Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez – A Manual Dexterity: soundtrack volume one

Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez is a member of the avant-gardistic punk/hardcore band The Mars Volta that was formed after his former band At The Drive In quit. During the period in between these two bands he started working on a film project (now almost finished). At the same time he began working on some new music with befriended musicians. This became the soundtrack for the film. This summer volume one of the soundtrack was released.

A Manual Dexterity is almost 60 minutes of experimental music that would be the perfect score for an alternative American road movie. Most tracks feature guitar sounds and electronics. The result is mostly tranquil and dreamy music. A weird intermezzo like ‘Deus Ex Machina’ with Spanish influences serve the experimental mood of the record well and also helps to keep the listener alert.

The whole soundtrack has a sort of 60’s/70’s feeling and fits the mood of a movie like ‘Vanishing Point’. This record makes me curious what sort of film it is made for as I think this music really needs images to go with it.

artist: Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez
label: Gold Standard Laboratories
details: 10 tracks [GSL90]