Álvaro López
Encyclopedia
Álvaro López is the drummer from British post trip hop band Second Person
. His most well-known project to date has been as drummer/programmer on Second Person
's 2004 debut release Chromatography
and its follow up The Elements
with band-mates Julia Johnson
and Mark Maclaine.
The Madrid
-born drummer/songwriter is also known for his work with The Feeling
in their early days has produced and played on various electro tracks with a number of Spanish DJ's including Karim Haas and Cristian Varela. He is the founder of the musical collectives: Batusamba Collective and the Sol Chango trio and continues to be active member of the London Jazz scene.
and percussion
. After moving to London and four years studying Music Performance and Technology he travelled to Cuba in Summer of 2003 to study Afro-Cuban Rhythm. Once there, he studied under Betun (Luis Valiente Marin) the well known and hugely respected percussionist for Cachao López
(Buena Vista Social Club
).
López has played in a number of bands with a wide range of styles including funk
, rock
, blues
, jazz
, Latin and hip hop
. His skill and diversity as a drummer meant he became well known in London and was soon recruited by Second Person
in mid 2004.
Second Person (band)
Second Person were a British band that existed for 10 years between 2001 and 2011 and mixed influences from trip hop, jazz, hip hop and electronica to form Post Trip Hop ....
. His most well-known project to date has been as drummer/programmer on Second Person
Second Person (band)
Second Person were a British band that existed for 10 years between 2001 and 2011 and mixed influences from trip hop, jazz, hip hop and electronica to form Post Trip Hop ....
's 2004 debut release Chromatography
Chromatography (album)
Chromatography is a 2004 Post Trip Hop album by Second Person.This is the band's debut album and all songs were written by Julia Johnson and Mark Maclaine, except "Word for Word" which also credits Ed Webber and Tristan Kajanus, "Demons Die" which also credits Álvaro López and "Divine" which was...
and its follow up The Elements
The Elements (album)
The Elements is a special edition Post Trip Hop album produced by Second Person for and was released on 9 August 2007.This is the follow-up to the band's debut album, Chromatography, and was written by Julia Johnson, Mark Maclaine and Álvaro López at their studio in West London, UK...
with band-mates Julia Johnson
Julia Johnson
Julia Johnson is a London-born singer-songwriter and a founder-member of Post Trip-Hop band Second Person. Her first solo album, I Am Not The Night, recorded at Livingston Recording Studios and produced by Tristan Ivemy , was released in May 2011 through the independent label Blue January.- Trivia...
and Mark Maclaine.
The Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
-born drummer/songwriter is also known for his work with The Feeling
The Feeling
The Feeling are a BRIT award-nominated English pop band from West Sussex and London. The band categorise their music as "pop".Following a limited release of their first single "Fill My Little World" in late 2005, the band entered the UK Singles Chart at #7 with their first full release "Sewn" in...
in their early days has produced and played on various electro tracks with a number of Spanish DJ's including Karim Haas and Cristian Varela. He is the founder of the musical collectives: Batusamba Collective and the Sol Chango trio and continues to be active member of the London Jazz scene.
History
Starting in the school choir at the age of 6, he moved on to study classical guitarClassical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
and percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
. After moving to London and four years studying Music Performance and Technology he travelled to Cuba in Summer of 2003 to study Afro-Cuban Rhythm. Once there, he studied under Betun (Luis Valiente Marin) the well known and hugely respected percussionist for Cachao López
Cachao López
Israel "Cachao" López , often known as Cachao, was a Cuban musician and composer who helped popularize mambo in the United States in the early 1950s....
(Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
The Buena Vista Social Club was a members club in Havana, Cuba that held dances and musical activities, becoming a popular location for musicians to meet and play during the 1940s...
).
López has played in a number of bands with a wide range of styles including funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, Latin and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
. His skill and diversity as a drummer meant he became well known in London and was soon recruited by Second Person
Second Person (band)
Second Person were a British band that existed for 10 years between 2001 and 2011 and mixed influences from trip hop, jazz, hip hop and electronica to form Post Trip Hop ....
in mid 2004.
Trivia
- His large number of Jazz credits include having the opportunity to play with Wynton MarsalisWynton MarsalisWynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
' band the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra on one occasion at The BarbicanThe BarbicanBarbican is a type of fortified building.Barbican may also refer to:*Willoughby House, also known as the Barbican, London* Barbican , a mutant in the Marvel Comics Universe* Barbican , a thoroughbred horse...
. - He remains committed to the London Jazz scene and can be seen throughout the city playing at various shows and jam sessionsJam SessionsJam Sessions is a guitar simulation software title and music game for the Nintendo DS based on the Japan-only title Sing & Play DS Guitar M-06 originally developed by Plato. It was brought to North America and Europe, courtesy of Ubisoft...
most nights of the week.
Credits/Releases
- Come to DustCome to DustCome to Dust is a Post Trip Hop album by UK band Second Person.This is the third and final album from the band, and their first full length studio release since their debut Chromatography. It was produced by Mark Maclaine at The Silence Corporation Studios, London...
- Second PersonSecond Person (band)Second Person were a British band that existed for 10 years between 2001 and 2011 and mixed influences from trip hop, jazz, hip hop and electronica to form Post Trip Hop ....
: drummer/programmer (in production: Album) - The ElementsThe Elements (album)The Elements is a special edition Post Trip Hop album produced by Second Person for and was released on 9 August 2007.This is the follow-up to the band's debut album, Chromatography, and was written by Julia Johnson, Mark Maclaine and Álvaro López at their studio in West London, UK...
- Second PersonSecond Person (band)Second Person were a British band that existed for 10 years between 2001 and 2011 and mixed influences from trip hop, jazz, hip hop and electronica to form Post Trip Hop ....
: drummer/programmer (2007: Album) - Live at the BedfordLive at the BedfordLive at the Bedford is a 2006 live DVD album by British Post Trip Hop band Second Person.This is the band's first live DVD and contains songs from their debut album Chromatography. The performance was filmed at The Bedford in Balham, London on 23 May 2005 but due to recording and writing...
- Second PersonSecond Person (band)Second Person were a British band that existed for 10 years between 2001 and 2011 and mixed influences from trip hop, jazz, hip hop and electronica to form Post Trip Hop ....
: drummer (2006: DVD) - Sol Chango - Sol Chango Trio: drummer/co-producer (2006: Album)
- ChromatographyChromatography (album)Chromatography is a 2004 Post Trip Hop album by Second Person.This is the band's debut album and all songs were written by Julia Johnson and Mark Maclaine, except "Word for Word" which also credits Ed Webber and Tristan Kajanus, "Demons Die" which also credits Álvaro López and "Divine" which was...
- Second PersonSecond Person (band)Second Person were a British band that existed for 10 years between 2001 and 2011 and mixed influences from trip hop, jazz, hip hop and electronica to form Post Trip Hop ....
: drummer/programmer (2004: Album)