore, he says that he “resents” iPods for ruining the artwork/
image aspect of the album/single.
WoM will release a cd with a band called The Diminshed Men, some kind
of surf-ish music and also Girth (the band which Peijman is in).
At the end of the interview he talks about the demise of Mr. Bungle,
saying that he probably was the one who was in denial longest, until
late 2005 and the way that it ended was weird, sad and awkward. He
thought the problems could be solved and that the band could’ve made a
fourth album. Trey says: ” “Management” certainly didn’t help, and
continues not to, and that’s the only grudge I bear.”
He says he doesn’t have a grudge against Patton, but that he wouldn’t
be too eager to get into a band situation with him these days. But
all in all, he thinks Mr. Bungle had a good run and that he thinks
fondly of those days.
He also stated that he still has material for a Bungle record and that
he would be positive to a live album.
Then he talks about the other members of Bungle, saying that he’s
heard some of Trevor Dunn’s stuff and that he always likes his
playing. He mentions that he played with Umläut, Bär McKinnon’s band,
on the Australian tour and that he always likes things about Fantômas.
He also sounds enthusiastic about Patton’s Mondo Cane project and
says: …”which sounds perfect for him – like something he should have
done all along.” He’s not into the more rock/hip-hop stuff that
Patton’s been doing, but that’s probably because he doesn’t like
anything that sounds that way. At the end he expresses his admiration
for Danny Heifetz drumwork.
He also talks a lot about middle eastern philosophy and the difference
in recording techniques between SC3 and Bungle. Well there you go,
that’s about as much as I can write about it!
/Henrik
but good news about the new Fantomas……bring on some tours. 
