Omar Rodríguez-López
Omar Rodríguez-López | |
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![]() Omar Rodríguez-López in 2008 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López |
Born | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | September 1, 1975
Origin | El Paso, Texas |
Genres | Progressive rock, psychedelic rock, alternative rock, experimental, electronic, math rock, post-hardcore, dub, punk jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer, filmmaker |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, bass, drums, piano, synthesizer and other keyboard instruments, sitar, vocals, sampler, clavinet |
Years active | 1991–present |
Website | Rodriguez Lopez Productions |
Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975) is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, writer, actor and film director who was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. He is the composer, guitarist and producer for the progressive rock group The Mars Volta, and the former bassist and guitarist for the dub reggae band De Facto and the post-hardcore outfit At the Drive-In respectively. He has also embarked on a solo career, both in studio and in concert, frequently described as experimental, avant-garde and/or progressive. He has collaborated with numerous artists spanning from John Frusciante to El-P.
Biography
Rodríguez-López was born in Puerto Rico[1] and grew up in El Paso, Texas, but spent some of his childhood in South Carolina. He began playing the bass at age 12, but then switched to guitar at 15 because he "needed more strings".[2] It was during this time that Rodríguez-López met Cedric Bixler-Zavala while practicing with friend Paul Hinojos. Since then Rodríguez-López has spent most of his career living and working with his close friend Bixler-Zavala. During this time he frequently collaborated with his friends and future bandmates from El Paso, which included people such as Paul Hinojos, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Julio Venegas and the now late Jeremy Michael Ward. He attended Coronado High School in El Paso. Although his free time away from his obligations to the band, says he enjoys the company of his close friends and family.
At the Drive-In
At 17, Rodríguez-López left El Paso to hitchhike around the country for a year in the early 1990s, during which he acquired an addiction to opiates.[3] Eventually he got in touch with friend Cedric Bixler-Zavala who suggested he come back to El Paso. With the help of Bixler-Zavala, he was able to return to El Paso where he could begin to reclaim his life from addiction and join At the Drive-In as backup vocalist and bass guitarist. After receiving a record deal with Flipside Records and recording Acrobatic Tenement with the band, he became their full-time bassist before switching to guitar. After several years and two more critically acclaimed albums, for a variety of reasons, Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala left At the Drive-In and the band went on "indefinite hiatus". The remaining members, Paul Hinojos, Tony Hajjar, and Jim Ward went on to form Sparta while the duo focused on other projects.
On January 9, 2012, At the Drive-In announced that they were reforming for a tour.[4]
The Mars Volta
They refocused their efforts on the dub reggae outfit called De Facto which also included Jeremy Michael Ward and Ikey Owens which they had started years before while still in At The Drive-In. Eventually the same collective of musicians in De Facto would be expanded into Rodriguez-Lopez's new band, The Mars Volta. Once again starting from scratch he wrote and toured with the band which consumed almost all his time and money.
On May 25, 2003 less than a month before the release of their first full-length album, De-Loused in the Comatorium, bandmate and close friend Jeremy Ward was found dead of a heroin overdose. This event, coupled with the memories of the suicide of his friend Julio Venegas years earlier, finally convinced both him and Bixler-Zavala to quit using hard narcotics. Since then he has been clean and credited his newfound musical work ethic on his new lifestyle. The Mars Volta's second album, Frances the Mute, would later be dedicated to Ward.
During the early years of the band he also worked on a low budget movie called A Manual Dexterity which starred Jeremy Ward. The soundtrack A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume 1 was released in 2004. The release of the second volume, which was originally planned for Spring of 2005, and the film were both delayed indefinitely due to legal problems. Conflicts over ownership of certain footage and Rodríguez-López's reluctance to revisit the project which featured his late friend Jeremy Michael Ward were both cited as reasons for the delay.[5] However, Rodríguez-López stated that he does intend to release both Volume 2 and the film at some point in the future.
On February 8, 2009, he and his fellow The Mars Volta bandmates won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Omar_Rodriguez_Lopez_live_in_Columbus%2C_Ohio.jpg/300px-Omar_Rodriguez_Lopez_live_in_Columbus%2C_Ohio.jpg)
Omar Rodriguez Lopez Quintet
In 2005 Rodríguez-López relocated to Amsterdam, where he eventually wrote and recorded four separate albums. His first solo project was the "Omar Rodríguez-López Quintet". Rodríguez-López played several live shows in Europe with his quintet, which in 2005 also included three members of The Mars Volta Group (Juan Alderete, Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez and Adrián Terrazas-González) and Money Mark.
