MIKE PATTON

'Michael Allan Patton' (born January 27, 1968, in Eureka, California) is a Grammy nominated musician, best known as the lead singer of the band Faith No More from 1988 to 1998. He has also handled lead vocals for Mr. Bungle (which preceded his involvement with FNM), Tomahawk, Lovage, Fantômas, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Peeping Tom.
Patton is also known for utilizing a wide variety of vocal styles and techniques; as such, his performances include airy falsetto passages, Sinatra-esque lounge crooning, rapping, death metal grunts, Medieval-style chanting, an abrasive take on scat singing featuring various shrieks, screeches, and the occasional jostling of his Adam's apple while singing; as well as beatboxing and a variety of authentic-sounding vocal emulations of flowing water, a train, a computer voice, or other items. Critic Greg Prato writes, "Patton could very well be one of the most versatile and talented singers in rock music."^[1] His vocal techniques can also be witnessed in the 2007 first-person shooter, ''The Darkness''.
He often produces side projects in collaboration with other musicians, such as John Zorn, Dan the Automator, The Melvins, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Melt-Banana, Sepultura, Merzbow, Kool Keith, The X-Ecutioners, Team Sleep, Björk, Subtle, Rahzel, Amon Tobin, Eyvind Kang, Lovage, and Kaada. He co-founded Ipecac Recordings with Greg Werckman in 1999, and has run the label since.
Patton is 5 feet 8 inches tall. His right hand is permanently numb from an on-stage incident during his third concert with Faith No More, where he accidentally cut himself on a broken bottle and severed the tendons and nerves in his hand. He can use his hand, but he has no feeling in it (much to the surprise of both Patton and his doctor, who told him the exact opposite would happen).^[2]

Contents

Biography

Early years

Mr Bungle and beyond

Recent and near future production

Reactions to fame

Controversies and antics

Marriage

Discography

Solo albums

Album collaborations

Albums featured

Filmography

Interviews

Footnotes

External links

Biography

Early years

Mike grew up in Eureka, California, he and his friends formed Mr. Bungle circa 1985. During the late 80s they recorded the cassette-only demos ''The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny'', ''Goddammit I Love America'', ''Bowel of Chiley'' and ''OU818'' (featuring tracks that would appear on their first Warner Brothers album), and earned a small local following. Patton joined Faith No More in January of 1989 and filled the vocal void left by the unreliable and recently fired Chuck Mosley, who moved on to the band Cement. Faith No More's ''The Real Thing'' was released later the same year. The album reached the top ten on the charts thanks largely to MTV's heavy rotation of the ''Epic'' promo.
In the United States, Faith No More would never again match the commercial success of "The Real Thing" but their music continued to evolve into new and sometimes stranger areas of rock music. After three more studio albums (''Angel Dust'', ''King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime'', and ''Album of the Year'') Faith No More officially disbanded in 1998.

Mr Bungle and beyond

During his time as a member of Faith No More, Patton continued to collaborate with Mr. Bungle. His success in mainstream rock and metal ultimately helped secure Mr. Bungle a record deal with Warner Bros. The band released a self-titled album (produced by John Zorn) in 1991, and the highly surreal ''Disco Volante'' in 1995. Their final album was ''California''.
Patton's other projects have included two solo albums in the Composer Series on John Zorn's Tzadik label (''Adult Themes for Voice'' in 1996 and ''Pranzo Oltranzista'' in 1997). He is a member of Hemophiliac where he does voice effects along with John Zorn on saxophone and Ikue Mori on laptop electronics. This group is billed as "improvisational music from the outer reaches of madness". He has also guested on Painkiller and Naked City recordings. He's appeared many times on other Tzadik releases with Zorn and others.
There have also been several projects over the years that have not seen an official release, although some live bootlegs do circulate. These projects include House of Discipline (with Bob Ostertag and Otomo Yoshihide), Moonraker (with Agata Ichirou of Melt-Banana, Buckethead and DJ Eddie Def), and Patton & Rahzel. Patton contributed vocals to the Team Sleep song ''Kool-Aid Party'', but the song did not make it onto the final album. This is likely due in part to the unfinished album having been leaked very early onto the internet.

