The Unpredictable Path of Faith No More's Mike Patton
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CULT KINGThe unpredictable path of Faith No More’s Mike Patton TEXT BY SCOTT MORROW · PHOTOS BY NICK AITKEN · PHOTO ASSISTANCE BY LEANNE COWAN 56 ISSUE 41 ALARM MAGAZINE ISSUE 41 ALARM MAGAZINE 57 TK “Sometimes it’s just not worth harboring any bullshit and [instead] trying to move on. And musicians move on by making music together.” ome musicians achieve broad suc- Mr. Bungle, John Zorn’s Moonchild). They’ve Listeners, in fact, might be surprised to learn cess, some attain cult status, and been guests on dozens of other albums, from that Patton—who seldom is seen on stage with some defy all explanation. And Björk to Sepultura, and they retain one of the more than a microphone, a sampler or keyboard, then there’s Mike Patton, who widest ranges in modern music. and effects pedals—is a reclusive multi-instru- somehow has done all three. mentalist. In the privacy of his home studio and S During that time, however, one important with a war chest of sounds, he played nearly Even if you don’t know the Faith No More part of Patton’s résumé—being a full-blown every instrument on his genre-hopping theme- front-man’s immense, indescribable catalog, cinema songsmith—has gotten buried behind and-variation scores for A Perfect Place and chances are that you’ve heard his voice— his status as vocalist extraordinaire. Crank: High Voltage. And even though Patton whether from FNM’s mega-hit “Epic” in the records many parts note by note to cut, arrange, late 1980s or from his voiceover work in the In actuality, the iconoclast always has been a and layer, the results are startling—particularly movie I Am Legend or in video games such as skilled songwriter and arranger; much of Faith on records with minimal vocals, complex musi- Left 4 Dead and The Darkness. No More and Mr. Bungle’s catalogs have Pat- cal moments, and a glut of timbres. ton credited or co-credited for the music. But But mainstream work aside, Patton’s pipes the past decade has brought his compositional “To me,” Patton says of the soundtracks, “what have been some of the most called-upon in skills into sharper focus, as listeners have I’m trying to do—which is more important underground rock and beyond over the past come to hear the schizophrenic yet meticu- than saying, ‘Hey, I did all this myself’—is 25 years. Whether shrieking, crooning, chant- lously arranged Fantômas, the densely layered to create an illusion that it was done by a big ing, or bellowing, they have been utilized with Peeping Tom, and a handful of film scores and band, or a bossa-nova quintet, or a hardcore equal aplomb, from the accessible (Tomahawk, orchestra-backed performances (including band. I don’t want it to sound like one guy Peeping Tom) to the avant-garde (Fantômas, Mondo Cane, covering Italian oldies). working on a nerdy-ass keyboard. 58 ISSUE 41 ALARM MAGAZINE ISSUE 41 ALARM MAGAZINE 59 MORE MIKE TEXT BY SCOTT MORROW Tomahawk PHOTO BY VINCENT FORCIER “I had friends ask me, ‘So how do you Hatchet in hand, Duane Denison’s become a film composer?’ And it’s like, ‘I’m super-group returns with new not a film composer; I just write music!’ It scars to show just so happens that I can make it work for Mike Patton might be the face of the alt-rock super- group Tomahawk, but the film. I’ve never really felt that distinction.” man and the muscle behind its weighty songs (and metal- lic, twangy guitar tones) is Duane Denison, the guitarist for 1990s cult favorite The Jesus Lizard. Assembled in 2000 with Patton and Battles drummer John Stanier (and now with Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn on bass), his resurgent Tomahawk is back in a major way, dropping Oddfellows last winter as the band’s first album since 2007. Denison is a Renaissance man in his own right—he “For me,” Denison says, “this do this, so that necessarily oldies influences in different originally studied classical is a chance to rock out—get wasn’t in mind on some of spots—what Denison has “I can hear [the music] in my head, which is quick to erase the line between “songwriter” (Secret Chiefs 3) and bassist Trevor Dunn guitar; he led the jazz-rock up there and play some riffs, it. But for instance, there’s called “really heavy Beach something that’s difficult to explain even to and “composer.” (now in Tomahawk). Even a band with main- Denison-Kimball Trio (which make some noise, and crank a song called ‘Rise Up Dirty Boys” and “almost Greek more learned musician friends. John Zorn, stream success such as Faith No More—which began as indie-film music); he up those kinds of sounds. And Waters’ that’s right in his choruses”—and coos on for example—we’re really good friends, but “It’s funny,” Patton says. “I had friends ask me, toured with some of the biggest rock bands of has a new neo-chamber proj- having Trevor aboard really power zone. A lot of rock bass tracks such as “Stone Letter” there’s one thing that he grills me about, ‘So how do you become a film composer?’ And the 1980s and ’90s—finds Patton cooing one ect with Alexander Hacke kind of amps things up too.” players maybe would have and “White Hats / Black like, ‘How the hell do you hear this stuff?’ it’s like, ‘I’m not a film composer; I just write moment before screeching the next. (Einstürzende Neubauten) struggled a bit with that song, Hats.” Denison has the usual He knows, because he hears it, but he writes music!’ It just so happens that I can make it and Brian Kotzur (ex-Silver Dunn’s influence on Oddfel- but with him it was very dose of Western twang to go it down. And I say, ‘Well, I hear it, and I’ve work for film. I’ve never really felt that dis- In retrospect, it’s remarkable that a band like Jews) called The Unsemble; lows (released by Ipecac, natural and easy. And then with his fuzzy and wailing got to do it.’ So I’ll leave myself a voice mes- tinction. Maybe that’s also to my detriment. Faith No More climbed (however briefly) to and he has played in Th’ Leg- Patton’s label) is harder to going from that to something effects, but “I Can Almost See sage, or pick up a keytar—anything that I can With a lot of my bands, people have told me, the top of the pop mountain, nearly cracking endary Shack Shakers, USSA, discern, at least partially riff-heavy like ‘Oddfellows’ Them” plays up the drama get my hands on—and it’s like, ‘Okay, that’s ‘It sounds like soundtrack music.’ It’s just kind the Billboard top 10 with The Real Thing. The Silver Jews, and Firewater. because the material was was very easy.” with bells, timpani, and echo- documented; I’ll come back to that.’” of a matter of where your head is and how you success proved to be a double-edged sword, If that’s not enough, Denison begun before he was in the ing vocals. It’s quintessential want to implement it.” thrusting a young Patton and co. into financial also writes music for film, fold. But beyond his chops, Dunn, known for his jazz Tomahawk—in a way that you A development of the past five years, Pat- gains but also the pressures of touring life and theater, dance, and TV, and Dunn’s ability to nail and abilities, begins “Rise Up haven’t heard. ton’s film scores—created without traditional Incidentally, the front-man follows in a long a regular release schedule (not to mention he recently became involved contribute to the material Dirty Waters” with a walking music notation—have expanded an already line of rock musicians who have made the interviews with MTV host Riki Rachtman). with Empty Mansions, the within a short period of time bass line. The nimble melody “We didn’t want to make overflowing credit sheet, and the work con- jump to the big screen—a group that includes In dealing with the stress of sudden fame and art-rock side project of Inter- really benefitted the album’s is joined by an organ and an an album that’s just more of tinues to roll in. He released a score for The Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, and Trent gigantic world tours, Patton carried antics off pol drummer Sam Fogarino. recording. old-school rock-’n’-roll lick the same,” Denison says. “At Solitude of Prime Numbers in 2011, and one Reznor. But whereas composers like Elfman stage—including, most famously, hiding feces before moving into a weirdo this point, that would have for The Place Beyond the Pines (starring Ryan and Zimmer frequently perpetuate the stan- in vents and hair dryers in hotel rooms on Tomahawk, however, “Trevor can play literally gospel-rock part, and it’s one been ridiculous, taking five, Gosling) was paired with a limited release of dard of the sweeping, orchestral film score, the road. He has since abandoned the crude continues Denison’s rock- anything,” Denison says. of the most unique tracks on seven years off. I’m all for the film in spring of 2013. Patton operates in the margins, crafting pranks, but age has not precluded him from ’n’-roll legacy, surrounding “He’s almost astonishing, and the album.