Eric Harris (musician)

The Olivia Tremor Control is an American psychedelic band from Athens, Georgia. The band's main line-up comprised Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, and Peter Erchick. The Olivia Tremor Control's music encompasses a wide range of styles, including indie rock, neo-psychedelia, psychedelic pop and psychedelic rock. Among the band's more prominent influences include psychedelic pop bands of the 1960s, such as the Beach Boys and the Beatles.

The Olivia Tremor Control originated as a band called Cranberry Lifecycle, which was formed in Ruston, Louisiana in the late 1980s by Hart and his high school friend Jeff Mangum. The two moved to Athens, and reworked Cranberry Lifecycle songs as a new band called Synthetic Flying Machine. After Doss joined, Mangum left the band to pursue a solo project that would eventually become Neutral Milk Hotel. Doss and Hart then renamed the band to the Olivia Tremor Control, and recruited Fernandes, Harris, and Erchick. With this line-up, the Olivia Tremor Control released two albums: '' Dusk at Cubist Castle'' (1996) and '' Black Foliage'' (1999). Both albums received positive reviews from critics.

After the release of ''Black Foliage'', tensions grew between Hart and Doss, and the Olivia Tremor Control broke up in 2000. Hart was hospitalized with multiple sclerosis in 2005, and when Doss went to visit him, the two reconciled and reunited the band in 2009. While recording a third album, Doss died of a reported aneurysm. The remaining band members decided to continuing performing, and a 2019 update indicated that the Olivia Tremor Control's third album is still being recorded.

History

Early years

The Olivia Tremor Control originated as a psychedelic band called Cranberry Lifecycle. This band was formed in Ruston, Louisiana in the late 1980s, by high school friends Will Cullen Hart and Jeff Mangum. It was one of the many home recording projects they created with their friends Bill Doss. The four friends exchanged recordings among each other, and the constant stream of home recording cassette tapes the group made would eventually lead to the formation of a musical collective known as Elephant 6. Musician Ross Beach describes Cranberry Lifecycle as the Elephant 6's "first collaboration of 'serious' songs."

After graduating from high school, Hart and Mangum moved to Athens, Georgia, as they were drawn to the city's burgeoning music scene. They formed a band called Synthetic Flying Machine, and reworked songs that were originally recorded as Cranberry Lifecycle. In the summer of 1993, Doss moved to Athens and joined Synthetic Flying Machine. The lineup consisted of Hart on electric guitar, Doss on bass guitar, and Mangum on drums. The band gained a small following due in part to the psychedelic-infused music, which differed from the prevalent grunge sound in the city. Mangum left the group shortly after its formation, as he wanted to focus on a solo project that would eventually become Neutral Milk Hotel. Doss and Hart then decided to rename the group to the Olivia Tremor Control. Mangum suggested the name, which was intended to be a surreal sounding phrase with no further meaning.

The first Olivia Tremor Control release was the extended play (EP) '' California Demise'' in 1994. Although Mangum was no longer a part of the band, he still lived with Doss and Hart and was asked to play drums. Music critic Nig Hodgkins wrote: "''California Demise'' introduced the trademark splintered sound, complete with guitar effects and Beach Boys vocal harmonizing." After ''California Demise'', Hart moved to Denver, while Doss moved to New York to play in the band Chocolate USA. In 1996, Doss was losing interest in Chocolate USA, and wanted to record more music with Hart. The two recovened in Athens, and recruited multi-instrumentalists John Fernandes and Eric Harris. During this period, the Olivia Tremor Control released the 1994 split single '' The Olivia Tremor Control/The Apples in Stereo'' with the Apples in Stereo, and the 1996 EP ''The Giant Day''.

''Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle''

Doss and Hart had been working on songs for a studio album as early as 1993. Doss' ideas were more pop friendly while Hart wrote more experimental songs. ''Stereogum'' compared their dichotomous partnership to Lennon–McCartney of the Beatles. In 1995, the Olivia Tremor Control went to Denver, Colorado to record their debut album, '' Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle'' (commonly shortened to ''Dusk at Cubist Castle''). It was recorded at Pet Sounds Studio, and was produced by Schneider.