The songs featured on this tour later appeared on the album Omar Rodriguez. It was characterized by long, improvisational songs with Dutch titles and no lyrics. The Quintet also performed live with Damo Suzuki, parts of which were recorded and incorporated into a 25-minute EP titled Please Heat This Eventually, which was released in 2007.
During this time Rodríguez-López was also working on The Mars Volta's 2006 record Amputechture and composing the score to the film El Búfalo de la Noche, a film by Guillermo Arriaga and Jorge Hernandez Aldana simultaneously to his work with the quintet.
On May 29, 2007 Se Dice Bisonte, No Búfalo was released. It was the third full-length solo album by Rodriguez-Lopez. It featured performances by Mars Volta members Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Marcel Rodríguez-López, Juan Alderete, Adrián Terrazas-González as well as cameos by Money Mark, John Frusciante, and John Theodore. It was written and recorded between 2005-2006 in California and Amsterdam.
The Quintet later resurfaced in 2007, now known as "The Rodríguez-López Group" to perform on the "white" stage at The Fuji Rock Festival in Japan on July 28.[5] Performing with the group for the first time were singer, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and drummer, Thomas Pridgen.
Solo releases
On October 8, 2007 the EP Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Lydia Lunch, a collaboration with spoken word poet Lydia Lunch, was released.[6] The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange is a double LP featuring the original quintet and was released on vinyl November 20, 2007.[7] It was also released for digital download. Calibration, a record that Rodriguez-Lopez recorded during his stay in Amsterdam, was released February 5, 2008. It was described as being influenced by electronic music and acid-jazz.[5]
On June 10, 2008 a recording titled Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Jeremy Michael Ward was released. It was a collaboration between the two and was recorded in 2001 before the formation of The Mars Volta. The LP consists of various ambient tracks based on field recordings in the musique concrète tradition. Rodriguez-Lopez has continued to release a series of albums recorded in 2001 which include Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fungus and Minor Cuts and Scrapes in the Bushes Ahead, both released in late 2008.
Another new album, Old Money was released in October 2008, with a vinyl version becoming available in early 2009 on the Stones Throw record label.[8] Sonny Kay, co-owner of the former Gold Standard Labs label with Omar, created the album covers (and has done so for all future Omar releases). Two Omar Rodriguez-Lopez solo albums were released in Europe on January 26, 2009 from Holland-based record label Willie Anderson Recordings: Megaritual and Despair. Despair is best described as a field recording, while Megaritual is a collaboration jam between Omar and his brother, Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez.
In mid-2009, a new entity has been created called El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez (the New Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group) to release the first in a series of three recordings completed in 2006. Thus far these recordings have only been known as the Omar and Zach Hill collaborations. The first recording titled Cryptomnesia was released on May 5, 2009. Vocals written and performed by Bixler-Zavala were recorded in 2008. The lineup for this entity is: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez on guitar, Cedric Bixler-Zavala on vocals, Zach Hill on drums, Jonathan Hischke on synth bass, and Juan Alderete on bass.
The Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group toured Europe in March 2009, supported by Zechs Marquise.
At the end of 2009, Rodriguez-Lopez released three albums, Los Sueños de un Hígado, Xenophanes and Solar Gambling digitally through Rodriguez-Lopez Productions. While Xenophanes was also released on CD and vinyl, Los Suenos De Un Higado and Solar Gambling only had a limited vinyl release. Rodriguez-Lopez also created a video for "Asco Que Conmueve los Puntos Erógenos", from Xenophanes, and posted it on YouTube on November 30, 2009.
In January 2010, Ciencia de los Inútiles was released under a new group, El Trio de Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. The trio features Rodriguez-Lopez on acoustic guitar, Ximena Sariñana on vocals and Aaron Cruz on upright bass. A video for "Miércoles" was also released. In May 2010, he released a collaboration titled Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & John Frusciante with John Frusciante, free of charge through his website, with the option to donate. All money raised will go to the Keep Music In Schools programs. On May 30, 2010, the album Sepulcros de Miel by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quartet was digitally released, which also featured Frusciante.[9]
The album Tychozorente was scheduled for release on November 1, 2010; however, it received an early release on September 14, 2010 as a digital download. Another album, titled Cizaña de los Amores, was digitally released on October 11, 2010. CD and vinyl versions of both albums are only available in Europe. Mantra Hiroshima, another Omar and Zach Hill collaboration, was digitally released on November 29, followed next day by Dōitashimashite, album of live material recorded in September during Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group first US tour. A video for "Agua Dulce de Pulpo" from the upcoming album Un Escorpión Perfumado was also released during that period, and the album itself was released on December 20 in digital form, with CD and vinyl versions to follow.
