Mike Patton & Jean-Claude Vannier Collaboration
Mike Patton and renowned French composer Jean-Claude Vannier, who is perhaps best known for his work with Serge Gainsbourg, have announced the release of Corpse Flower, a 12-song album featuring the first single, ‘On Top Of The World’.
“Jean-Claude and I met while working together on a Gainsbourg retrospective at the Hollywood Bowl in 2011,” explains Patton. “We bonded immediately. I could see he had a dedication and attention to detail that was relentless so the respect I had for him in my mind was magnified in person. We spoke loosely about working together in the future… and it took some time, but after a few years I contacted him and we began to ignite some sparks.”
“I would send Mike rough versions of the songs to get his thoughts, then I’d wait impatiently, staring at the clock, until I received his response,” offers Vannier about the process the duo used to create Corpse Flower. “He made my music awaken with his unique perspective and interpretations of my songs. A formidable vocalist, with a sense of humour, Mike and I created a strong, beautiful and sincere collection of music, as well as a friendship.”
A variety of musicians, both in Los Angeles and Paris, took part in the recording of Corpse Flower with the Los Angeles team including Smokey Hormel (Beck, Johnny Cash), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Air, Nine Inch Nails) and James Gadson (Beck, Jamie Lidell). The Parisian players are Denys Lable, Bernard Paganotti (Magma), Daniel Ciampolini, Didier Malherbe, Léonard Le Cloarec and the Bécon Palace String Ensemble. The lyrics for ‘Ballad C.3.3.’ are drawn from Oscar Wilde’s “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” poem, which was initially published using the name C.3.3.
Mike Patton’s resume is virtually limitless, having kicked off his musical career as a teenager in the band Mr. Bungle, then joining Faith No More and going on to create a smorgasbord of bands and solo releases including Fantômas, Tomahawk, Mondo Cane, Dead Cross, Lovage and Peeping Tom. Jean-Claude Vannier, born in Paris during World War II, The Guardian dubbed him “the sound sculptor in Serge Gainsbourg’s shadow,” referencing his extensive work with the French musician including Histoire de Melody Nelson. His career has spanned nine solo records, countless contributions to film and TV scores, and his influence has been cited by numerous musicians including Beck, Pulse, Portishead, Massive Attack, Air and Tricky.
Corpse Flower is available now for pre-orders, including special embossed versions featuring Kenro Izu’s stunning cover photo. The album will be available on 180gram coloured vinyl, as well as a CD digipak and digitally on 13th September 2019 through Ipecac Recordings/Liberator Music.
