Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fungus is one of four solo albums completed in 2001 by OMAR RODRIGUEZ LOPEZ, upon disbanding AT THE DRIVE IN. Simultaneous to launching the massive undertaking that would become THE MARS VOLTA, Rodriguez Lopez (as well as his usual cast of co-conspirators) spent much of that year in his Long Beach studio, Anikulapo, blowing off the proverbial steam resultant from the previous few years of endless touring. Indicative of Rodriguez Lopez?s habit of constantly shuffling ideas and compositions amongst his various outlets, the record features tracks that were intended for eventual use by THE MARS VOLTA but reassigned, for one reason or another, and prior to the release of this album via Infrasonic Sound, unknown to the public.