On April 16, 2011, Omar released Telesterion a compilation album featuring 38 songs from Omar's solo albums. Although this has been the only release of 2011, other projects have been hinted at, such as Двойственность вздохов (Russian for Duality of Sighs), a documentary about Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group Russian mini-tour, directed by Omar and shot by Paco Ibarra.[10] The Vinyl edition of Telesterion also contained artwork for 6 solo albums that have yet to be released, and featured a new track, "Cásate Colmillo", off of an album supposedly titled The Somnambulists.
Creative Expansion
Alongside his musical career, Rodriguez-Lopez wrote, directed, produced and starred in The Sentimental Engine Slayer. The film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in February 2010, and is being screened in various theatres across North America. The Sentimental Engine Slayer is reportedly the third film Rodriguez-Lopez has created, although whether his first two films will ever be released is still unknown.
Furthermore, Rodriguez-Lopez and Hans Zimmer worked together to compose the score for the 2009 Guillermo Arriaga film The Burning Plain.[11] The film was his second collaboration with the writer/director after scoring the 2007 film El Búfalo de la Noche with The Mars Volta. In addition to some original material, the score consists largely of material used in Amputechture.
Musicianship
Style
Rodriguez-Lopez's compositional and playing style is characterized by, among other factors, riffs, melodies based in minor modes, changing meters, unresolving dissonances (in particular a heavy use of the tritone), chromatic passages, serial composition and lengthy improvisation. He is also known for his vast array of effects pedals; in a feature appearing in Guitar World, Rodriguez-Lopez stated that he "began to see effects as allies in my war against the guitar". In that interview he also stated that he hated the guitar for a very long time. He only utilized it because it was the instrument his bandmates could "relate to". He said he "wrestled" guitar by adding effects and playing oddly to attempt "making it sound like anything besides this thing I hate—the guitar!". However, he claimed to feel more comfortable with the instrument on Amputechture.[12]
Rodriguez-Lopez plays guitar left-handed. He has cited salsa pianist and bandleader Larry Harlow as his primary influence.[13] Both Rodriguez-Lopez and bandmate Cedric have often stated their admiration for early 1970s krautrock group Can, and have even recorded with former Can lead singer Damo Suzuki for the Please Heat This Eventually EP.[citation needed] In the progressive rock genre in which The Mars Volta are often categorized, he has professed that he "like[s] a lot of those groups, particularly King Crimson and early Genesis."[14] As such, he has cited Crimson's Robert Fripp as an influence, as well as jazz fusion guitarist John McLaughlin and Jimi Hendrix.[15] He has also stated that film is a primary influence on him, likening his recording style to that of a film director, where the "scenes are shot out of sequence and the final creation is in the hands of the director.".[13]
Omar has endorsed Ibanez guitars since The Mars Volta's inception in 2001, however, Omar has used his signature Ibanez guitar since 2006 in the studio and onstage. He uses Seymour Duncan Custom Staggered SSL-5 pickups as well. Although he tunes to E standard tuning, Omar uses Ernie Ball .013-.056 gauge strings with a wound G string, saying that "they feel more real than the really thin ones". Omar also plays through an Orange Rockerverb combo amp as well. (Note: All of this information comes from his rig being used in the 2011 TMV shows with Soundgarden)
As producer
Rodriguez is also notable for his recording, producing and songwriting techniques. He has been known to refuse to let other musicians in a session hear each other's parts, or the context of their own part, thus forcing them to play each part as if it's a self-sufficient song.[citation needed] Yet Rodriguez has stated that he believes Octahedron will be the final album he records in this "gun-in-your-face mentality" as "gonna have to come up with something new, because everybody's getting used to it.".[16] He has claimed that he is "ignorant of music theory" and that thus he lacks knowledge in writing music in sheet music form, claiming that his songwriting "comes from emotion completely".[17] Rodriguez claims to write all of the music for his projects, then dictates the performance to the musicians involved.[18]
In addition to his producing credits with The Mars Volta and his solo albums, he also produced the only LP from the defunct LA-based band Radio Vago and in 2009, handled the production of a recording titled "Terra Incognita" from actress/singer Juliette Lewis' band The New Romantiques. Omar also produced (as well as contributed bass to) Sin Sin Sin, the debut LP from the band Le Butcherettes, which is set to be released in 2011[needs update] on Rodriguez-Lopez Productions.