At 74 minutes in length with 27 songs, ''Dusk at Cubist Castle'' was a large undertaking. It was intended to be the soundtrack to a fictional film, and covers a wide range of genres, including psychedelia, krautrock, noise music, and folk-rock. ''Dusk at Cubist Castle'' was released on August 6, 1996, by Flydaddy Records. Early CD pressings included a second album titled '' Explanation II: Instrumental Themes and Dream Sequences''. This album contains nine ambient songs, and in the liner notes it is suggested to play the two albums in synchronicity, as this would create quadraphonic sound. The songs "The Opera House" and "Jumping Fences" were released as singles. To promote the album, the Olivia Tremor Control served as an opener for Beck, and toured with Gorky's Zygotic Mynci in 1998. Keyboardist Peter Erchick was brought on as the fifth band member while on tour.

''Dusk at Cubist Castle'' received positive reviews from critics. Jason Cohen of ''The Austin Chronicle'' described the album as "intricate, gorgeous," but suggested the experimental noise songs could have been removed to enhance the quality. Tom Cox of ''NME'' praised the genre hybridity, writing: "These men are experts at combining the absurd with the uplifting. In amongst the narcotic noisiness they scatter mouth-watering snatches of Beach Boy-type pop primed to keep boredom down to an absolute minimum." It ranked at number 37 on ''The Village Voice'' year-end Pazz & Jop critics' poll.

''Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One''

In the liner notes for ''Dusk at Cubist Castle'', the Olivia Tremor Control asked fans to mail cassette tapes of themselves describing their dreams. These tapes would serve as the basis for band's second album '' Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One'' (commonly shortened to ''Black Foliage''). The Olivia Tremor Control wanted to explore the concept of dreams, and how dreams are an emulation of life with unexpected deviations, such as going to work naked. ''Black Foliage'' was recorded at Pet Sounds Studio, and Schneider once again served as the producer.

Hart was influenced by the electronic sound of the 1969 album '' An Electric Storm'', which led him to splice the traditional compositions the band members had been writing with experimental electronic pieces. These splices became an important musical motif for ''Black Foliage''. The album does not feature musical pauses or fade, and many songs eschew verse–chorus form. Stephen Deusner of ''Stereogum'' wrote: "''Black Foliage'' thrives on the contrast between rigidly constructed pop music and loosely structured experiments, between logic and intuition. Pop is controlled; noise is uncontrolled. Rather than a simple binary, however, the contrast between these two musical poles creates a static/signal ratio that is always shifting."

''Black Foliage'' was released on March 23, 1999, by Flydaddy Records, and was preceded by the 1997 EP '' Those Sessions''. ''Black Foliage'' received positive reviews. Will Hermes of ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote: "''Black Foliage: Animation Music'' by the Olivia Tremor Control is a sonic wonderland, and the jump-cut delirium is transporting." Hermes however did feel the album lacked focus. Greg Kot of ''Rolling Stone'' noted how audiophiles would enjoy the lush production throughout the album, and wrote: "''Black Foliage'' never becomes an insular, boys-playing-with-their-gadgets listening experience. Every few minutes, a tidal wave of melody such as "A New Day" or "California Demise 3" roars through, as if to affirm that even the most elaborate concept albums can be fun." To promote the album, the Olivia Tremor Control toured with opener band Bablicon, and then served as an opener for Stereolab.

Breakup, reunion, and the death of Doss

After the release of ''Black Foliage'', tensions grew between Doss and Hart. According to Doss, Hart wanted to take a hiatus from music, and was suffering from early symptoms of then-undiagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS). The two had a falling out, and the Olivia Tremor Control broke up in 2000. The last album to be released during this period was '' Singles and Beyond'', a compilation album featuring some of the band's rare and out of print songs. Doss and Hart worked on other projects in the interim; Doss recorded music for his solo project The Sunshine Fix and was a member of the Apples in Stereo, while Hart formed the band Circulatory System.