Recent and near future production

In 2007, Mike Patton played the voice of the eponymous possesive primeval force in the video game ''The Darkness'' [1]. He worked alongside Kirk Acevedo, Lauren Ambrose and Dwight Schultz in playing the roles of the main characters in the gruesome and shocking story that follows Jackie Estacado's trip to hell and back twice in a search for revenge of the killing of the only person he ever cared about. Patton is known to be an avid video game player.[2]
In February 2006, Mike Patton performed an operatic piece, composed by Eyvind Kang, at Teatro di Modena in Italy. Patton sang alongside vocalist Jessika Kinney, and was accompanied by the Modern Brass Ensemble, Bologna Chamber Choir, and Alberto Capelli and Walter Zanetti on electric and acoustic guitars. Of the experience, Patton remarked that it was extremely challenging to project the voice without a microphone.[3]
In 2005, Patton signed on to compose the soundtrack for the upcoming independent movie ''Pinion'', marking his debut scoring an American feature-length film. His other film work includes portraying two major characters in the Steve Balderson film ''Firecracker''. He has also expressed his desire to compose for film director David Lynch.
Patton's long-gestating ''Peeping Tom'' album was released on May 30, 2006 on his own Ipecac label. The set was pieced together by swapping song files through the mail with collaborators like Norah Jones, Kool Keith and Massive Attack, Odd Nosdam, Jel, Doseone, Bebel Gilberto, Kid Koala, and Dub Trio.
"I don't listen to the radio, but if I did, this is what I'd want it to sound like," Patton says of the project. "This is my version of pop music. In a way, this is an exercise for me: taking all these things I've learned over the years and putting them into a pop format."
Recently, Patton has worked with Björk and the beat boxer Rahzel. He is often featured on new releases, and is regarded as extremely hard working. Faith No More keyboardist Roddy Bottum remarked about Patton "caffeine is the only drug he does", in reference to the Faith No More song ''Caffeine'' from the album ''Angel Dust'', which Patton wrote while in the middle of a sleep-deprivation experiment.
During 2003 there were strong rumours circulating that INXS had offered Mike the opportunity to front their band.

Reactions to fame

Patton is highly regarded in alternative musical circles, and seen as something of an idol in the eyes of modern alternative youth for his air of mystique, his constantly-changing musical sensibilities, his impressive vocal range, and his experimental nature. He remains an elusive figure in music, rarely giving interviews and characteristically dismissive of his contribution to Faith No More in particular. Although recently he has openly stated that he enjoyed his time in Faith No More, and in 2006 he chose a Faith No More video for MTV2's Mike Patton Takeover.

Controversies and antics

★ At a 1992 Angel Dust tour show in Lisbon, Faith No More invited the audience to throw garbage on stage. Patton then rummaged around and ate some of the trash.

★ During the MTV Music Awards performance of "Epic" in 1990, Patton flopped around on stage like the controversial dying fish from the video.

★ On the BBC Top of the Pops in 1990 Patton refused to mime the lyrics for "Epic", preferring to open and close his mouth like a fish.

★ At a 1995 concert in Chile, the excited crowd began to spit on Faith No More. Patton encouraged this and even invited people to spit in his open mouth while singing.

★ Patton regularly did flips while singing on stage. He often landed painfully on his back, but would get right up and continue singing without interruption.

★ Patton and Faith No More were famous for showing their disdain for MTV, on MTV. This can be seen in the Hanging with MTV performance during the Angel Dust era, where the band continually interrupted a flustered VJ while she was trying to introduce Guns N' Roses' "November Rain".

★ In the summer of 2006 a video surfaced on YouTube which illustrates Patton's dislike for 70's retro band Wolfmother . The clip was taped in Chicago during Lollapalooza.

Marriage

Patton married Italian artist Titi Zuccatosta in 1994. They were separated in 2001. During a recent appearance on the radio show, LOVELINE (Listen), Patton said that it was a case of two people wanting different things and hinted that his excessive work habits may have been a factor. "It's very hard. It's a daily struggle," he commented in regards to the rigors of juggling a busy music career and a marriage. "It had to happen... Even though we knew each other really well when we got married, it doesn't get easier." He later added, "We're trying this. See what happens. There's still hope." Relatedly, Patton used to own a home in Bologna, Italy (which he sold around the time of the break-up), and speaks fluent Italian.

