psychedelic
Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
band from Athens, Georgia. The band's main line-up comprised
Will Cullen Hart
William Cullen Hart (born June 14, 1971) is an American pop musician. He was a co-founder of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control. Following that band's breakup, Hart and several other former memb ...
,
Bill Doss
Bill Doss (September 12, 1968 – July 30, 2012John Fernandes, 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
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
. 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
Ruston is a small city and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is the largest city in the Eastern Ark-La-Tex region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 21,859, reflecting an increase of 6.4 percent ...
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
''Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One'' is the second studio album by American indie rock band The Olivia Tremor Control, released in 1999 through Flydaddy Records. It was re-released on vinyl in November 2011 through Chunklet.
The album's ...
'' (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
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
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
Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
band called Cranberry Lifecycle. This band was formed in
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a small city and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is the largest city in the Eastern Ark-La-Tex region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 21,859, reflecting an increase of 6.4 percent ...
in the late 1980s, by high school friends
Will Cullen Hart
William Cullen Hart (born June 14, 1971) is an American pop musician. He was a co-founder of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control. Following that band's breakup, Hart and several other former memb ...
Bill Doss
Bill Doss (September 12, 1968 – July 30, 2012Robert Schneider. The four friends exchanged recordings among each other, and the constant stream of home recording
cassette tape
The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Ottens ...
s 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
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
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
Surreal may refer to:
*Anything related to or characteristic of Surrealism, a movement in philosophy and art
* "Surreal" (song), a 2000 song by Ayumi Hamasaki
* ''Surreal'' (album), an album by Man Raze
*Surreal humour, a common aspect of humor
...
sounding phrase with no further meaning.
The first Olivia Tremor Control release was the extended play (EP) ''
California Demise
''California Demise'' is an EP released by the Olivia Tremor Control. Recorded at 210 Sunset Ave on various four tracks by Bill Doss, Jeff Mangum, Will Cullen Hart and a few others. This was the second Elephant Six
The Elephant 6 Recording ...
'' 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
Chocolate USA was an American indie rock band from Tampa Bay, Florida, formed in 1989 as Miss America. The band featured Julian Koster who went on to form The Music Tapes and join Neutral Milk Hotel.
History
The band formed as Miss America in 1 ...
. 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
''The Olivia Tremor Control/The Apples in Stereo'' is a 1994 split single by the two Elephant 6 bands.
The two tracks by the Apples in Stereo would appear on the ''Science Faire'' compilation in 1996 while the two tracks by the Olivia Tremor Contr ...
''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
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* ''Pop'' (G ...
friendly while Hart wrote more experimental songs. ''
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
Pet Sounds Studio
The Pet Sounds Recording Studio (usually referred to as simply Pet Sounds Studio or Pet Sounds, after the Beach Boys' album of the same name) was a recording studio located in Denver, Colorado (subsequently in Lexington, Kentucky), founded by ...
, 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
Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock
Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments ...
,
noise music
Noise music is a genre of music that is characterised by the expressive use of noise within a musical context. This type of music tends to challenge the distinction that is made in conventional musical practices between musical and non-musical ...
ambient
Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to:
Music and sound
* Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds
* Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere
* ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby
* ...
songs, and in the liner notes it is suggested to play the two albums in synchronicity, as this would create
quadraphonic sound
Quadraphonic (or quadrophonic and sometimes quadrasonic) sound – equivalent to what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four audio channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of a listening space. The system allows for th ...
. 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
Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...
, 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
''An Electric Storm'' is the debut album by electronic music group White Noise. The band recorded the first two tracks with the intention of producing a single only, but were then persuaded by Chris Blackwell of Island Records to create an entir ...
'', 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
Fade or Fading may refer to:
Science and technology
* Fading, a loss of signal strength at a radio receiver
* Color fade, the alteration of color by light
* Fade (audio engineering), a gradual change in sound volume
* Brake fade, in vehicle brakin ...
Stephen Deusner Stephen M. Deusner is an American music critic and part-time record store clerk who lives in Bloomington, Indiana. A native of Tennessee, he has contributed to Pitchfork Media (including ''the Pitchfork 500''), ''Salon'', '' CMT'', ''American Songwr ...
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
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
(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
''Singles and Beyond'' is a compilation album by American indie rock band The Olivia Tremor Control, consisting of several rare or out-of-print tracks by the band.
Track listing
All songs written by The Olivia Tremor Control.
#"Love Athena" – ...
'', a
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
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."
psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
.; ; . 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
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
,
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
, 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
A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers are an American rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas, by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been ...
, 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 session
A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without exte ...
s." Other influences include the recording techniques used by
musique concrète
Musique concrète (; ): " problem for any translator of an academic work in French is that the language is relatively abstract and theoretical compared to English; one might even say that the mode of thinking itself tends to be more schematic, ...
musicians like
Pierre Henry
Henry at his home (January 2008)
Pierre Georges Albert François Henry (; 9 December 1927 – 5 July 2017) was a French composer and pioneer of musique concrète.
Biography
Henry was born in Paris, France, and began experimenting at the age of ...
and
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...
, 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
William Cullen Hart (born June 14, 1971) is an American pop musician. He was a co-founder of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control. Following that band's breakup, Hart and several other former memb ...
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
Bill Doss
Bill Doss (September 12, 1968 – July 30, 2012cornet
The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a sopr ...
, percussion, songwriting, vocals (1993–2000, 2009–2012; died 2012)
* Jeff Mangum – drums, guitars, vocals (1993–1995)