The Mars Volta - Questions From Fans #1

The Mars Volta answers questions from fans.
Noctourniquet out on iTunes here - smarturl.it/TMV...

[@FredericoCoelhoNunes]

omar looks so young lol.

[@mdab0123]

Change and staying true to gut instincts seems like the central threads to what the Mars Volta has been about since its infancy. In recent interviews Omar has stated that he is more open to a different approach to song writing which would include the other band member's input. Question: Does this present the option of working with producers again? e.g., Rick Rubin or whoever?

[@whycantwealldream]

Have you ever seen the animated film 'paprika'? I'd highly recommend it.

[@TdrummerD]

To Omar: Was the writing process for you any different from other albums either by The Mars Volta, ORLG or any other projects you have? To Cedric: Did you have anything that inspired you while writing for this album? Care to share? To BOTH: Did any of you face any difficulties music or lyric wise while working on Noctourniquet?

[@JOKERH4H4]

@aryafsharm From what I remember in a previous interview, he said he has libraries full of tracks and samples and stuff that just never ended up getting used. So there is probably an ungodly amount of unreleased stuff.

[@AnotherOwlSpark]

If you guys were trees, what kind of trees would you be? And have you begun thinking about LP7?

[@rorekel]

Why do your albums seem to become more mellow and less hectic?

[@whycantwealldream]

@parttimeproducer Douche.

[@Onmysheet]

What they are trying to say is that they are not a one style band. Cedric said that if your an artist you have to take risks and push boundaries by developing new styles. If they kept making music like De'loused today they would be seen as lazy and uninteresting. Even if you don't like Noctouniquet you should still respect their approach in music.

[@punkprincessv]

Agreed. Omar only looks like 25 years old and Cedric gained little weight only. I guess it's because they don't take drugs and they are vegan which is very healthy.

[@richardlanyon3784]

Noctourniquet is a masterpiece... As good as Frances or Bedlam easily... Just different... Took me a while to get into it but...

[@mdab0123]

@SynethesialDisorder ""It's a way to right my wrongs. When I split up the band I was very young and self-centred. Cedric said, 'I know The Mars Volta is your baby and it's always been your vision but lighten up, it's 11 years later and it could be fun.' And I'm glad he did that." - Omar Rodriguez-Lopez

[@Cornbreadddd]

"cutting out excessive musicality" that statement alone proves to me that the mars volta is not what it used to be, and that's incredibly saddening to say. There is no such thing as "excessive musicality" That was the one thing that made them so unique, was the drawn out, mind fucking, crazy instrumental parts. The fact that they speak on that like it's a bad thing is completely disheartening.

[@Delawah]

Cedric: how did you grow your hair that fast?

[@joemama330]

How did you guys develop such a distinct sound while having many of your songs have different styles. It seems like no matter what i can always tell if its TMV playing, but at the same time not many of your songs have the same sound to them.

[@yulliet]

Para Omar: ¿Cómo vinculas tus raíces latinas a la música que haces con The Mars Volta? ¿En qué te inspiras para tus composiciones? gracias

[@ChrisPuckett]

you say that you are cutting out 'excessive musicality' , but as a long time fan I have to say this is what drew me in and always amazes me, the fantastic inventive and creative exploration with Mars Volta. I think excessive musicality is sorely lacking in todays day and age, and I miss it. We did not come up in the 70's, we missed Yes & Jaco, and Vai's Flexible, but I feel like you guys are carrying that torch. The amazing musical skill, always blows me away, and no one is doing it.

[@woobiehastelly]

How do you eat your toblerones?

[@zherkocs]

Yeahhh ya hacia falta un nuevo disco espero que vengan a promocionarlo a mexico

[@teiladnam]

What's it like returning to At The Drive-In after going in a different direction for so long? Is it hard to start screaming again?

[@blackcaptainretreat1]

Great to hear from you guys.I have been a huge fan sice the first album and have seen you on every UK tour (and twice in Boston). It amazes me how organic and downright AWESOME you guys sound live and on record.I took my girlfriend along to the last tour and she was absolutely mesmerised by everything,energy,dynamics,music,singing and of course the MOVES! Can,t wait for the new album.Our question is HOW ON EARTH DO YOU DECIDE WHAT TO PLAY LIVE-IS IT ALL FEELING?It is a joy to behold

[@utis144000]

Sorry Omar but Elohim and its morphological singular, Eloah, are masculine forms, not feminine. Eloah is used quite often in the book of Job for Israel’s God, who is ALWAYS referred to with masculine pronouns, verbal endings, etc. In point of fact, the Hebrew Bible doesn’t even have a word for “goddess.” There is no feminine form of El/Elohim in the Hebrew Bible.

