Marcellus Rodríguez-López (born September 29, 1983) is a Puerto Rican multi-instrumentalist musician and younger brother of

Omar Rodríguez-López Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975) is an American guitarist and songwriter. He has formed or played in several bands, including the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Antemasque, and Bosnian Rainbows. He was the bassist for the ...

. He is best known as the keyboardist and percussionist of

The Mars Volta The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership forms ...

and the drummer for

Zechs Marquise Zechs Marquise was an American psychedelic rock band, formed in El Paso, Texas in 2003. History The band was formed in the fall of 2003 by members Marcel (keyboards/percussion), Marfred Rodriguez-Lopez (bass), Marcos Smith (guitar), and Matthe ...

. He also produces electronic music under the moniker Eureka the Butcher.

Biography

Marcel has been noted as to playing the

bongos Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...

cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...

Maraca A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were r ...

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

and

shekere The shekere (from Yoruba Ṣẹ̀kẹ̀rẹ̀) is a West African percussion instrument consisting of a dried gourd with beads or cowries woven into a net covering the gourd. The Shekere originated in a tribe in Nigeria called the Yoruba. The ins ...

. He formerly played in the band Thieves of Always, which was led by

Ralph Jasso The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership forms ...

, who was a member of

(led by his elder brother Omar) on tour in 2002. Marcel joined The Mars Volta mid-tour in October 2003 at Omar's request as a percussionist. Since then he had been a constant member of

and the

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group The Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group (often referred to by its acronym ORLG) is an American experimental rock band, and the main side project of Omar Rodríguez-López. Featuring an ever-changing lineup of musicians alongside Rodriguez-Lopez, the grou ...

until TMV's dissolution in 2012, contributing percussion and keyboards. He was also a founding member of El Paso band

, which included his brothers Marfred on bass and Rikardo on keyboards and trumpet; he initially played keyboards and percussion but switched to drums after the band's original drummer left. Marcel also played live with the

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...

in 2006 during their North American tour (for which The Mars Volta was the support act), contributing bongos to "

Hump de Bump "Hump de Bump" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 2006 double album, ''Stadium Arcadium''. The song is the fifth and final single released from ''Stadium Arcadium'' and the last single the band would release with John Frusciante un ...

" and congas to "

Charlie Charlie may refer to: Characters * "Charlie," the head of the Townsend Agency', from the ''Charlie's Angels'' franchise * Charlie, a character on signs for the CharlieCard, a smart card issued by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority * ...

." On the final night of the

Amputechture ''Amputechture'' is the third studio album by American progressive rock band the Mars Volta, released on September 12, 2006, on Gold Standard Laboratories and Universal Records. Produced by guitarist and songwriter Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the album ...

Stadium Arcadium ''Stadium Arcadium'' is the ninth studio album by American rock music, rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was a double-album released on May 5, 2006, on Warner Bros. Records. It produced five singles: "Dani California", "Tell Me Baby", "Snow (He ...

tour, November 5, 2006, Marcel and the RHCP were joined onstage by Omar for the outro jam which went on for over 15 minutes. Marcel then appeared along with the band for the

Gnarls Barkley Gnarls Barkley are an American soul duo, composed of singer-songwriter CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse. They released their debut studio album, '' St. Elsewhere'', in 2006. It contained their hit single "Crazy", which peaked at number two ...

tour, playing nearly every song of the set, starting with the Dallas show, January 13, through the Sunrise, Florida show on January 31, 2007. Marcel also played

clavinet The Clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds by a rubber pad striking a point on a tension ...

during performances of "

Warlocks A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft. Etymology and terminology The most commonly accepted etymology derives ''warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver" and was given special applicatio ...

," which was originally played by

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...

on the studio recording of Stadium Arcadium. In addition Marcel has acted in his brother Omar's film

The Sentimental Engine Slayer ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

spoke out about the relationship with him and his brother:

Discography

Solo (as Eureka the Butcher)

* ''Music for Mothers'' (2013) * ''Foreshadowed With Shakes And Cracks'' (2016) * ''¡EUREKA!'' (2017)

With The Mars Volta

* ''

Frances the Mute ''Frances the Mute'' is the second studio album by American progressive rock band The Mars Volta released in February 2005 on Gold Standard Laboratories and Universal. Produced by guitarist and songwriter Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the album incorpor ...