Discography
- As a solo artist
- A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume One (2004)
- Omar Rodriguez (2005)
- Se Dice Bisonte, No Bùfalo (2007)
- The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange (2007; as "Omar Rodriguez Lopez Quintet")
- Calibration (Is Pushing Luck and Key Too Far) (2007)
- Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fungus (2008)
- Minor Cuts and Scrapes in the Bushes Ahead (2008)
- Old Money (2008)
- Megaritual (2009)
- Despair (2009)
- Cryptomnesia (2009; as "El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez Lopez")
- Los Sueños de un Hígado (2009; Live; as "Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group")
- Xenophanes (2009)
- Solar Gambling (2009)
- Ciencia de los Inútiles (2010; as "El Trio De Omar Rodriguez Lopez")
- Sepulcros de Miel (2010; as "Omar Rodriguez Lopez Quartet")
- Tychozorente (2010)
- Cizaña de los Amores (2010)
- Mantra Hiroshima (2010)
- Dōitashimashite (2010; Live; as "Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group")
- Un Escorpión Perfumado (2010)
- Telesterion (2011; compilation)
- The Somnambulists (TBA)
- Collaborations
- The Special 12 Singles Series (2005)
- Please Heat This Eventually (2007; featuring "Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group")
- Omar Rodriguez Lopez & Lydia Lunch (2007; featuring "Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group")
- Omar Rodriguez Lopez & Jeremy Michael Ward (2008)
- The Burning Plain soundtrack (2008)
- Omar Rodriguez Lopez & John Frusciante (2010)
- With Startled Calf
- I Love Being Trendy (1991)
- With At the Drive-In
- Acrobatic Tenement (1996)
- El Gran Orgo (1997)
- In/Casino/Out (1998, re-release 2004)
- Vaya (1999, re-release 2004)
- Sunshine / At the Drive-In (2000)
- Relationship of Command (2000, re-release 2004)
- This Station Is Non-Operational (2005)
- With De Facto
- 456132015 (2001)
- Megaton Shotblast (2001)
- How Do You Dub? You Fight For Dub, You Plug Dub In (2001)
- Légende du Scorpion á Quatre Queues (2001)
- With The Mars Volta
- Tremulant (2002)
- De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
- Live (2003)
- Frances the Mute (2005)
- Scabdates (2005)
- Amputechture (2006)
- The Bedlam in Goliath (2008)
- Octahedron (2009)
- Noctourniquet (2012)
- Guest appearances
- Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three by Various Artists (Produced by Henry Rollins) (2002)
- Shadows Collide With People by John Frusciante (2004)
- Inside of Emptiness by John Frusciante (2004)
- Curtains by John Frusciante (2005)
- Radio Vago by Radio Vago (2005)
- The Phantom Syndrome by Coaxial (2005)
- Stadium Arcadium by Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006)
- I'll Sleep When You're Dead by El-P (2007)
- New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) by Erykah Badu (2008)
- Negativa by Hour of the Monarchy (2010)
- Calma Pueblo by Calle 13 (2010)
- Sin Sin Sin by Le Butcherettes (2011)
- As producer
- El Gran Orgo by At the Drive-In (1997) co-produced with Bryan Jones and other members of At the Drive-In
- Sunshine / At the Drive-In by At the Drive-In (2000) co-produced with other members of At the Drive-In
- De-Loused in the Comatorium by The Mars Volta (2003) co-produced with Rick Rubin
- Live by The Mars Volta (2003) co-produced with Cedric Bixler-Zavala
- A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume 1 (2004)
- Frances the Mute by The Mars Volta (2005)
- Scabdates by The Mars Volta (2005)
- Omar Rodriguez (2005)
- Radio Vago by Radio Vago (2005)
- Amputechture by The Mars Volta (2006)
- Please Heat This Eventually (2007)
- Se Dice Bisonte, No Bùfalo (2007)
- Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Lydia Lunch (2007)
- The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange (2007)
- Calibration (Is Pushing Luck and Key Too Far) (2007)
- The Bedlam in Goliath by The Mars Volta (2008)
- Omar Rodriguez Lopez & Jeremy Michael Ward (2008)
- Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fungus (2008)
- Minor Cuts and Scrapes in the Bushes Ahead (2008)
- Old Money (2008)
- Megaritual (2009)
- Despair (2009)
- Cryptomnesia (2009)
- Octahedron by The Mars Volta (2009)
- Terra Incognita by Juliette and The New Romantiques (2009)
- Los Sueños de un Higado (2009)
- Xenophanes (2009)
- Solar Gambling (2009)
- Ciencia de los Inútiles (2010)
- Omar Rodriguez Lopez & John Frusciante (2010)