[@JorgeOlvrod]

Omar se que has vivido en México, ¿crees que el nuevo sonido sea igual de aceptado por parte de la población Mexicana?, ¿Consideras que México tenga el potencial para generar bandas grandes obviamente hablando de un sonido mas "alternativo" a lo que hay en la escena?,

[@BonafideRojas]

due to the massive output of you TMV as well as ORLG, have you ever thought of a concept record that could include a movie to be accompanied by like The Wall? something multimedia & direct companion with major release for audiences to experience TMV audio/visually? sincerely Bonafide Rojas

[@br00talKidHxC]

What do you think of electronic music? I watched a clip of Henry Rollins recently talking about how electronic music has no effort or soul and it's not real "music". Do you agree or disagree? as a massive fan of Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus and so many others I disagree

[@teiladnam]

Cedric: Does it bother you at all that most of your listeners have no idea what you're singing?

[@TheMinakins]

MY QUESTION: with the recent announcement of an AT THE DRIVE-IN reunion, what does this bode for Mars Volta? Will there still be other TMV albums, and if so, will this possibly affect the direction of the music? I'm curious to see where things go from here, because ever since I've discovered TMV with Amputecture I've been hooked, and sometimes I was a bit skeptical about the last album due to some of the snippets of interviews I read online, and in the end it blew me away like only TMV can...

[@norsefly1]

I noticed the song names "A Zed and Two Naughts", and "In Absentia", these are names that have appeared before in music; "In Absentia" is the name of a Porcupine Tree album, and "A Zed and Two Naughts" is the name of the score (and the name...) of the movie "A Zed And Two Naughts" by Peter Greenaway, the score is done by Michael Nyman... I feel that you (The Mars Volta) would have known about these two albums, as...

[@CanuteViking]

This question does not concern this new album, but a song of yours I have that I don't know what it is. Years ago my best friend was murdered. His father let me take his music collection. He had admittedly bootlegged one of your albums (Amputechture I believe), but I had purchased it. Anyway, on his bootleg album contained one song that was 19:53 long and contains such lyrics as "He is unafraid" and "I was not the one, can't you see my face, I am unafraid!" Know anything about it?

[@tgonzalez3]

after tripping i started researching your lyrics because I noticed the names you give the songs. metaphysically do you believe that this could be a more powerful structure of music writing since there is such a strong influence on Mexican mythology involved? Is everyone in the band spiritually connected?

[@Abracadabra418]

i really liked ORLG show i went to when u played in Sept 17th 2010 and the sound that band achieved and your setup equipment instruments used and way they were used and vato negro and coming from that into a new volta record too and krautrock influence.sounds cool

[@Abracadabra418]

i like the excessive musicality lol.i dig this too.i like the band during bedlam more but i like how you guys say leaving your comfort zone and always trying to push it in that way to surprise yourself and be able to look over the horizon still searching for something new

[@norsefly1]

@norsefly1 1. you are labeled as a progressive rock group and have been around playing music for 2 decades, as have Porcupine Tree (there aren't many of these!), and you are very familiar with film, and Peter Greenaway is a monumental figure in film. I wonder if there is any connection, or relevance?

[@kubiksahara]

Omar...Cedric...How can a young person grab the divine feeling of his true wishes and mission on this Planet full of misleading damaged perceptions...and move forward in his creative tunnel?! (to the place with no mental limitations) thanks! P.S. I can not get a feeling of my craft...I love music.

[@AnotherOwlSpark]

Dear Omar and Cedric, what are your opinions on free will vs. fate? And what are some of your favorite movies from the last year? And what will happen to the 7 cut tracks... 1 for a Japanese b-side, but the other 6....? Oh, and thanks for doing something unique like this; very cool.