'' (2005) * ''

Scabdates ''Scabdates'' is the second official live recording from the band The Mars Volta. It was released on November 8, 2005 and features music recorded between May 2004 and May 2005 during the tours in support of ''De-Loused in the Comatorium'' and ''Fra ...

'' (2005) * ''

'' (2006) * ''

The Bedlam in Goliath ''The Bedlam in Goliath'' is the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band the Mars Volta, released on January 29, 2008, on Gold Standard Laboratories and Universal Motown Records. Produced by guitarist and songwriter Omar Rodríguez-L ...

'' (2008) * ''

Octahedron In geometry, an octahedron (plural: octahedra, octahedrons) is a polyhedron with eight faces. The term is most commonly used to refer to the regular octahedron, a Platonic solid composed of eight equilateral triangles, four of which meet at ea ...

'' (2009) * ''

Noctourniquet ''Noctourniquet'' is the sixth studio album by American progressive rock band the Mars Volta, released on March 26, 2012 on Warner Bros. Records, Warner Bros. Produced by guitarist and songwriter Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, it is the band's only studio ...

'' (2012) (credited but appears only on live bonus track) * ''

'' (2022)

With Omar Rodríguez-López

* ''

Omar Rodriguez ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...

'' (2005) (Drums & Percussion, Gong, Keyboards) * ''

Please Heat This Eventually ''Please Heat This Eventually'' is a 12" EP from Gold Standard Laboratories and is a collaboration between Omar Rodríguez-López Group and Damo Suzuki of the group Can (band), Can. It features both live performance of the group (then named Omar ...

'' (2006) (Drums) * ''

Se Dice Bisonte, No Búfalo ''Se Dice Bisonte, No Búfalo'' (''It's Called Bison, Not Buffalo'') is the third studio album by Omar Rodríguez-López and the second in the "Amsterdam series". It was written and recorded in 2005 in California and Amsterdam, and was released ...

'' (2007) (Drums & Percussion, Synths, Clavinet) * ''

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez & Lydia Lunch ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...

'' (2007) (Drums & Percussion) * ''

The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange The Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group (often referred to by its acronym ORLG) is an American experimental rock band, and the main side project of Omar Rodríguez-López. Featuring an ever-changing lineup of musicians alongside Rodriguez-Lopez, the grou ...

'' (2007) (Drums, Percussion, Keyboards) * ''

Calibration (Is Pushing Luck and Key Too Far) ''Calibration (Is Pushing Luck and Key Too Far)'' is the fifth studio album by Omar Rodríguez-López, and the fourth released in the "Amsterdam series". The album was released in Japan on December 15, 2007 with a following U.S. release later on ...

'' (2007) (Drums & Percussion, Synths, Clavinet) * ''

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fungus Absence may refer to: Employment * Leave of absence, a period of time away from a job * Absenteeism, the habitual pattern of absence from work or duty * Absence rate, the ratio of workers with absences to total employees Sciences and philosophy ...

'' (2008) (Drums) * ''

Minor Cuts and Scrapes in the Bushes Ahead Minor may refer to: * Minor (law), a person under the age of certain legal activities. ** A person who has not reached the age of majority * Academic minor, a secondary field of study in undergraduate education Music theory * Minor chord ** Bar ...

'' (2008) (Drums) * ''

Old Money Old money is "the inherited wealth of established upper-class families (i.e. gentry, patriciate)" or "a person, family, or lineage possessing inherited wealth". The term typically describes a social class of the rich who have been able to ma ...

'' (2008) (Drums & Percussion, Synths, Clavinet, Keyboards) * '' Megaritual'' (2009) (Drums & Percussion, Synths, Piano) * ''

Los Sueños de un Hígado LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...

'' (2009) (Percussion) * ''

Xenophanes Xenophanes of Colophon (; grc, Ξενοφάνης ὁ Κολοφώνιος ; c. 570 – c. 478 BC) was a Greek philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φ ...

'' (2009) (Percussion, Keyboards) * ''

Solar Gambling ''Solar Gambling'' is the thirteenth studio album by Omar Rodríguez-López as a solo artist. On December 1, 2009 the recording was released digitally via the Rodriguez Lopez Productions website along with a limited pressing of 1,500 colored vinyl ...

