Issue No. 3

Mike Patton

Since he joined and pretty much saved Faith No More in 1989 and (unfortunately) helped invent Nu-Metal with the landmark single "Epic", Mike Patton has been one of the most consistently interesting and prolific artists in contemporary music. He also serves as that rare anomaly: the artist that works by his own rules and his own terms. Whether he is collaborating with the Kronos Quartet or John Zorn or working within his own combos Mr Bungle, Fantomas, or Tomahawk he never bends or wavers. His current project, Peeping Tom features contributions from Kool Keith, Bebel Gilberto, Massive Attack and a darkly erotic Norah Jones. He recently spoke with my good friend and MagnaPhone correspondent Laura Lee. Here's what's on his furtive mind:

Laura Lee: How did you get started in the music business?

Mike Patton: Just started goofing around with some friends in high school. We formed a band called Mr. Bungle for a joke. The joke never ends!!!

LL: So what's the difference between now and then...you were in a super famous band with constant MTV play, when I liked MTV. You're still very well known now, but don't have the same kind of mainstream media exposure. You seem much happier with the way things work now.

MP: I am very happy now, but I was very happy then. I would love to be in a band that sold millions of records again but I'm not going to compromise the music to do it.

LL: I read that being on tour with Fantomas was one of the best experiences you ever had.

MP: Where did you read that??? That must have been the first tour! It is fun playing with those guys.

LL: What's your favorite type of show to play? Everyone has that one club they walk into and feel at home, (mine is the Agora Ballroom). What is your favorite small venue to play?

MP: Packed clubs are better than festivals because the sound is better. I don't really have a favorite venue, maybe Pac Bell Park in San Francisco .

LL: It doesn't seem like you have very much “downtime,” what do you do to relax when you do get some time off?

MP: Eat, watch sporting events, read, play videogames, make love.

LL: Do you ever sleep?

MP: Not enough.

LL: Have you been able to strictly do music all these years consistently since Faith No More, or did you have odd-jobs in between [projects]?

MP: Just music and a little acting and working at the car wash, yeah.

LL: What are you listening to these days?

MP: Sigur Ros.

LL: What's your favorite record?

MP: Something by Sinatra.

LL: What's the last record you listened to?

MP: Sigur Ros -Takk.

LL: Last record you bought?

MP: Peeping Tom.

LL: How did you get hooked up with Jane magazine?

MP: They asked. It is one of my favorite mags.

LL: I used the song “Woodpecker from Mars” as background music in The Night of Blood, a crappy six-minute horror movie I made with my friend Jen Stoudt. We were fifteen or sixteen years old at the time. It was so bad it’s awesome.  

MP: You going to pay me or what? I got lawyers!!!!

LL: You are quite the collaborator. Do you seek-out most of these artists, or do they, for the most part, come looking for you? What would be your dream collaboration (other than Burt Bacharach)?

MP: Sometimes I seek them, sometimes they seek me. The ultimate would be Sinatra, of course.

LL: The owner of my favorite record store ( Full Circle Records) heard that you recorded a Barry White cover album.

MP: Not true. But a good idea.

LL: What is your favorite record store?

MP: I love record stores. That was my first job. I'd say Amoeba records.

LL: I remember a lot of people taking acid and listening to Mr. Bungle. Did you hear a lot about that? Were you on acid yourself at the time?

MP: Have not heard that one, but I do not condone drug use at all. I got too much to get done.

LL: What about film? Your videos are as challenging as your music...how much input do you have in the creative process?

MP: I don't do many videos. I like to have input, but I'm a musician.

LL: You used Rex Everything (Nick Oliveri) in Tomahawk’s “Rape This Day” video. Are you personal friends?

MP: I know Nick. He is a good dude!

LL: Have you played shows with the Dwarves in the past? Do you find you have the same fan base?

MP: No and no. But I played with Nick when he was in Queens of the Stone Age and once with Mondo Generator.

LL: What other bands do you find you share a fan base with?

MP: Milli Vanilli .

LL: Tell me about The movie Firecracker. Would you like to do more feature films in the future?

MP: It was a challenge. Very interesting. I would do it again, but only if I had time and the project was interesting.

LL: You named your new band after Michael Powell's Peeping Tom. What is your relationship with that film?

MP: I like the film.

LL: Do you want to challenge your listeners and push the limits like the photographer in that film?

MP: Yes, I tend to do that.

LL: I think the singer from the Boredoms worked with Sega. Aside from having that in common (using your voice in video games), have you ever worked with the Boredoms? Would you like to?

MP: I'm a huge fan. I'd love to put their records out on our label.

LL: How about Brujeria? How were you involved with that mysterious project, if at all?

MP: I helped raise money to get those guys out of jail. Now they are back in the slammer.

LL: I can't imagine you singing for INXS.

MP: I got what you need.

LL: Did you see the video made by a fan that combined The Godfather footage with the song by the almighty Fantomas?

MP: No. Sounds cool.

LL: You must be delighted about not having to deal with the corporate assholes anymore....or at least most of the time, right?

MP: There are always assholes to deal with. Corporate or not.

LL: How hard was it to get IPECAC records off the ground?

MP: Not very hard. We had Fantomas and the Melvins so it was not like we started with a bunch of unknown bands. We were fortunate.

LL: You eventually put out the Peeping Tom record yourself. Were you just sick of getting the runaround from big companies? What happened there?

MP: I didn’t find a deal that made sense and our label kept growing.

LL: I didn't know what to think of the new album when I first heard it.   Anything new always confuses me.   But like everything else you've done, it perplexed me but kept me interested.   I haven't listened to anything else in the 5 days since I've had it.   That's not a question, just a statement.

MP: Ok, but this interview is about me, not you!!!

LL: Did you  physically work with anyone on the album?

MP: I'm always getting physical because that is how I roll. Dig?

You can learn more about and then purchase the fascinating Peeping Tom here. In fact you can buy all kinds of Mike Patton Ephemera there. So go. Dig?

Mike Patton was interviewed by Philadelphia's own Laura Lee. Keep an eye out for more of her features, her bio and soon her very own page.

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