The album's title refers to the name of the yacht of the same name featured in the James Bond filmThunderball, literally meaning "Flying Saucer" in Italian. Mr. Bungle had previously done a cover version of the film's theme song. This was featured on the demo Warner Bros. Mr Bungle Demo Rough Mixes. Disco Volante would be founding member Theo Lengyel's final album with the band, leaving shortly after the tour due to "artistic differences". Band member Danny Heifetz would later comment, "I miss him. He added a huge chemical imbalance that helped us on the road. He hates us and rightfully so. The music changed, plain and simple. Very little call for saxes, trombone or flute. He was an original member. I'm not. Makes me feel a bit like a union-buster." Regarding the writing process of the album, bassist Trevor Dunn wrote on his website:
Release
Disco Volante spawned a number of officially unreleased demos : "Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz", "Coldsore" and "Spy". "Coldsore" featured portions later used in "Love on the Event Horizon". "Spy" didn't feature on the release at all. The vocal effect in this song is taken from Jean-Luc Godard's sci-fifilm noirAlphaville, using a mechanical voice box to create the effect.
Critical reception
Disco Volante has been well received by critics. In their highly favorable review of the album, AllMusic wrote, "Mr. Bungle is the musical equivalent of a David Lynch movie", calling the music a "totally original and new musical style, and an album that sounds like nothing that currently exists." They referred to the track "Desert Search for Techno Allah" as "a middle eastern techno number that has to be heard to be believed." Stylus Magazine, in their 2005 review, wrote, "A decade later, Disco Volante still sounds daring."
Clinton McKinnon – tenor saxophone, clarinet, keyboards on "After School Special", drums on "Violenza Domestica", production and sleeve art layout and design
Patton – vocals, microcassette, organs on "The Bends" and "Backstrokin'", ocarina on "Sleep : Carry Stress in the Jaw", production and sleeve art layout and design
Theo – alto saxophone, production and sleeve art layout and design
William Winant – cymbals on "Chemical Marriage", bongos on "Sleep : Carry Stress in the Jaw", tabla, kanjira and sistrums on "Desert Search for Techno Allah", jaw harp and percussion on "Violenzia Domestica" and bongos, xylophone and glockenspiel on "Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz"
Graham Connah – piano on "Violenzia Domestica", "The Bends" and "Platypus"
Lisandro Adrover – bandoneón on "Violenzia Domestica"
