SECRET CHIEFS 3 – Trey Spruance’s musical laboratory

Who are Secret Chiefs 3?

Secret Chiefs 3 are an American experimental music project led by guitarist, composer and producer Trey Spruance. He is best known as one of the key members of the cult band Mr. Bungle.

The project was formed in the mid-1990s. From the beginning, Spruance envisioned it as a space where he could develop ideas without conventional genre restrictions.

Surf rock, metal, jazz, psychedelia, film music and electronic music all coexist within the same world. Middle Eastern, Persian, Indian and other traditional musical forms are also part of the mix.

The result is not a conventional band with one easily identifiable style. The music constantly changes depending on the composition, album and line-up.

From Mr. Bungle to Secret Chiefs 3

Trey Spruance was one of the architects of Mr. Bungle’s sound. The band achieved cult status in the early 1990s through its radical combination of different genres.

His new project allowed him to take that approach even further. The first album, “First Grand Constitution and Bylaws”, was released in 1996. It was already clear how broad its musical scope would become.

It was followed by “Second Grand Constitution and Bylaws: Hurqalya” in 1998 and “Book M” in 2001. These releases developed a distinctive combination of surf guitars, cinematic atmospheres, complex rhythms, metal and traditional music.

Spruance was interested in more than simply combining different styles. He paid particular attention to instruments, scales, rhythms and musical traditions rarely encountered in rock and metal.

Seven bands within one project

One of the most unusual ideas behind Secret Chiefs 3 is the concept of seven different musical sub-projects.

Each represents a different part of Trey Spruance’s musical world. The Electromagnetic Azoth, UR, Ishraqiyun, Traditionalists, Holy Vehm, FORMS and NT Fan each have their own musical characteristics and functions.

One part can lean towards more extreme metal, while another explores traditional and microtonal musical systems. A third turns towards electronic music, while a fourth focuses on film music.

The 2004 album “Book of Horizons” is particularly important to the development of this idea. The concept of multiple bands became central to Spruance’s musical universe.

“Xaphan” and the music of John Zorn

In 2008, Secret Chiefs 3 released “Xaphan: Book of Angels Volume 9”. The album features compositions by American avant-garde composer John Zorn.

Xaphan is part of Zorn’s extensive Masada Book Two – The Book of Angels project. Spruance arranged Zorn’s compositions through his own distinctive musical language.

The collaboration with Zorn fitted naturally into the band’s world. Both artists are interested in radically combining musical traditions and complex composition. They also share an interest in pushing the boundaries of rock, metal, jazz, avant-garde and Middle Eastern music.

Xaphan became one of the project’s best-known releases. It also created an important connection with the wider American avant-garde scene.

“Book of Souls” and Ishraqiyun

Secret Chiefs 3 continued to develop different parts of their musical system through the “Book of Souls” series.

The album “Book of Souls: Folio A” was released in 2013. Once again, it demonstrated how far Spruance could take the idea of combining different musical languages.

Ishraqiyun holds a particularly important place within this world. This part of the project focuses strongly on Middle Eastern musical traditions, microtonality and complex rhythmic structures.

Guitars and rock instrumentation meet instruments and musical systems from entirely different traditions. These influences are never reduced to mere exotic decoration.

Secret Chiefs 3 live

Secret Chiefs 3 concerts are known for highly virtuosic performances. The complexity of the studio recordings does not disappear on stage.

The line-up has changed over the years. A large number of musicians from experimental, metal, jazz and avant-garde scenes have passed through the project.

Depending on the repertoire, a concert can move from surf rock into metal or from cinematic music into Middle Eastern melodies. An almost danceable rhythm can suddenly give way to a complex instrumental composition.

This approach has earned the band a special place among fans of Mr. Bungle, John Zorn and the wider experimental and avant-garde scene. Predictability was never part of the plan.

Info

🎤 Artist: Secret Chiefs 3

📍 San Francisco, USA

🎵 Genre: experimental rock • avant-garde • surf rock • metal • world music • cinematic • psychedelic

📅 Active since: 1995

💿 Key releases: First Grand Constitution and Bylaws (1996) • Hurqalya (1998) • Book M (2001) • Book of Horizons (2004) • Xaphan (2008) • Book of Souls: Folio A (2013)

🎛️ Founder and main composer: Trey Spruance

🔗 Associated artists: Mr. Bungle • John Zorn

⭐ Known for: combining surf rock, metal, film music, jazz, psychedelia and traditional musical systems, as well as highly virtuosic live performances

Upcoming events