Discography

===Faith No More===

★ 1989 - ''The Real Thing''

★ 1989 - ''Kerrang! Flexible Fiend 3'' (magazine flexi disc insert, Faith No More performs ''Sweet Emotion'' (an early version of ''The Perfect Crime'')

★ 1990 - ''Live at Brixton Academy'' (Includes 2 studio recordings from The Real Thing sessions. These comprise of ''The Grade'' - a short guitar instrumental by Jim Martin and ''The Cowboy Song''.

★ 1991 - ''Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'' - Soundtrack (Faith No More performs ''The Perfect Crime'')

★ 1992 - ''Angel Dust''

★ 1993 - ''Songs To Make Love To''

★ 1993 - ''Judgment Night - Soundtrack'' (Faith No More & Boo-Yaa TRIBE perform ''Another Body Murdered'')

★ 1995 - ''King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime''

★ 1995 - ''Metallurgy, Vol. 1'' (by Various Artists, Faith No More performs ''Engove (Caffeine)'')

★ 1997 - ''Album of the Year''

★ 1998 - ''Plagiarism'' (by Sparks, Faith No More featured on ''This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us'' and ''Something For The Girl With Everything'')

★ 1998 - ''Du riechst so gut '98'' - EP (by Rammstein, Faith No More remixes a version of the song)

★ 1998 - ''Who Cares a Lot?'' (compilation)

★ 2003 - '' (compilation)

★ 2005 - ''Epic And Other Hits'' (compilation)

★ 2005 - ''The Platinum Collection'' (compilation)

★
★ Patton recorded several bonus tracks and/or b-sides with Faith No More, most of which have only been available on their non-US releases. Those tracks not included on any of the domestic titles listed above are original songs ''As the Worm Turns (Patton Version)'', ''Absolute Zero'', ''Evidence (Spanish Version)'', ''Light Up and Let Go'' and ''The Big Kahuna'', as well as covers of ''Greenfields'', ''I Wanna Fuck Myself'', and ''Spanish Eyes''.
===Mr. Bungle===

★ 1986 - ''The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny''

★ 1987 - ''Bowel of Chiley''

★ 1988 - ''Goddammit I Love America''

★ 1989 - ''OU818''

★ 1991 - ''Mr. Bungle''

★ 1995 - ''Disco Volante''

★ 1999 - ''California''

===Fantômas===

★ 1998 - ''Great Jewish Music: Marc Bolan'' (by Various Artists, Patton sings and plays all instruments as Fantômas on ''Chariot Choogle'')

★ 1999 - ''Fantômas''

★ 2001 - ''The Director's Cut''

★ 2002 - ''Millennium Monsterwork 2000'' (by The Fantômas Melvins Big Band)

★ 2002 - ''Wanna Buy A Monkey?'' (by Dan The Automator, ''Intro'' features music by Fantômas)

★ 2003 - Masada Anniversary Edition Vol. 3: The Unknown Masada (by John Zorn, Fantômas perform ''Zemaraim'')

★ 2004 - ''Delìrium Còrdia''

★ 2005 - ''Suspended Animation''

★ 2005 - ''Who Is It/Where Is The Line Mixes 12" Vinyl'' (by Björk, Side B features a Fantômas remix of ''Where Is The Line'')

★ 2005 - ''Fantômas/Melt-Banana Split Vinyl 5" Single/Square Shaped 3" CD'' (Fantômas perform ''Animali In Calore Surriscaldati Con Ipertermia Genitale'')
===Tomahawk===

★ 2001 - ''Tomahawk''

★ 2003 - ''Mit Gas''

★ 2007 - ''Anonymous''

Solo albums

★ 1996 - ''Adult Themes for Voice''

★ 1997 - ''Pranzo Oltranzista''
===Peeping Tom===

★ 2006 - ''Mojo Exclusive EP'' (features the non-album track ''Preschool'')

★ 2006 - ''Peeping Tom'' (album by Patton features collaborations with Odd Nosdam, Doseone and Jel of anticon., Rahzel, Dan the Automator, Amon Tobin, Kool Keith, Massive Attack, Bebel Gilberto, Kid Koala, Norah Jones, Dub Trio, among others)

★ 2007 - ''We're Not Alone - Single'' (features ''We're Not Alone (Dan the Automator Redux)'', a distinctly different version from the album track with newly recorded Patton vocals)
===With John Zorn===

★ 1992 - ''Elegy'' (arranged by John Zorn, Patton performs vocals)