Around 2005, Hart's condition with MS was worsening, and he was admitted to a hospital. After receiving the news, Doss decided to reconcile with Hart, and the members of Olivia Tremor Control started playing music with each other on a regular basis. After a brief reunion performance at the 2005 All Tomorrow's Parties festival, the Olivia Tremor Control scheduled more concerts over the next few years. Fernandes said: "When we got the offer to play ll Tomorrow's Partieswe were thinking about playing a few shows here and there, because everybody still lives here in town ... That went so well that we decided to do a few more." The Olivia Tremor Control officially reunited in 2009, and released two songs over the next two years: "North Term Reality" and "The Game You Play Is in Your Head, Parts 1, 2, & 3."

On July 31, 2012, the band announced the death of Doss at the age of 43. ''Atlanta'' reports the cause of death was an aneurysm. Prior to his death, the Olivia Tremor Control was recording music for an untitled album. The remaining members decided to continue performing as the Olivia Tremor Control, and a 2019 update indicated that the album is still being recorded. Hart stated it will be the band's final album, and said: "It is still being worked on, we're kind of slow with it ... We have three sides worth of songs done, though they're not sequenced properly yet to run three sides."

Artistry

The Olivia Tremor Control's music encompasses a wide range of styles, including indie rock, neo-psychedelia, psychedelic pop and psychedelic rock.; ; . The band members play a variety of instruments. In addition to traditional pop and rock instruments such as guitars and drums, the band members also play: the clarinet, flute, saxophone, theremin, violin, and xylophone. While discussing the band's dynamic sound, Paul Thompson of ''Pitchfork'' wrote: "Olivias' all-encompassing sound, some unthinkable matchup of ''Revolver''-era Beatles or ''Smile''-era Beach Boys, the tornado-alley skronk of 1980s Flaming Lips and Butthole Surfers, and the surreal wooze of post- Reichian tape manipulation." Music critic Nig Hodgkins notes that the Olivia Tremor Control incorporate many elements found in psychedelic music of the 1990s, including: backwards guitar echo, phasing, dreamlike vocals, and electronic sound effects.

An important influence to the Olivia Tremor Control are the psychedelic pop bands of the 1960s, such as the Beach Boys and the Beatles. Hart said: "They were great ... The singing was amazing and that's a big interest for us. And a lot of the way that they blended trickery and interesting sounds with pop." Hart notes that the band members attempt to expand on the sound of 1960s psychedelic pop with modern recording technology, creating more holistic songs and avoiding what he calls "hippie jam sessions." Other influences include the recording techniques used by musique concrète musicians like Pierre Henry and John Cage, as well as 1990s indie rock bands like Pavement and Sebadoh. Doss said he wanted the Olivia Tremor Control's music to instill a sense of "mystery or happiness" in listeners. "I'm sending out a positive message, because the world needs it ... We're reaching for something that's hard to explain."

Members

;Current members
*Will Cullen Hart – guitars, vocals, songwriting (1993–2000, 2009–present)
*Eric Harris – drums, theremin, guitars (1995–2000, 2009–present)
*John Fernandes – bass, violin, saxophone, clarinet (1995–2000, 2009–present)
*Peter Erchick – keyboards, bass, vocals (1996–2000, 2009–present)
*Derek Almstead – drums, guitars, bass (2010–present)

;Former members
*Bill Doss, percussion, songwriting, vocals (1993–2000, 2009–2012; died 2012)
*Jeff Mangum – drums, guitars, vocals (1993–1995)

Discography

*'' Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle'' (1996)
*'' Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One'' (1999)

Notes

Footnotes

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External links

Official website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olivia Tremor Control, The
1992 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
American indie rock groups
American psychedelic rock music groups
The Elephant 6 Recording Company artists
Experimental pop musicians
Musical groups established in 1993
Musical groups from Georgia (U.S. state)