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Secret Chiefs 3 – the long-awaited Book of Souls
Listeners have come to expect a lot from Secret Chiefs 3, and for Book of Souls, second in the band’s mega-trilogy (first being Book of Horizons, 2004), they expect nothing less than a vertigo-inducing follow up. True to expectation, Book of Souls: Folio A is a full-length album densely-packed with musical skyscrapers. Over a decade in the making along with Folio B, Book of Souls is Secret Chiefs 3’s most elaborate work yet. Following the 7-band schemata laid out in Book of Horizons, both Folios of Book of Souls thoroughly establish the depth of SC3’s journey into otherwise lost musical possibilities. With productions based in studios in the SF Bay Area, NY, LA, Seattle, UK and France over the last 11 years, the band’s leader Trey Spruance enlisted a small army of musicians — or actually not so small, since the orchestral tasks demanded by the music seem effectively unlimited in number.
But familiar names in the SC3 canon form the backbone of the recording-band: Timb Harris, Ches Smith, Shahzad Ismaily, Anonymous 13, Danny Heifetz, William Winant, with live-band initiates Matt Lebofsky, Kenny Grohowski and Toby Driver adding extra life among the zillions of enlisted musical enablers.
On Book of Souls: Folio A, it is evident that Secret Chiefs 3 continues to operate in blissful ignorance of current musical fashions, remaining enchanted only by what can be unlocked in modern mediums by applying a specific recipe of pre-modern (often ancient) processes to them.
While it’s true that the album represents the kind of titanic, almost Faustian undertaking that one would expect as being uniquely appropriate to Secret Chiefs 3, for all the pomp it’s easy to forget that everything having to do with the recording is DIY to the core. Book of Souls: Folio A is a fully organic production. Everything is honed with love in one of the last hermetically-sealed laboratories. Some may snort at the notion that there even could exist such a cauldron of limitless fascination extending so rigorously beyond the time/space boundaries of modern occidental groupthink; a place in-between, suspended, where the simplest motifs have the freedom either to radiate upward into geometric complexities that are beyond description, or to refine downward to a state of simple musical essence. But it’s the usual thing at the SC3 lab.
This press-release is offered as a summons to the impartial jury of all earthly ears. All snorts and scoffs will be answered with a supra-sensory choir. Coming in May and September.
MAY RESIDENCY TOUR – more details here
Two USA/Canada tours are happening in 2013 (May and October), one in support of each Book of Souls release. The first has already been booked: Secret Chiefs 3 will play multiple-night ‘residencies’ in select USA/Canada cities in May, in support of “Book of Souls: Folio A”. These residiencies will involve multiple sets per night. The music of SC3 “Heptad” bands FORMS, Ishraqiyun, UR, as well as other Secret Chiefs 3 material will be performed, including works arranged for John Zorn’s Masada. Check listings soon to see which configurations SC3 will be in on which night.
Seattle, WA
Tue May 7, 2013 @ The Sunset – tickets
Wed May 8, 2013 @ The Crocodile – tickets
San Francisco, CA
Fri May 10, 2013 @ Cafe Du Nord – tickets
Sat May 11, 2013 @ Cafe Du Nord – tickets
Los Angeles, CA
Sun May 12, 2013 @ Bootleg Bar – tickets
Tue May 14, 2013 @ Bootleg Bar – tickets
New York, NY
Fri May 17, 2013 @ Mercury Lounge – tickets
Brooklyn, NY
Sat May 18, 2013 @ Union Pool
Sun May 19, 2013 @ Union Pool
Chicago, IL
Tue May 21, 2013 @ Schubas Tavern – tickets
Wed May 22, 2013 @ Beat Kitchen – tickets
Toronto, ON
Fri May 24, 2013 @ The Drake – tickets
Sat May 25, 2013 @ The Drake – tickets
For a band that has been busy playing over 300 shows in over 30 countries in the last few years, one could imagine how well-seasoned a unit it might’ve become. And yes, the lineup has stabilized over the last few tours into the following elite team, who can handle everything and then some for both tours in 2013:
Trey Spruance, Timb Harris, Matt Lebofsky, Toby Driver, Kenny Grohowski

After a brief pause to digest Folio A, listeners will hear the second installment, Book of Souls: Folio B in September. Intimately thematically-intertwined with the previously-released Folio, Book of Souls: Folio B has more Autumnal sheen. Darker, in some ways more ballistic, but also intoxicated with Beauty and high on diabolical humours, Book of Souls: Folio B remains unquestionably secure at SC3’s well-established fulcrum between rationalistic chaos and anarchistic elegance.