★ 1998 - ''Weird Little Boy'' (by John Zorn/Chris Cochrane/Trey Spruance/Patton/William Winant)

★ 1999 - ''Music Romance, Vol. 2: Taboo and Exile'' (by John Zorn, Patton featured on ''Bulls-Eye'')

★ 2000 - ''The Big Gundown: John Zorn Plays The Music of Ennio Morricone'' (by John Zorn, Patton sings ''The Ballad of Hank McCain (Vocal)'')

★ 2001 - ''The Gift'' (by John Zorn, Patton featured on ''Bridge to the Beyond'')

★ 2002 - ''Hemophiliac (Tzadik Limited Edition)'' (by Hemophiliac)

★ 2002 - ''I.A.O.'' (by John Zorn, Patton contributes vocals on ''Leviathan'')

★ 2003 - ''Masada Anniversary Edition Vol. 2: Voices in the Wilderness'' (by Various Artists, Patton performs keyboards and vocals on ''Kochot'')

★ 2004 - ''50th Birthday Celebration Volume Six'' (by Hemophiliac)

★ 2005 - ''50th Birthday Celebration Volume Twelve'' (by Painkiller, special guest vocals by Patton)

★ 2005 - ''The Complete Studio Recordings'' (by Naked City, features Patton the on new "version vocale" of the track ''Grand Guignol'')

★ 2006 - ''The Stone: Issue One'' (by John Zorn/Dave Douglas/Patton/Bill Laswell/Rob Burger/Ben Perowsky)

★ 2006 - ''Moonchild'' (conceived by John Zorn featuring Patton/Trevor Dunn/Joey Baron)

★ 2006 - ''Astronome'' (conceived by John Zorn featuring Patton/Trevor Dunn/Joey Baron)

★ 2007 - ''Six Litanies for Heliogabalus'' (conceived by John Zorn featuring Patton/Trevor Dunn/Joey Baron/Ikue Mori/Jamie Saft)

Album collaborations

★ 1999 - ''She'' (by Maldoror - Patton and Merzbow)

★ 2001 - ''Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By'' (by Lovage - Patton, Dan the Automator and Jennifer Charles)

★ 2002 - ''Irony is a Dead Scene'' (by The Dillinger Escape Plan with Mike Patton (vocals, samples and percussions))

★ 2004 - ''Romances'' (by Kaada/Patton)

★ 2005 - ''General Patton vs. The X-Ecutioners'' (by Patton and The X-Ecutioners)

Albums featured

★ 1995 - ''Burn or Bury'' (by Milk Cult, Patton performs vocals on ''Psychoanalytwist'')

★ 1996 - ''Roots'' (by Sepultura, Patton sings on the track ''Lookaway'')

★ 1997 - ''Blood Rooted'' (by Sepultura, Patton sings and co-writes ''Mine''. His singing can be also heard on the remix of the track ''Lookaway''.)

★ 1997 - ''Great Jewish Music: Burt Bacharach'' (by Various Artists, Patton (vocals and keyboards) collaborates with David Slusser on ''She's Gone Away'')

★ 1997 - ''Great Jewish Music: Serge Gainsbourg'' (by Various Artists, Patton sings and plays all instruments on ''Ford Mustang'')

★ 1997 - ''Fear No Love'' (by Bob Ostertag, Patton contributes vocals to ''The Man in the Blue Slip'' and ''Not Your Girl'')

★ 1997 - ''AngelicA 97'' (by Various Artists, House of Discipline contributes ''The Art Of Fist-Fucking (1 & 2)'' and Patton contributes to ''Romance For A Choking Man/Woman'' (with Marie Goyette) and ''cudegokalalumosospasashatetéwaot'')

★ 1998 - ''Charlie'' (by Melt-Banana, members of Mr. Bungle (and many others) contribute vocals for ''Area 877 (Phoenix Mix)'')

★ 1999 - ''Memory Is An Elephant'' (by Tin Hat Trio, Patton sings on hidden track ''Infinito'')

★ 1999 - ''Tribus'' (by Sepultura, Patton co-writes and sings ''The Waste'')

★ 1999 - ''No Coração dos Deuses - Soundtrack'' (Patton performs ''Procura O Cara'' with members of Sepultura)

★ 1999 - ''Song Drapes'' (by Jerry Hunt, Patton contributes text/vocals on ''Song Drape 7'' ''"I Come"'')

★ 2000 - ''The Crybaby'' (by Melvins, Patton sings and plays instruments on ''G.I. Joe'')

★ 2000 - ''Great Phone Calls'' (by Neil Hamburger, Patton featured on ''Music of the Night'')

★ 2000 - ''Down With The Scene'' (by Kid 606, Patton contributes vocals on ''Secrets 4 Sale'')

★ 2002 - '' (by Various Artists, Patton performs on ''Six Pack'')

★ 2003 - Patton performs vocals on ''Koolade'' (formerly titled "Kool-Aid Party"), an unreleased song originally recorded for the album ''Team Sleep''

★ 2004 - ''Virginal Co Ordinates'' (by Eyvind Kang, Patton contributes voice & electronics)

★ 2004 - ''Medúlla'' (by Björk, features Patton on ''Pleasure Is All Mine'' and ''Where Is The Line'')

★ 2004 - ''White People'' (by Handsome Boy Modeling School, features Patton on ''Are You Down With It?'')

★ 2004 - ''The End of the Fear of God'' (by Various Artists, Patton duets with Kid 606 on ''Circle A'')

★ 2005 - ''Crime and Dissonance'' (by Ennio Morricone, compiled by Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls with Patton's commentary)

★ 2005 - ''Toto Angelica'' (by Alvin Curran, contains snippets of past Angelica Festival performances, including Patton's in 1997)

★ 2005 - ''Oceanic: Remixes/Reinterpretations'' (by Isis, Patton contributed a version of ''Maritime'')

★ 2005 - ''Burner'' (by Odd Nosdam, features Patton on ''11th Ave Freakout Pt 2'')

★ 2005 - ''Wei-Wu-Wei'' (by Corleone: Roy Paci, Patton contributes vocals on ''Tutto diventerà rosso'')

★ 2006 - ''Wishingbone'' (by Subtle, features Patton on ''Long Vein of the Voice'')

★ 2006 - ''New Heavy'' (by Dub Trio, features Patton on ''Not Alone'')

★ 2006 - ''Trouble – The Jamie Saft Trio Plays Bob Dylan'' (by Jamie Saft Trio, features Patton on ''Ballad of a Thin Man'')

★ 2006 - ''Quero Saber'' (by Carla Hassett, duet with Patton on a cover of The Beatles' ''Julia'')

★ 2007 - ''Athlantis'' (by Eyvind Kang, Patton contributes vocals)

★ 2007 - ''Vein'' (upcoming remix album by Foetus, Mike Patton contribution announced)

★ 2007 - ''Weather Underground'' (upcoming album by Massive Attack, Patton is set to contribute vocals)

★ 2008 - ''Mondo Cane'' (upcoming album by Patton, Aldo Sisillo and Roy Paci, it's going to be live recording of the show or the studio versions of it. This is Italian pop covers from 50's & 60's)

Filmography

★ 1990 - ''Live At The Brixton Academy, London: You Fat Bastards'' by Faith No More

★ 1993 - Video Croissant by Faith No More

★ 1998 - by Faith No More

★ 2002 - ''A Bookshelf on Top of the Sky: 12 Stories About John Zorn''

★ 2004 - ''Inner Part of an Animal or Plant Structure'' by Björk

★ 2004 - ''Wamego: Making Movies Anywhere'' (Documentary on the making of Firecracker)

★ 2005 - ''Firecracker'' - Frank/David

★ 2006 - by Faith No More (double disc DVD compilation of previously released VHS titles)

Interviews

★ 1999 - CNN READ

★ 2000 - Lollipop READ

★ 2000 - Flashing Hobo READ

★ 2001 - Deadwinter READ

★ 2002 - Frontwheel Drive READ

★ 2002 - The Insane Domain READ

★ 2003 - Counter Culture READ

★ 2004 - Alternative-Zine READ

★ 2005 - MSNBC READ

★ 2006 - Suicide Girls READ

★ 2006 - Blog Critics READ

★ 2006 - Quirkee.com READ

Footnotes

1. Mike Patton Biography
2. Mike Patton Interview

External links

★ Official Firecracker movie site

★ Caca Volante Patton news site

★ Rey Por Un Día

★ Peeping Tom on Myspace

★ Patton Archivo

★ HoboTrashcan's One on One with Mike Patton

★ Mike Patton Community Forum