YOUR QUESTION:

07/21/2024 Nelz

There's something I've always wondered about the tracking/overdubbing process for metal bands that have guitar solos, and since you now have the Easter Bunny recording under your belt I can ask you your thoughts.

What is it like (mentally, emotionally, whatever) when you're out on the floor with the rest of the band recording the basic tracks, you guys all know the songs really well because you've been rehearsing and touring them, but then when you get to the guitar solo section of a song there's no solo to keep the energy and feel of the music up? Does that fuck with the feel of the music to have those "empty" or "naked" sections, or does it not matter because in the studio everyone is more concerned with precision and details anyway? I find it a fascinating conundrum--to be in the studio trying as best to match the energy and force of a live audience performance, but then the blistering, fiery solos that are integral to propelling the music forward are suddenly absent and there's just this aesthetic hole. Unless I'm misinformed and Spruance soloed during basic tracking as if it were a live performance, and then later overdubbed the rhythm guitar parts that had dropped out?

Thanks for your time!

MY ANSWER:

It’s a lot different to lay down the rhythm track for a solo in a metal setting than say, in jazz. That might be obvious, but the intensity and emotional roller coaster of a metal song is really built into the structure. The narrative of the riffs are what guide the direction of the song. The solo is icing on the cake but also can add or sort of post-direct that narrative depending on what is played. I don’t remember but it’s possible Trey did a few scratch solos live, but he would have had to been isolated for that to work. There isn’t much interacting with a metal soloist except maybe from the drummer, and sometimes if a solo really pushes something, we can always go back and retrack the basics, or parts of the basics. Technology is our friend.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/17/2024 Shane Rightley

I recently caught a show on the latest Bungle tour and am looking forward to seeing you on stage with Buzz too. Thanks for this forum for questions, very cool!
Do you still have any big goals or ambitions you want to pursue musically, or do you more just want to pursue your interests and collaborations more organically?
You were quoted in an interview about the Raging Wrath release and shows that you completed Ph.D's in thrash metal. Shouldn't it therefore be "Dr. Bungle"?

MY ANSWER:

My musical goals are never ending and seem to be getting larger in scale which, of course, takes time. The real goal is to keep death at bay and be less inhibited.

And yes, please refer to us as Doctor.

YOUR QUESTION:

07/15/2024 gnous

trevor... please tell us the origin story of the california era st. pauli girl costume.. and where is it now..?...

MY ANSWER:

I stole the idea from live footage in 1975 of AC/DC with Bon Scott. Before touring DV Bungle had sort of tired of the mask idea. We didn’t have the same stamina as Slipt Diskn. But I couldn’t deal with that and so I went to a Halloween store in Manhattan and bought the first thing I could find that came close to that iconic Bon vibe. I didn’t tel the other guys — got dressed 5 minutes before going on stage in Portugal and surprised them all. I think it’s up in my closet somewhere.

your question:

05/03/2024 Corey Collier

Hi Trevor
I understand there’s the whole kerfuffle that happened with you and the crew of guys in RHCP. This isn’t about that, before you clock out. I’m not the type of fan who is holding onto that story like it’s my birth certificate. But it is something of an elephant in the room of what/who I’m gonna ask about as his origins overlap with them…
Alain Johannes! You and him are among my most respected musicians in the rock orbit of all time next to Jon Theodore and Mitch Mitchell. and I know you two came up in similar eras. What do you think of him as a musician and would you ever work with him? Have you ever met him?

my answer:

I don’t know a lot about Johannes, but what I’ve heard I like. Amazing guitarist and great song writer. He definitely has my respect as opposed to those other goons you mentioned. Face it, that was a long time ago. He seems to have moved on to more interesting things.

your question:

05/03/2024 meathead

hi trevor, i peed next to you once at a jlin / foodman / container show in brooklyn in 2017. beautiful experience. anyway, i was wondering if you were a fan of jodorowsky and ever interested in the occult? it seems like there was a lot of occult imagery in both the lyrics and artwork for disco volante. hope to see you at another urinal at another footwork show soon!

my answer:

Oh, yeah, I totally remember peeing next to you. I do miss that venue though.
I like some Jodorowsky, not all. And yes, I do have some interest in the occult.

your question:

05/03/2024 B Doskocil

Hey, Trevor! I got to meet you recently in Carrboro and just wanted to thank you for being so cool to a random starstruck fan (I had the Full of Hell shirt).
Anyway, a question I wanted to ask you is how does it feel to have friends from so long ago that you still are friends with and get to jam/play with regularly? Being an adult is hard and it's easy for friendships to fall by the wayside. I guess I just wanted to point out you're really fortunate to have formed such lasting bonds.

