"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 coconspirators) 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, unknown to the public. Featuring nine tracks, "Absence..." was tracked at Doug Messenger's North Hollywood studio only a few weeks after Rodriguez Lopez recorded A Manual Dexterity Soundtrack,Vol. 1 there, and is comparable to that project in both sound and atmosphere.