Mike Patton

Mike Patton is the lead vocalist of Mr. Bungle.

Background
Born in Eureka, California on 27 January 1968 to a high-school PE teacher father and social worker mother, Michael Allan Patton was raised in a considerably isolated environment. His childhood home was in the midst of a forest 20 minutes away from Eureka, with no nearby neighbours. What is exceptionally remarkable about Patton’s phenomenal talent is that he never received any formal musical training growing up, save high school music lessons. “From a young age I was definitely imitating birds, but I didn’t know it at the time. This is what my parents tell me. Once I started making these weird sounds with my voice, they gave me this little flexi-disc of mouth sounds, like guys that could make odd sounds. I don’t know why they gave it to me, but that was one of my favorite records. It all comes from what I’ve discovered and the things I’ve been able to try. Play with a saxophone player and a drummer, see what happens. I’m not a studied, learned, academic musician.” (Simonini 2013).

A rabid music fan from a young age, Patton formed the band Mr Bungle in 1984 with some Eureka High School classmates.

Relationship to Mr. Bungle
He formed Mr. Bungle, with Trey Spruance and Trevor Dunn, in 1985. Initially beginning as a death metal act, Mr Bungle were to later diversify their sound, branching out into genres from everything to ska to jazz to techno  - often in the course of a single track. During the late '80s Mr Bungle released a number of recordings on cassette only: The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, Goddammit I Love America, Bowel of Chiley and OU818, featuring tracks that would later be included on their first Warner Bros. Records release.