my answer:

I am fortunate for that. I also tend to be loyal as a dog and pretty forgiving.
It’s not that weird though. People change in certain ways as they get older and this contributes to the dynamic being varied from both sides, so if one can maintain some emotional maturity, there are always new ways to look at things.

your question:

05/03/2024 jet

hey trevor!
i’m graduating in a year and i’m mega nervous to be old and smelly, any advice? any wise and happy words?
thanks so much! <3

my answer:

Graduating from what?? If you’re talking about high school you’ve got a long way to go before you’re old. Well, that’s relative I suppose. Also, the age when people think of themselves as old is gradually advancing. In terms of the smelliness, just bath ya dingus! Not all old people smell bad. To quote Carolyn Leigh: “…here is the best part, you have a head start, if you are among the very young at heart”.

your question:

05/03/2024 Brian

Hi! I was wondering if there were any tracks that you guys forgot existed (that didnt get released in any of the eras of Mr Bungle)
And randomly just remembered them (hopefully this made sense)

my answer:

We’re pretty good at keeping track of that stuff, mentally at least. Plus, there isn’t enough of it to get completely forgotten, so, no.

your question:

05/03/2024 Vic

Hi Trevor. Not sure if you remember such an event, but one of my favourite and most outrageous videos I've seen online is VivaZwei special with Fantomas. You guys wasted no time when absolutely smashing some of the "fellow musicians", and as the rant goes on, Buzz at some point says he loves Germany for world changing history and Patton pretends to have "funny moustache" and talks shit (literally) in German. I wonder how did it even got published, difficult to imagine this in television these days. Have you ever been approached by anyone in a response to this vicious diss? Thanks and take care

my answer:

Nah. No one pays attention. No one cares.

your question:

05/03/2024

why is trey scummy!!!

my answer:

I don’t know.

your question:

05/02/2024 Memphis

You’ve done a lot of stuff with a lot of different and distinct bands/musicians, how do you know what to look for? Do they approach you or vice versa? Is there any side projects you wish you did more with or is it easy to let go of them? (Also thank you for the beautiful White with Foam)

my answer:

I suppose I get approached more often than visa versa, but that is part of the nature of being a bass player. What attracts me to most players is their dedication and profound relationship to their instrument and music in general. Usually it’s fairly easy to spot. Really it’s the same things I look for in friendships: open-mindedness, innovation, surprise, a good work ethic.
I would like to have more time for my own music. That’s something I’m trying to focus more on.

your question:

05/02/2024 Ernest Rogers

Hi Mr. Dunn, big fan.
what are your thoughts on old Jazz - such as King Oliver, Miff Mole, Fats Waller, etc. and did you ever get into collecting 78s? All that old music seems to be super unappreciated and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

my answer:

I never got into 78s, although my parents had a few, but yeah, I dig some older Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, Slam Stewart — maybe that’s not as far back as you’re thinking but I agree, it’s under appreciated. Sometimes the quality of the recording is part of the attraction, but also, thinking historically it’s pretty mind blowing.

your question:

05/02/2024 soup

whats your opinion on fanart?

my answer:

I like it if it’s good.

your question:

05/02/2024 marco

besides platypuses, what are your favorite animals? do you like wolverines? they're my favorite :3

my answer:

I like wombats and echidnas, octopuses and deep sea shit. Sloths are amazing. Most insects.

your question:

05/02/2024

Love your work and appreciate having a forum to ask you questions. Thanks!
I haven’t seen many interviews with you admittedly, but the ones I have seen seem to ask a lot of the same questions, to which the answers could easily be found with a simple Google search.
(And may I add that you come across as gracious - especially when they begin by asking you multiple questions about Patton, which seems somewhat lazy and obtuse.)
How do you feel about interviews?
Do you mind going over the same old ground i.e. musical influences and talking about Patton?
Do you enjoy the interview process?
Where do you draw the line in terms of covering more personal topics such as relationships, politics etc?

my answer:

I’m not a fan of interviews and I’d prefer not to do them, but there is a certain obligation because, you know, marketing, record sales, etc. I’m not convinced they do any good.
It does bother me when I’m asked questions that I feel are common knowledge in my small world. Exactly as you say, mostly everything can be found with a simple search, but that’s true about a lot of things, right? Definitely get sick of talking about colleagues, as if I know they’re every move.
I try to chose which questions to answer and how to answer them. I can give information without directly addressing the question and typically it depends on my mood how strict I want to be with boundaries. I try to respond in kind, as in mirror the mood of the question. Earnestness is met with earnestness.