'' (2009) (Synths, Piano) * ''

Sepulcros de Miel ''Sepulcros de Miel'' (English: ''Tombs of Honey'') is the twenty-first release by Omar Rodríguez-López, guitarist, band leader, and producer of The Mars Volta Group. Released under the Omar Rodriguez Lopez Quartet name, this record features ...

'' (2010) (Drums & Percussion, Synths) * ''

Tychozorente ''Tychozorente'' is the sixteenth studio album by Omar Rodríguez-López. The digital version was released on September 14, 2010, and the CD was released by Rodriguez Lopez Productions in Europe on November 18, 2010. This record is Omar's first c ...

'' (2010) (Mellotron) * '' Cizaña de los Amores'' (2010) (Drums, Synths, Piano, Organ) * '' Dōitashimashite'' (2010) (Keyboards) * ''

Un Escorpión Perfumado The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

'' (2010) (Synths) * ''

Octopus Kool Aid An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish ...

'' (2012) (Drums, Engineering) * '' Umbrella Mistress'' (2016) (Keyboards, Mellotron, Percussion) * '' El Bien Y Mal Nos Une'' (2016) (Synths) * '' Weekly Mansions'' (2016) (Synths, Mellotron, Percussion, Programming, Co-writing, Production, Mixing, Recording) * ''

Some Need It Lonely ''Some Need It Lonely'' is the thirty-eighth studio album by Omar Rodríguez-López as a solo artist, released on 16 December 2016. It is his twelfth and last release in the 12 album series initiated by Ipecac Recordings, although before its rel ...

'' (2016) (Percussion) * '' A Lovejoy'' (2016) (Live and Programmed Drums, Synthesizer) * '' Ensayo de un Desaparecido'' (2017) (Keyboards & Synths) * '' Azul, Mis Dientes'' (2017) (Live and Programmed Drums, Synths) * '' The Clouds Hill Tapes Parts I, II & III'' (2020) (Keyboards & Synths)

With Zechs Marquise

* '' 34:26'' EP (2006) * '' Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare'' (2008) * '' Getting Paid'' (2011)

Guest appearances

* ''

Terra Incognita ''Terra incognita'' or ''terra ignota'' (Latin "unknown land"; ''incognita'' is stressed on its second syllable in Latin, but with variation in pronunciation in English) is a term used in cartography for regions that have not been mapped or do ...

'' by

Juliette Lewis Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and alternative rock singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, ...

(2009) (Clavinet, Synthesizer, Percussion) * ''

The Golden Age of Knowhere ''The Golden Age of Knowhere'' is the only studio album released by the American band Funeral Party. The album was produced by Lars Stalfors (known for his work with The Mars Volta) with the exception of "New York City Moves to the Sound of L.A. ...

'' by

Funeral Party Funeral Party is an American alternative rock band, formed in 2005. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Chad Elliott, guitarist James Lawrence Torres, bassist Kimo Kauhola, and multi instrumentalist Tim Madrid. History The original members ...

(2011) (Keyboards) * ''

A Raw Youth ''A Raw Youth'' is the third album by Mexican band Le Butcherettes, released on September 18, 2015 via Ipecac Recordings Lyrics and themes The album examines themes of personal and social oppression. "Shave the Pride" originated as a diatribe ...

'' by

Le Butcherettes Le Butcherettes is a Mexican garage punk band formed in 2007 in Guadalajara by Teri Gender Bender. History Le Butcherettes was created by vocalist/guitarist Teri Gender Bender, who later recruited drummer Auryn Jolene to form a duo. Their liv ...

(2015) (Moog bass, Moog synthesizer, percussion) * ''

Halo Orbit A halo orbit is a periodic, three-dimensional orbit near one of the L1, L2 or L3 Lagrange points in the three-body problem of orbital mechanics. Although a Lagrange point is just a point in empty space, its peculiar characteristic is that it ca ...

'' by

(2016/2017)

References

External links

Official Zechs Marquise page

Official Eureka the Butcher page

SIGHT/SOUND/RHYTHM interview 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez-Lopez, Marcel 1983 births Living people Maracas players People from Bayamón, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican musicians Puerto Rican percussionists The Mars Volta members Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group members