- Sepulcros de Miel (2010)
- Tychozorente (2010) co-produced with Elvin Estela
- Cizaña de los Amores (2010)
- Mantra Hiroshima (2010)
- Dōitashimashite (2010)
- Un Escorpión Perfumado (2010)
- Telesterion (2011; compilation)
- Sin Sin Sin by Le Butcherettes (2011)
- Noctourniquet by The Mars Volta (2012)
Filmography
As performer
- Feature films
- All Tomorrow's Parties (2009)
- The Sentimental Engine Slayer (2010)
As director
- Feature films
- "A Manual Dexterity" (2001) - unreleased
- "Letters from Dystopia" (2003) - unreleased
- "The Sentimental Engine Slayer" (2007) - released 2010
- "El Divino Influjo de los Secretos" (2008)
- "Boiling Death Request" (2008)
- "La Venganza de los Labios Extranjeros" (2009)
- "Los Chidos" (2011) - released 2012
- Music videos
- "Inertiatic ESP" (2003) for The Mars Volta
- "L'Via L'Viaquez" (2005) for The Mars Volta
- "The Widow" (2005) for The Mars Volta
- "Wax Simulacra" (2008) for The Mars Volta
- "Aberinkula" (2008) for The Mars Volta
- "Ilyena" (2008) for The Mars Volta
- "Goliath" (2008) for The Mars Volta
- "Askepios" (2008) for The Mars Volta
- "Calibration" (2008) for Omar Rodriguez Lopez
- "Cotopaxi" (2009) for The Mars Volta
- "Since We've Been Wrong" (2009) for The Mars Volta
- "Asco Que Conmueve los Puntos Erógenos" (2009) for Omar Rodriguez Lopez
- "Miercoles" (2010) for El Trio De Omar Rodriguez Lopez
- "Polaridad" (2010) for Omar Rodriguez Lopez
- "Agua Dulce De Pulpo" (2010) for Omar Rodriguez Lopez
- "Shine Down" (2011) for Ximena Sariñana
- Collaborations
- "Metronome Arthritis" (1999) video for At the Drive-In with Dan Tierney and other members of At the Drive-In
- "One Armed Scissor" (2000) video for At the Drive-In with other members of At the Drive-In
References
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "The Mars Volta". Mixonline.com. 2003-09-01. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ HARP Magazine
- ^ "BREAKING NEWS: At The Drive-In to reunite". Alternative Press. 2012-01-09. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
- ^ a b c "Sito Italiano Non Ufficiale Dedicato Ai The Mars Volta". www.themarsvoltaitalia.com. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ News for July 12, 2007 http://www.goldstandardlabs.com/news.html
- ^ "Infrasonic Sound". Infrasonic Sound. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ "Omar Rodriguez Lopez releases Old Money on Stones Throw | Stones Throw Records". Stonesthrow.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "Niet compatibele browser". Facebook. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "Двойственность вздохо « Rodriguez Lopez Productions". Rodriguezlopezproductions.com. 2010-12-28. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ Elley, Derek (2008-08-29). "The Burning Plain". Variety.com. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ "The New Guitar Gods - The Mars Volta". Guitarworld.com. 2008-11-07. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ a b "The New Guitar Gods: Mars Volta". Guitar World. 2008-11-07. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Interview Outtakes". Guitarplayer.com. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ "Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and the Boss ME-20...Partners in Tone". Bossus.com. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ Freeman, Phil (2009-06-22). "Interview: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez on Mars Volta's Fifth Album Octahedron and His Solo Record Cryptomnesia - New York Music - Sound of the City". Blogs.villagevoice.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ Varga, George (2004-04-01). "Speakers of the house | The San Diego Union-Tribune". Signonsandiego.com. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ^ "Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Chats Projects, Mars Volta". SPIN.com. 2007-05-21. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
Infrasonic Sound Recording Co.
External links
- 1975 births
- Living people
- American funk guitarists
- American multi-instrumentalists
- American punk rock guitarists
- American reggae guitarists
- American rock guitarists
- At the Drive-In members
- Lead guitarists
- People from Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- People from El Paso, Texas
- Stones Throw Records artists
- Puerto Rican guitarists
- Puerto Rican multi-instrumentalists
- Hispanic and Latino American people