* NOTE A deluxe vinyl edition of the complete Book of Souls corpus, with expanded artwork and comprehensive conceptual material will be released in October.
** artwork and preview mp3s forthcoming
Mike Patton’s many bands – infographic
Mike Patton, a founding member of Mr. Bungle and a replacement member for the more successful Faith No More, goes far beyond those two bands. Even before the start of his label Ipecac Recordings, and definitely continuing afgterwards, his offshoots and one-offs are VAST… this Mike Patton infographic tries to tie the history down through now…
(click for larger – it’s massive)
It’s put together by Pedalja for Russian website Svinovik.ru. Some of the separate drawings are on this blog.
They’ve got their work cut out for them, if they plan on keeping this up-to-date, as it’s already out of date. (Seriously, Mike’s a busy guy.)
Tomahawk – Eponymous to Anonymous (RSD 2012 vinyl)
On Record Store Day 2012 (aka 4/21/12), Tomahawk will release its first three albums on vinyl – their first time ever in this format. The vinyl boxset sleeve for “Eponymous to Anonymous” will also contain a space for their upcoming fourth record on vinyl as well (currently TBD)…
Source: Tomahawk FB page
For those not in the know, Tomahawk is the super-group led by Duane Denison on guitars/songwriting (The Jesus Lizard, U.S.S.A., etc) that features Mike Patton on vocals (Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Fantomas, Mondo Cane, Moonchild, etc), John Stanier on drums (Helmet, Battles, etc), and Trevor Dunn on bass (Mr Bungle, Trio Convulsant, MadLove, Moonchild, etc).
Their breakout debut (Tomahawk out on Ipecac in 2001) is amazing… the other two vinyls in the RSD2012 set are Mit Gas and Anonymous… also great from the ever-evolving group:
Again, Record Store Day 2012 is April 21. Find out about more RSD2012 releases HERE.
REVIEW: Trevor Dunn & Travis Laplante @ Wandering Goat (Eugene, OR – 1/31/12)
PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW AT THE BOTTOM
I’ve been a fan of Mr Bungle/Fantômas/John Zorn collaborative bass player Trevor Dunn for a while. When I get a chance to see him, especially within biking distance, I go. From Trevor Dunn’s website, the “Double Solo” tour was noted as a “West Coast spit-roasting agenda. I’ll be playing a 30 min solo bass piece & Travis [Laplante] will play a set for solo tenor saxophone.” Ah, a night of avant-garde jazz… yum!
Ryan A. Miller from Portland was up first… he played about 30-40 minutes on solo acoustic guitar. A lot of loops, noises, and a little bit of what might seem like “futzing around,” but I dug it. There were definitely some odd parts, but I definitely thought his set was more interesting than not. You could tell he had skills, just couldn’t tell how they were going to evolve and manifest. Update 2/8/12: Ryan’s band (U SCO) was the opener for the Secret Chiefs 3 show in Portland the very next week. U SCO is a wicked, rad schizophrenic proggy, jazzy rock trio. Excellent stuff!
Travis Laplante (Battle Trance) took his spot on the floor just off stage and gave us an initial onslaught of loud, raucous alto sax. His first piece reminded me of Peter Evans solo trumpet show from 2008. Ballistic, unfocused melodically, intense… what avant-garde jazz is meant to be. His second piece was gentler and more melodic at first. It was contained but not necessarily restrained before he finally let loose at the end. His third and final piece was a dronier delight.
Trevor Dunn played last and gave us the 30-minute piece that he’s tentatively calling “The Pentagram.” He dedicated it to Pisces. It definitely had a “composed” feel to it (later confirmed with Trevor), but it was open and free enough to let him explore where it could go. He plucked, he scraped, he bowed, he played below the bridge, he played with clothespins on the strings. To sum it up in a word: fascinating. You’ve gotta love it when he makes a few of his other bands (Mr Bungle/Fantômas) seem “too mainstream.”
Update 2/7/12: Check out this East Bay Express write-up of the Oakland show by Rachel Swan… waaaaaay better write-up (she’s a journalist and rightfully gets paid for it). Gives you a better feel for the Dunn piece as a whole.
Trevor and Travis are wrapping up this tour this coming weekend… tonight in San Francisco, then Friday in Oakland, Saturday in Los Angeles and Sunday in Santa Cruz. Check his Tour Page for more info.