your question:

05/02/2024 Noo

It always surprises me how many professional musicians don’t read/write music. It feels akin to living in another country and not learning the language because you can get by in broken English.
As a trained musician who steps into many different musical worlds, I’m curious about your perspective on this - if indeed you’ve ever given it consideration?
And if so, can you help me understand why some are resistant to learning the language of their passion, profession and art?

my answer:

I don’t agree with your analogy about speaking in broken English. There is a lot of innovation that comes out of not knowing the theoretical side of things. The written note is just part of the music. Yes, it often makes things easier and quicker to get to, but it’s not really until you’re off the page that the real music starts to happen. The written note is a guide. I’ve worked with many musicians who don’t read/write and they are approaching music from an entirely different perspective, perhaps akin to “outsider art”, which to me, has great value. With the written note come restrictions and it’s easier to think outside the box without having the box there in the first place. The written note can be a distraction, becoming more important to the player than what the auditory result actually is. I’m not necessarily a dogmatic thinker. I believe in the value of a lot of different kinds of approaches. The more the merrier.
Fantômas was an eye opening experience for me in this regard because I was the odd man out, being the only one who did read. That position forced me to think differently, and I learned from that. I don’t believe that musicians are necessarily “resistant” to reading. I think it’s more about how they initially learned. For a lot of players, there’s really no reason to learn, and yes, like a foreign language, it’s a lot easier to learn at an earlier age than trying to jump in at adulthood.
I always encourage my students to learn how to read. It has been nothing but helpful for me and saved my ass on many occasions. It opens up a lot of doors. But not everyone needs or wants to go through all those doors. Keep in mind, the language of music is aural, and to be honest, there are many aspects of music that cannot be written down.

your question:

4/25/2024

hello! im a big fan of some of your work and this question has been bugging me for a while. were you drunk/high during the recording of drunk at the gates or was that just intentional?

my answer:

I didn’t really start drinking until my late 30s and I wasn’t high for that. Just pure inspiration, baby!

your question:

4/18/2024

Hi Trevor. I love this website and your music. Seances is an album I tend to come back to a lot. Are you happy with the reception of it? Do you care at all? I am a self taught guitarist, and while not a master musician, I am quite proud that I can comfortably create and move between genres, using various scales and so on. But with jazz I hit the wall. The more avantgarde, free and awesome it gets, the more random the notes seem (in the right way!). I don't "see" them on a fretboard. I can't follow them. Is that kind of music too much for an amateur without formal education? Any tips, any scales to play around? Much love man.

my answer:

I always feel like the reception could be better with my more avant-garde projects, but that’s just the nature of the game. There’s a reason it’s not popular. Of course I care, but I mostly have to accept my own pride in the outcome and continue to grow and move on.
I would certainly say educate yourself. Expand the limits of your ear by doing some ear training. A lot of avant-garde and “free” music is less random than you think. There is a lot of forethought and systems behind it. I suggest figuring out what those things are that you like. Eventually you will be able to see them on the fretboard. Learn all the modes of the melodic minor scale. Make up your own scales and learn them up and down the fretboard. Check out the book Modus Novus by Lars Edlund. Get in there. You can’t fake it.

your question:

4/18/2024 N-Man

How do you feel about the rivalry between ska fans and metal fans trying to claim Bungle as one of the OG third-wave ska bands or one of the OG death metal bands?

my answer:

I’ve never thought about it. Claiming a band is a hilarious prospect though. I say, fight! fight! fight!

your question:

4/16/2024 Paul Sammon

Tell me, in detail, exactly how you really feel about Quentin Tarantino and his films.

My answer:

You again. I think Tarantino is not a good film director. Yeah, there are some funny or interesting moments but overall they aren’t good films. Most of his stuff is derived from other film makers. I’m no prude but the gratuitous nature of most of the dialogue is boring. Everyone always says the same thing, “but what about Reservoir Dogs?” Yeah, fine, I like that one. Pulp Fiction is a series of vignettes. It doesn’t hold up as a feature film. I think he’s over-rated. I mean, put him up against Tarkovsky, or Bergman, or Peckinpah to name but just a few disparate directors, and he doesn’t hold a flame. His technique is unoriginal and predictable.