Trevor Dunn on Trio-Convulsant

Bassist/Composer Trevor Dunn reconvenes Trio-Convulsant for the first time in two decades with ambitious new album – Séances. Jason Barnard asks Trevor about bringing back Trio-Convulsant and life in music from Mr. Bungle onwards.

What led you to reconvening Trio-Convulsant after 18 years?

My own projects are always on my mind regardless of how much time between output. I knew I wanted to continue this trio and add to it— do something different with the core idea. It took a long time because I’ve been busy doing other stuff.

Can you describe how and when the material for Séances was composed?

Not easy to do. Some of the ideas date back years. I collect material, concepts and cells of ideas so that I have a cauldron to draw from. That said, during lockdown (’20/’21), when I wasn’t stricken by existential terror or drinking too much, the older ideas coalesced with new ones and a general sense of a narrative came together. How it is composed also varies. I tend to write on guitar, but also bass and keyboard. My process varies tune to tune. Sometimes I start from the bottom, other times a melody comes out first and I have to figure out a way to harmonize it. Those are the particularly fun parts of composing.

Who else was involved in the recording process?

Ryan Streber engineered the recording, Ron Saint Germain and myself mixed it, and Scott Hull mastered.

Séances continues to expand your range of styles. Did you have a vision of how the record should sound when you started putting it together?

No. That took a long time to figure out. But as I mentioned, when the ideas started to coalesce I started to get an image of the bigger picture. I could then say to myself, this record is going to need another up-tempo piece, or something more angular, or something sweeter. It’s important for me to make the record work as a whole and give it a varied shape with plenty of tension and release.

How has the range of projects you have collaborated on since 2004 influenced this album?

Everything influences everything else. Sometimes in a negative way, as in, “I’m not going to do this that way”. Every time I learn someone else’s piece of music I learn something. Every time I listen to a record I’ve never heard I learn something. If you look around, if you are aware, everything, and I mean everything, is an influence.

When did you first start playing the bass, why that instrument in particular?

I started bass when I was 13 after my older brother, who played guitar, got me into rock music. This was in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. I chose bass only because it was similar but not totally the same as what he was playing. It didn’t hit me until later what the actual difference was.

Which artists are your biggest musical influences? Have they changed over the years?

Too many to list and day by day the list grows. Jaco, Bobby Vega, Carol Kaye, Paul Jackson, Scott Lafaro, Mingus, Charlie Haden and Ray Brown all had an early affect on me.

Do you remember meeting Mike Patton for the first time – was it apparent in those early days that you had a connection and would work so well together?

We met in middle school, right around the time I was learning bass. He was cavorting with basketball jocks and I with D&D geeks. We started trading records once we realized we were both into hard rock and metal. Eventually we realized we were both somewhat misanthropic.

What was it like reforming Mr. Bungle and to revisit your early demos?

It was a lot of fun. Somewhat nostalgic, but also mature and distinguished in some way. Really a blast to be in the studio again with Mike & Trey in particular.

What other projects are you working on currently?

I started my own micro-DIY label, Riverworm Records and have been putting out a few obscure things that I am directly involved with including Riverworm Bandcamp page! I’m trying to finish a singer/songwriter album under my own name (no fancy band names on this one) as well as remixing a film score I wrote several years ago.

What are your future plans?

Write more, keep playing, go hiking more and spend more time on the river and having dinner with my mom.