Mad, bad and dangerous to know
Alastair Walker meets Fantômas
(from the CMU website)


FANTÔMAS is the brainchild of Faith No More genius
vocalist Mike Patton. A side project to his other
work, Fantômas is an exciting band with a
somewhat unpredictable approach. The music is
unique - going from subtle and precise to brutal
and explosive - very much an amalgamation of the
bands from which the members come without
sounding very much like any one of them.

While certainly not expecting to become 'the next big thing', the
band feels that a good portion of the music
listening public is ready for something
challenging and unique. We caught up with the
band to find out more...

The French literary character that you get your name from is
extremely dark ... can we expect dark things from Fantômas?

Patton: Yes, expect dark things ... and bright
things ... when least expected.  There are
high expectations from the various fans of the
bands that you have been in (and are in!) ... How
do you that feel about that?

Lombardo: Leave your expectations behind.

Patton: We are all proud of our other projects;
but Fantômas is not like anything any of us have
done before.

Lombardo: There have been fans at shows yelling
out for Faith No More, Slayer, and Melvins songs
- but those fans generally leave disappointed.
You've set up your own label for this band - Ipecac Records 
- was this the only way to get 'artistic' freedom?

Patton: Ipecac is not just about artistic
freedom, it is also a business opportunity. It's
a way to put out records we like, and hope others
do too. We are not worried about charts, magazine
covers and ot her popularity contests. We go in
with modest expectations and with no one else to
blame. Greg and I have been in this industry a
long time. Why not do it ourselves?

Will you be singing up other artists?

Patton: Well, we aren't looking to hand out
hundreds of long term contracts, if that is what
you mean. We will be working with other artists
on a record by record basis. If a band is unhappy
at Ipecac they will be free to leave. We are not
getting into the game of 'owning' bands. We are
operating on a very low budget and bands will
know that up front. We are not looking for the
'next big thing'. We have been speaking to a lot
of bands that are very interested - you might be
very surprised to hear how many bands are not
happy with the label they are on - but we are
taking it slow. We will not be tied to one sound
either. Our tastes are all over the place and the
label will reflect that. We are extremely
honoured to be working with the Melvins. They
told us that they were the greatest band in the
history of music ... so we had to agree to work
with them. They will be putting out a three CD
trilogy beginning with 'The Maggot' in May,
followed by 'The Bootlicker' and 'The Crybaby '
at three month intervals. The music is amazing!
The best Melvins yet. In general, I guess, we
will be pretty choosy.

Is there much use of sample and technology in the Fantômas sound?

Patton: Not much.

Lombardo: It is a real gong.

Plans to tour? Outside the US?

Lombardo: Yes, we hope to tour everywhere, but
there are those other commitments to juggle.

Patton: We really look forward to doing Europe.
When? Who knows.

Does being in other bands make it a nightmare to focus just
on Fantômas?

Lombardo: Nightmare? No, it is great.

Patton: It keeps things interesting to do many
different projects. It can be frustrating when
one project does not get as much attention as you
would like. During the FNM years I could not do
as much Mr Bungle, but you make it work.

Lombardo: You have to find the time and schedule
as far ahead as possible.

OK here's the lame question ... What were you guys
listening to/doing to get so naaaaasty?

Lombardo: Naaaaasty?

Patton: How dare you! How many 'a's' in nasty was that?

Could Fantômas ever support/play with one of the other bands 
that you are part of?

Patton: I would not rule it out. We were thinking
about doing a New Years Eve show of Grip Inc,
Melvins, Mr Bungle and Fantômas.

Lombardo: Now that would be the way to ring in
the new millennium!

Patton: Drown away the Y2K fears!

Is this an ongoing project or a one-off-album, see how it goes 
type thing?

Patton: There will be more!

Lombardo: You are not getting off that easy!