Cryptomnesia

El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez Lopez | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 5, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rodriguez Lopez Productions
• ASIN: B001V7UXIK
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,816 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Tuberculoids

2. Half Kleptos

3. Cryptomnesia

4. They're Coming to Get You, Barbara

5. Puny Humans

6. Shake Is for 8th Graders

7. Noir

8. Paper Cunts

9. Elderly Pair Beaten with Hammer

10. Warren Oates

Editorial Reviews

2009 release from the prolific guitarist from Mars Volta. Cryptomnesia is the first release by El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez Lopez. This new outfit is differentiated from the guitarist's other namesake projects by his selection of players, specifically Zach Hill (Hella) on drums, Jonathan Hischke (Hella) on synth bass, and Juan Alderete de la Pe¤a (The Mars Volta) on bass guitar. Additionally, Cryptomnesia features the vocals of guest frontman Cedric Bixler Zavala (The Mars Volta). 11 tracks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Furious Hilarity and Ominous Baroque Bombast, May 13, 2009

By 

Alaric - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cryptomnesia (Audio CD)

Maybe the most unique LP from ORL to date:

The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Sharrock elements of Omar Rodriguez's diverse influences make themselves know here. Zach Hill's drumming perfectly compliments Omar's style, and we get to hear Juan doing what he does best on bass: intricate shredding. The polyrhythmic chaos gives the sense of the most horrifying Scandinavian paintings and the jaunty humor of Captain Beefheart alternately. Cedric's first display of off-kilter melodies and a return to more hardcore and more obviously punk influenced lyrics is both refreshing and unsettling; there is little to suggest THIS sort of performance, looking over the vocals evident in ATDI and even the greater majority of Mars Volta pieces prior to Bedlam in Goliath. The Frank Zappa comparison is apt, and there is frankly nothing approaching ORL's diverse, large and ever growing catalog.

If math-rock, noise, hardcore vocals mixed with the structural elements of the Mahavishnu orchestra and Bavarian Polka, with the rhythmic and melodic sensibilities of free-jazz composers of the likes of Anthony Braxton and John Zorn leaves you distraught, non plussed, or just plain outraged, this album cannot be recommended on any terms.

BUT the best part is: there are two more LP's ready and waiting to make it down the distribution pipes- so if you like this, there is more to come!

(No. 2 from the Grupo Nuevo due for release in September: Xenophanes [Greek Philosopher just prior to Heraclites].)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars hmmm, am i the only one a little dissapointed??, June 3, 2009

By 

Gregory J. Nelson "gnel38" (Austin, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cryptomnesia (Audio CD)

This album had HIGH expectations from me, since this was a collaboration of epic proportions, with arguably the current most prolific and innovative drummer and guitarist working together for the first time. Overall, no doubt, I do like this album because I'm a huge fan of Zach Hill & Omar/TMV, but I have some complaints. Personally I dislike 'forced weirdness' and there are several times on this album when it seems like they're just trying to be weird for weirdness sake and it comes off as lame to me. Just my personal opinion really because I listen to a lot of 'weird' and avant-garde music and that's just the vibe I get, especially with the random, meaningless dialogue thrown in. The other major complaint is the lack of 'clear' sound quality on the whole album in general. This is just the way Omar edited/produced it to sound like, and to me it's just way too muddy and dense to be able to hear it all and analyze/understand it clearly(do both bass players always play? can't tell). So far I've also found it a little difficult to take this all in with one listen. It's better in short spurts. Anyway, having said that there are still several songs I really do love on this album. It's not really lacking in anyway, it's more like overkill and overthinking.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EPIC Record, May 5, 2009

By 

Keller Madison (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cryptomnesia (Audio CD)

Although I was unsure if this record would be different than some of them more recent non-Mars Volta releases from Omar Rodriguez Lopez, I am more than thrilled to hear Cryptomnesia! These songs are fast, furious and to the point. The Vocals by Cedric Bixler Zavala on each of the songs, are what make this record stand out above the rest. I think this may be his best vocal performance EVER. I love The Mars Volta, but this is what I've been wanting to hear from these guys...