[@durant0s]

Will we ever be able to listen to the album that was recorded after Octahedron but was scraped? Octahedron is one of my favorite albums of all time by any band, and I would love to hear what else was going on for yall at that time. I know you've since moved on but some of us haven't....

[@Venomous9]

Do you believe there's any scope for new musical territories and sounds and genres, or has humanity discovered everything there is to discover musically, forcing musicians to be pigeonholed in a certain genre? Apologies if I worded that badly, but I hope you understand what I mean.

[@EchoesOfADistantDay]

Do you plan on doing any more projects with John Frusciante in the future ? or have any plans to release projects you have done in the past with him? I heard about a flea / omar / frusciante prog album sometime ago and I really hope that's something I can hear one day. cant wait for Noctourniquet !

[@leeyatding]

so far the drummers of the band are all technical in different ways. what qualities of a drummer are you guys looking for and how significant is it to the music?

[@zombywoof92]

Krautrock spirit? Awesome!

[@UndergroundClockwork]

Omar, you've said that Bedlam is more of a harsh, winter sound while Octahedron is closer to spring because of the recording process, the things you were going through in your life as well as Cedric's, etc. What kind of feeling does this album give you?

[@DrFruitbread]

Would you consider a Noctour involving EUROPE or the UK, specifically Southampton/Bristol in Southern England? (LOVE that new track in the background sheesh you two are my favourite musicians ever, the only group I couldn't live without.)

[@littlemackillsass]

Although you guys are may be too old for punk, would you ever considering doing like a legit Op.Ivy type album with TMV or would it be under a different name? Also, does omar take an inspiration from music through animes or cartoons, if so which ones?

[@patientbass]

How do you feel about the aging model that the music industry employ to sell albums? Is it realistic for musicians to stay with a major label and resist the new internet/try before you buy/donate model that the online hive mind have brought forward?

[@DSoverPSP]

As progressive rock musicians, I imagine you take in influences from artists of many different styles and genres. How exactly do those influences impact the band's songwriting? Specific examples would be great.

[@Barronj90]

What has been the main reason you guys set out to make music your career? Was there a specific goal you had in mind that you wanted to accomplish? If so, do you think you've reached that goal?

[@covertmackaroni]

Maybe this isn't the type of question for this venue, but here it goes anyway... Will you please come play a show in Bulgaria? Or at least somewhere in the Balkans/Eastern Europe? Please?

[@MilhouseYouthLTD]

will your earlier albums ever see a vinyl re-press? and do you feel that other members will have more of an impact on the songwriting aspect of the band instead of omar basically being the dictator?

[@eyewtkas1]

Why wasn't there a Vinyl pre-order? Will there be a vinyl release? Vinyl is the only way to experience the Mars Volta ( atleast for me it is, aside from a live show).

[@Selver93]

I noticed that on one of your live plays you gave Mastodon a shout out. What do you think of the band or other metal bands in general? And are you coming to Europe? :3

[@JuanBNO]

Will you guys release a feature-film together that is as warped, twisted and depraved as your music? Perhaps films based on any of your albums? ( Deloused *cough*)

[@MagnumEvolved]

I heard that Zed and Two Naughts is in some kind of baseball videogame, but I still haven't heard the track. Will it be released to promote the album soon?

[@jddark]

Why Noctourniquet? And where does the inspiration for these lyrics come from this time?. Did this album begin as a gift for somebody like some of the old ones?.

[@jfma22]

¿Cotopaxi? ¿Alfaro vive carajo? You guys have used at least two references about my country, Ecuador. I'd like to know how did you get to those references.

[@reapersred22]

What do you guys think about Kony 2012?Reminds me of Invalid litter dept. Can you guys play that song@Coachella.&Metronome arthritis :) Muchos gracias!

[@LightSpreaD.]

are you guys going to record something else in de facto like Cedric said 3 or 4 years ago? by the way we would love to see you guys playing in venezuela

[@gazebyrne33]

if progression as as an artist is important to you..then why reform at the drive in...it seems like a contradiction on to yourselfs and the mars volta?

[@tinchomonjeau]

Omar, vienen a argentina dentro de poco? dale, dale, di que si! PD: you guys fukin rock. and you should contact david lynch and work together.

[@CydonianBungle]

Will this next album be less"musically complex" in comparison to your previous albums, in your opinion? Is there even a comparison possible?

