Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the mad genius behind the sonic hellscapes of Mars Volta and At the Drive-In, announced an ambitious new project today that will keep fans in new music for the rest of the year and beyond.
In a new partnership with Ipecac Records, Rodriguez-Lopez will be releasing a treasure trove of new material recorded from 2008-2013. He’s starting his new relationship with an ambitious 12 albums, the first of which, Sworn Virgins, will be released next week followed be a new digital release every two weeks from now until the end of 2016.
The albums will be released digitally, with a limited number of physical copies available for purchase the various Rodriguez-Lopez live outings. The set will then be made available as a box in either CD or LP format.
“The best part about having a record label is that you get to choose to work with people that you really admire,” said Ipecac co-owner Greg Werckman. “We had all admired Omar’s work from afar and then recently got to know him up close. It was so great to find out that as talented as he is, he is an even better human being and we love having him as part of the Ipecac family. But, it seems that he has blatantly taken advantage of our friendship. Sure, we were excited to release his solo catalog… but this many titles??????? What have we gotten ourselves into?”
Rodriguez-Lopez adds, “It’s crucial in this day and age to be able to surround yourself with like-minded people that you can share an ethos with. I feel grateful and fortunate enough to have found this with such amazing people: Mike, Greg, Shawn, Marc and the Ipecac family. After throwing around many different project ideas, this seemed like the best place to actually begin, on what will surely be a long lasting collaboration. I can’t think of a better home for these records or of another label crazy enough to put out this much material. The series also owes its blood to the hard work and talents of Jon Debaun and Chris Common, who diligently scoured through endless hard drives to find these albums and provide such stellar mixes.”
It’s daunting to look at, with enough albums to cover what might be an entire career’s worth of music for other artists. But Rodriguez-Lopez has always been one to push boundaries, and this is entirely in his wheelhouse. The albums are said to be sonically distinct from each other, with various musicians helping him out on each record. Some include collaborations with his Mars Volta bandmates, while Bosnian Rainbow vocalist Teri Gender Bender is said to appear as well. Even John Frusciante, with whom Rodriguez-Lopez has a long term working relationship, got in on the project, making this a remarkable, one-of-a-kind, rock and roll experience.
See the full release schedule below and hold on tight; the last half of 2016 is set to be a wild ride.
Sworn Virgins (July 15)
Corazones (July 29)
Blind Worms, Pious Swine (August 12)
Arañas en La Sombra (August 26)
Umbrella Mistress (September 9)
El Bien Y Mal Nos Une (September 23)
Cell Phone Bikini (October 7)
Infinity Drips (October 21)
Weekly Mansions (November 4)
Zapopan (November 18)
Nom De Guerre Cabal (December 2)
Some Need It Lonely (December 16)