The Appropriate Linkage:
- Trevor Dunn’s Site (bass)
- Travis Laplante’s Site (sax)
- Ryan A. Miller’s Site (guitar)
- My Other Trevor Dunn-Related Reviews~
- Nels Cline Singers @ Doug Fir (Portland – Jan 2011)
- John Zorn’s Moonchild @ Moore Theatre (Seattle – Nov 2007)
- Wandering Goat’s Site / Facebook / Twitter
Next show for me… Thee Silver Mt. Zion (splinter group from Godspeed You! Black Emperor) at Mississippi Studios on 2/4.
~Dan – np: Frank Zappa – Them Or Us
TREVOR DUNN & TRAVIS LAPLANTE PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2012 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
(click for larger)
Secret Chiefs 3 & Dengue Fever – West Coast Tour 2012
Trickling in via the venues and/or ticketing sites, the official announcement has finally come in…
World metal phenoms Secret Chiefs 3, led by Mr. Bungle guitarist Trey Spruance, is hitting the road this winter with Cambodian/Los Angeles fusion pop band (and former Web of Mimicry labelmates) Dengue Fever. Confirmed dates below, more details will be posted shortly:
- Jan 24 – Denver CO – Bluebird Theatre
- Jan 25 – Santa Fe NM – Santa Fe Brewing Company
- Jan 26 – Phoenix AZ – Crescent Ballroom
- Jan 27 – Los Angeles CA – El Rey Theatre
- Jan 28 – Santa Ana CA – Constellation Room
- Jan 29 – San Diego CA – The Casbah
- Jan 31 – San Luis Obispo CA – Club SLO Brew
- Feb 1 – Santa Cruz CA – Moe’s Alley
- Feb 2 – San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall
- Feb 3 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s
- Feb 4 – Sacramento CA – Harlow’s
- Feb 6 – Eugene OR – WOW Hall
- Feb 7 – Portland OR – Dante’s
- Feb 8 – Seattle WA – Neumos
- Feb 9 – Bellingham WA – The Wild Buffalo
- Feb 10 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw Theatre
If you’ll be at either Oregon date, let me know. I’ll be there for both Eugene and Portland! Last time I saw them was 2008 (Aug 2008 – Doug Fir, Portland); so it’s been a long time coming…
Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane (Full Concert in HD)
Hat-tip to stubbadub… 80 minutes… the full Mike Patton Mondo Cane show in Santiago, Chile on Sept 21, 2011. Pro-shot in High Definition… behold…
Tracklist (approximate, may not be accurate)
00:00 Il Cielo in Una Stanza
03:32 Che Notte!
07:02 Ore d’Amore
09:44 20 KM al Giorno
13:08 Quello Che Conta
16:03 Urlo Negro
18:57 Legata ad un Granello di Sabbia
23:02 Deep Down
26:19 Pinne, Fucile ed Occhiali
29:04 Scalinatella
32:18 L’uomo che non Sapeva Amare
35:37 Ma l’Amore no
39:34 Canzone
43:15 Ti Offro da Bere
45:44 Dio Come ti Amo
49:45 Storia d’Amore
54:02 Lontano, Lontano
57:01 O Venezia
01:01:10 Yeeeeeeh!
01:03:13 Senza Fine
01:08:37 Que He Sacado Con Quererte (Violeta Parra)
01:10:17 Una Sigaretta
01:13:50 Sole E Malato
01:17:10 Presentacion de los músicos de Mondo Cane
Fantastically shot, this is what may possibly become the Live DVD release on Ipecac Recordings… so, just like the Amsterdam concert from a few years back, watch it now, it may disappear from the internets before you know it.
Mike Patton – The Solitude of Prime Numbers [Nov 2011]
Update 10/17: the CD is now available to order.
FAITH NO MORE singer Mike Patton, moved by the Paolo Giordano novel The Solitude Of Prime Numbers and having contributed music to the movie of the same name, has created a 16-track release that boasts some of the most contemplative and stirring music of his multi-faceted career with Patton describing the release as a personal “sonic departure.” The album, titled “Music From The Film And Inspired By The Book The Solitude Of Prime Numbers (La Solitudine Dei Numeri Primi)”, has been set for a November 1 release via Ipecac Recordings.