[@TheMinakins]

@BrixSnBs that's cool, but i meant the direction of tmv's music. and it would be interesting to see both bands exist simultaneously.

[@BrixSnBs]

@TheMinakins They've said that the ATD-I reunion is purely a nostalgia thing, and that there's no plans for making any new material.

[@leomack665]

Is your geniality writing the music and the lyrics respectively came out of nowhere or where do you get all those incredible ideas?

[@hosea51188]

I loved your cover of back up again the wall, Do you guys think that you'll come out with any more punky faster paced rockin music?

[@svgbeats]

have you ever felt guilty for any ants you may have stepped on in the past and if so how has it fueled your creativity in the band?

[@PineappleDrumz]

Will you ever be asking John Frusciante to play backing guitar/ other instruments in your songs again?

[@windu122]

Ask no questions cuse promotion is part of the new album and a whole has already been recorded!! This simple marketing!

[@SocialMediaChef]

With the different mentality and feel of this album, how was the creative process different as far as writing the lyrics?

[@GirlNamedAlex]

Is Noctourniquet the next step in the progression of TMV, or does it stand alone in some way from the previous albums?

[@milobarron]

there's a difference between dialect and plain out bad pronunciation.. and cedric's pronunciation is terrible!!

[@Bastiolo48]

Have you deliberately chosen not to make lengthy songs, or did you just not feel like making longer songs?

[@damnitalltohell100]

will you (omar) ever get bored with the mars volta as you did with at the drive in? i hope you don't.....>>

[@weakeen]

cuales son sus discos de frank zappa favoritos? hay nuevos discos de omar por salir pronto?

[@bigperson666]

@gretchfendermartin I dont know what that is i was tweaked on no sleep. sorry bout the strangeness.

[@buenosdiassoyluisdiaz]

@milobarron He have a very special acent speaking on spanish and i think is cool for the TMV fans

[@JChristieful]

If its inspired by Kraut-rock, then what bands influenced the record? "Can" probably comes to mind

[@LightSpreaD.]

are you guys going to record something else in de facto like Cedric said 3 or 4 years ago?

[@CavemanZoinks]

Will you guys be releasing any other Noctourniquet merchandise besides the shirt and record?

[@plenku]

@parttimeproducer Frances The Mute is a much better album in every single way, in my opinion.

[@crookedwiretap89]

@MIKEPORTNOYING Lol what are you talking bout dude? sounds like you got the wrong band...

[@isoleamebuthappysoul]

Do you guys plan on staying in the same direction as Noctourniquet for future releases?

[@tophattress]

tends to be the case with people who let themselves do what they love and that only.

[@tomcanseco]

What ever happened to that Octahedron album listening party contest? Did anyone win?

[@IReallyAmIronMan]

How does At The Drive In getting back together affect your plans as the Mars Volta?

[@NaeemZK]

How will the reunion of At the Drive-in effect future Mars Volta album releases?

[@asf1187]

How do you feel your playing differs between The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In?

[@LedZeppelin264]

The intention of your music is to generate a revolutionary soul on your fans?

[@FullofSchod]

Come to Austria! Munich was the nearest so far...but you need to visit Vienna!

[@kevinthedudeguy]

@gretchfendermartin Easy. Who gives a shit? They've been whining forever.

[@conman12000]

what is your favorite TMV album or which was the best experience in making?

[@Kamshak1337]

Do you think your drug consumption has an impact on the world-wide economy?

[@iscesp04]

@mahavishnuxc Because talented muscicians and their music are inmortals

[@MayaEbrahim]

What albums have you been listening to recently that have inspired you?

[@MikeyJayyy]

Do you ever sit down in the shower and just think about stuff?

[@drummingprosperity]

Cedric, will you be growing your hair to ridiculous lengths again?

[@tonogc]

oh look, it's latin napoleon dynamite talking about the mars volta

[@IghorGonzalez001]

@mahavishnuxc wish i could like your question more than once hahah

[@Stratoeater]

Does Cedric likes kraut rock because his new love for Sauerkraut ?

[@SihingAlexanderHammer]

Hey guys, what's your favourite Krautrock band from the late 70s?

[@TheFreeshooter]

To yourself, what is the most important part of the live setting?

[@ExemplarsTwo]

How was making this album different from making previous albums?