Great old school Faith No More article by Jai Young Kim. Includes loads of Trey!
http://www.scaruffi.com/interv/fnm.html
I wonder if it was their jaded attitude to touring that put Trey off?
http://rs402.rapidshare.com/files/181753969/NTF.zip
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IFJEGG7E
Tracks included:
Noddingturd Fan – Mary Niel and the Collapsed Corpse of the Universe (1995)
Noddingturd Fan – Attempts the Imprisonment of Mind Undifferentiated by Fabrication of Demiurge [Precipitation] (1995)
Millers Higher Life – Forms Web of Mimicry [Indiscreet Stereo Test Record] (1995)
Noddingturd Fan [Kitchen Sink Live] (1999)
NT Fan – The Secret Mausoleum of Mankind [Bad Times Ahead for Me] (2000)
Great interview, have a read.
“I think the discipline it demands to pull things off is very healthy for the soul, and I am very proud of the members of SC3 for being LIFERS who are purified of all illusion having to do with what it means to be a “musician”. This is a great source of strength…”
http://reyporundia.phplibre.com.es/modules/news/article.php?storyid=361
http://reyporundia.phplibre.com.es/modules/news/article.php?storyid=363
http://reyporundia.phplibre.com.es/modules/news/article.php?storyid=364
Trey Spruance and Tawb b. Dorenfeld (Director/Writer of The Anna Cabrini Chronicles) conducted an interview with UCSC Radio to talk about the movie The Anna Cabrini Chronicles. I have been keen to see this movie and after seeing snippets in these interviews I am even more so. If you are interested in the move after watching these interviews, head on over to www.annacabrini.com.
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
Clicky for more info on the Trey Podcast
“In this weeks episode we talk to amazing musician and composer Trey Spruance. Trey has been part of some of the most diverse and influential musical projects of the last 2 decades (in our opinion), including Secret Chiefs 3, Mr Bungle, ASVA, Faith No More and Faxed Head. in this, the first part of two, we talk with Trey about recording Xaphan the new Secret Chiefs 3 recording, working with John Zorn, Secret Chiefs tour plans and bieng a part of ASVA. Enjoi!”
“SECRET CHIEFS 3. Trey Spruance talks SC3, Mr Bungle and Middle Eastern philosophy in an exclusive, MASSIVE interview!”
Anyone got a copy?
Finally a release date for Secret Chiefs 3‘s masada record entitled “Xaphan: Book of Angels Volume 9″ which is to be released on Zorn’s label Tzadik. Originally slated for release October 23, 2007, the album was put off until “Spring 08″, but according to the Secret Chiefs’s myspace now has a release date of April 11, 08. Pre-order Xaphan here.
The announcement on their myspace:
“This thing turned pretty colossal.
It was supposed to be simple — quickly recorded, fairly simple tunes, etc.But Zorn saddled us with some really strong material.
Accordingly, I couldn’t resist milking all the arrangement possibilities for all they were worth.As happens in the presence of any well written material, new ideas kept occuring to the one keeping the arranger/production chair warm with his sweat. In my experience, when you hear the arranger’s muse you only refuse her when you are ready to stop hearing altogether. Despite the inevitable merits of that kind of Silence, we’re definitely nowhere near good enough for it yet.
…so we ran with the call of the imaginal, hoping not to soil the angelic personages duly represented with anything unbefitting their various (usually somewhat malevolent) dispositions. On the other hand, we sought to do battle with some of them, and battle we did…
For his part, Zorn, who in this case also occupies the seat of the Record Company, gave us a long leash and was very patient when he didn’t AT ALL need to be.
Xaphan is the result of his faith in our often tiresome methodology, a faith that we did not earn; but is more a testimony to the strength of the inspired, direct and non-convoluted musical writing he does for Masada. The convolutions he left entirely to us! The listener will have to be the ultimate judge of the wisdom of that!
We know a lot of you have been waiting a long time for new music from the SC3 –
as a teaser advertisement we’ll post some kind of musical montage of some of the stuff from this album here on myspace in the near future…
We think that this one will definitely appease the anxious and delight the curious.
But yes, the Book of Souls material will start to trickle out in folios thereafter…
Check the mimicry store (www.webofmimicry.com/store) for this and all upcoming releases.”
Info from Tzadik:
“Spectacular arrangements of Masada compositions by mad alchemist Trey Spruance, mastermind of Secret Chiefs 3 and one of the most brilliant musicians around. Drawing upon an astonishing array of musical styles from Exotica and Surf to Ethiopian Funk and Gypsy Swing, Trey ’s colorful orchestral arrangements perfectly compliment the lyricism and dynamic rhythmic complexity of Zorn ’s evocative Book of Angels. Featuring some of the best musicians from the Bay Area, LA and Seattle scenes, this is one of the most compelling installments in the entire Masada series.”
Definition of Xaphan from wikipedia:
“In Collin de Plancy’s book, Dictionnaire Infernal, Xaphan was one of the fallen angels. He rebelled with Satan, and is a demon of the 2nd rank. He is said to have an inventive mind and came up with the idea to set fire to heaven before he and the other fallen were cast out. He has a bellows as an emblem, but must fan the flames of the abyss with his mouth and hands.”
Secret Chiefs 3 have recently been announced to support Les Claypool on part of his latest tour. They will be opening all non festival shows between February 29th to March 8th.
This will serve as a great way for the SC3‘s unique music to reach a greater audience, although how Les’ fans will react is anyones guess.
Full tour dates can be found at Les Claypool’s site.
