Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez grew up in El Paso, Texas, but spent some of his childhood in South Carolina, where 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 make it back to El Paso where he joined 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. While in At The Drive-In, he held some odd jobs, including a telemarketer for AT&T. He also worked as a secretary and sold acid and other various drugs. Omar started his music career at 15 years of age when he became the singer for the El Paso hardcore band, Startled Calf, from 1990 to 1992. Rodriguez-Lopez has spent most of his career working with, and often living with his close friend, Cedric Bixler Zavala. While still playing in At the Drive-In, they formed a dub reggae outfit called DeFacto. In 2001 both left At the Drive-In, which they had been part of since 1993, on "indefinite hiatus" to form The Mars Volta. In addition, Cedric appears on Rodriguez-Lopez's A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume 1, the soundtrack to Rodriguez-Lopez's film. The release date of this film is unknown. Rodriguez-Lopez's compositional and playing style is characterized by, among other factors, 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. Rodriguez-Lopez claims to be ignorant of any music theory. Rodriguez-Lopez's style has been likened to that of King Crimson's Robert Fripp (who also uses tritones abundantly). It is likely that Fripp has had a considerable influence on Rodriguez-Lopez. However, Rodriguez has cited salsa pianist and bandleader Larry Harlow as his primary influence. Rodriguez cites the comedian Lenny Bruce, the film-maker Werner Herzog and the New Age anthropologist Carlos Castaneda as three other important influences. Other notable comparisons can be drawn between Rodriguez and guitarist John McLaughlin of Mahavishnu Orchestra and Miles Davis fame. It is very likely that Rodriguez was influenced by McLaughlin as evident in his abundant use of complex time signatures and frequent meter changes in his playing. Many jazz and rock elements originally fused by pioneers such as McLaughlin are present in Rodriguez's playing as well. Rodriguez-Lopez is credited as writing all the music heard on The Mars Volta's 2005 release CD, Frances the Mute, as well as acting as record producer, arranging and recording all of the music. He also produced the first and only LP from the defunct LA-based band Radio Vago. Rodriguez-Lopez's playing style has been acknowledged by guitar legends such as Joe Satriani and Kirk Hammett.