Where Patton’s projects (FANTÔMAS, MONDO CANE, TOMAHAWK) often thrive on abrupt transitions and multi-layered instrumentation, “The Solitude Of Prime Numbers” collection boasts a cinematic feel that allows instruments an individual voice, emphasizes isolated notes and subtly transitions from piece to piece, acutely capturing the introspective and reflective feel of the novel. The album’s intricate packaging further conveys this dramatic and minimalistic approach, with a multi-panel digipak featuring a leaf cut out, embossed with a locking mechanism.
“The Solitude Of Prime Numbers” was released in 2008 and quickly became a national sensation in Italy where it sold over one million copies before it was translated into thirty languages worldwide. The novel tells the story of two individuals, Mattia and Alice, whose lives parallel each other in uncanny ways, like twin primes: both lonely but close to each other, separated by an even number. In 2010, a movie based upon the book, starring Isabella Rossellini and directed by Saverio Costanzo (“Private”, “In Memory Of Myself”) was released.
“Music From The Film And Inspired By The Book The Solitude Of Prime Numbers (La Solitudine Dei Numeri Primi)” features a unique arrangement with each track sequentially numbered with the first 16 prime numbers:
Tracklist
02. Twin Primes
03. Identity Matrix
05. Method of Infinite Descent
07. Contrapositive
11. Cicatrix
13. Abscissa
17. Isolated Primes
19. Radius of Convergence
23. Separatrix
29. The Snow Angel
31. Apnoea
37. Supersingular Primes
41. Quadratix
43. Calculus of Finite Differences
47. Zeroth
53. Weight of Consequences
New Secret Chiefs 3 vinyl (Ishraqiyun & FORMS) {sound samples now posted}
Update 8/29: Sound samples for the two songs on the 7″ are now posted at the WOM store.
~Dan
via pacificlectic : pacific northwest concert reviews & eclectic music news
New Secret Chiefs 3 vinyl (Ishraqiyun & FORMS)
Just posted to Web of Mimicry’s store…
The new 7″ vinyl single from Secret Chiefs 3. This time the tunes come from the satellite bands Ishraqiyun & FORMS. It comes out September 13th, is limited to 1000 pressings, and the physical edition will contain lossless digital download links.
Side A: Ishraqiyun “Saptarshi”
Side B: FORMS “Radar”
Mike Patton’s voice in ‘Tintin’ movie (maybe?)
From movieweb…
Director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson bring the beloved adventures of Hergé’s roving reporter Tintin to life in the motion-capture adventure The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, which features performances from Jamie Bell, Simon Pegg, Daniel Craig, Andy Serkis, Cary Elwes, and Nick Frost. A new image from the movie has been released, which features Tintin (Jamie Bell) and his faithful terrier Snowy (Mike Patton) pouring over a piece of evidence. Check it out below.
The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn comes to theaters December 23rd, 2011.
If this is true, I’ll put this in the “glad he’s getting voice over work to help pay for his non-mainstream musical output” category for me. I quick peek at IMDB doesn’t list him or the character Snowy. Per CacaVolante (a Mr Bungle-themed tumblr), Patton’s management has not confirmed it. For now, let’s put it in the rumor mill…
Secret Chiefs 3 U.S. Tour 2011
Secret Chiefs 3 will be announcing U.S. September tour dates on their Facebook page soon. This is good news.
https://www.facebook.com/secretchiefs3
I’ll post ’em when I know… but be-friend them, for reals!
Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane – North American Tour
Update July 2011: it looks as though funding fell short for a North American Mondo Cane tour for 2011.
Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane was one of the absolute best albums of 2010… and by far the best packaged piece of musical art. He took it on the road for a few European dates and a San Francisco date in 2010, but sadly nothing else. Well, just announced on Cyro Baptista’s Facebook page and confirmed on Patton’s PR firm The Agency Group’s bio page (quote below), Mondo Cane will be at New York City’s Lincoln Center (in August – no specific date yet) with a North American tour as well:
Upcoming appearances include a concert at Lincoln Center with John Zorn, presented by New York City Opera, and a North American tour of Mondo Cane.
I’m hoping there is a good West Coast date or two… Portland? Seattle? Vancouver? Hell, I’ll even hit San Francisco if I can. No word on dates yet, but once they’re announced, be sure I’ll post them! Note: There is already a confirmed date in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 17, 2011.
If you don’t know about Mondo Cane – it’s not like Mike Patton’s other work (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Tomahawk, et cetera). It’s his 50s Italian pop big band group… listen to some samples over on the Amazons: