Mr. Bungle consists of Bär Mckinnon, Danny Heifetz (drums, percussion), Mike Patton (vocals, keys), Trevor Dunn (bass, upright bass), Trey Spruance (guitar, keys, samples), William Winant (percussion).
Mr. Bungle was an avant-garde, experimental musical group that cycled through several musical genres oftentimes within the course of a single song, fusing radically different styles together. While it would be impossible to list all of the genres incorporated into their music, some notable ones include heavy metal, rock music, ska, free jazz, pop, contemporary art music, rockabilly, bossa nova, and even video game and cartoon music. Mr. Bungle released three full-length albums between 1991 and 1999 and has not been active since then.
Their self-titled debut Mr. Bungle, recorded a year after Mike Patton was recruited into Faith No More, was produced by jazz experimentalist John Zorn. The content is very hard to pin down using specific genres, and the structure and musical style of any single track can dramatically alter anywhere in a song. One track on the album, "Quote Unquote" caused a minor controversy; it was originally titled "Travolta", presumably referring to actor John Travolta, but was renamed after the actor reportedly threatened legal action.
Disco Volante, their second major release, has a completely different tone. It is the most experimental of Mr. Bungle's albums as the music ventures into more complex and formal sonic territory. Extreme shifts of musical style are constant throughout the album, arguably making it Mr. Bungle's most difficult and inaccessible release.
The band's third album, California, is their most accessible. While the genre shifts are still present, they are less frequent, giving the album a less chaotic and more stable feel.
