The Olivia Tremor Control
Encyclopedia
The Olivia Tremor Control is an indie rock
band prominent in the mid to late 1990s which, along with The Apples in Stereo
and Neutral Milk Hotel
, was one of the three original Elephant 6 projects. The band was founded by the remnants of the group Synthetic Flying Machine
(Jeff Mangum
, Bill Doss
, and Will Cullen Hart
) in 1994, went on hiatus in early 2000, and reformed in 2009.
The band is influenced by the odd quality inherent in dream
s and asked their listeners to send in tapes describing their own, examples of which can be heard in the final track of Black Foliage and the OTC-BSN collaborative LP. While their debut album Dusk at Cubist Castle focuses more on complex vocal harmonization and upbeat melodies, Black Foliage is more noise-oriented, with more feedback samples and tape loops.
and later two CD-R releases under his own name on Cloud Recordings, the label founded by Fernandes and Hart in the wake of OTC's demise. Pete Erchick released three records, Individualized Shirts, Special Fanfare For Anything and Lost in the Pancakes, under the name Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't
. Bill Doss followed OTC by putting out records as The Sunshine Fix, a name he had used years before. The Sunshine Fix has evolved from a recording project to a formal working band. Hart's post-OTC project, Circulatory System
, has taken a similar route. The self-titled 2001 LP continued the melding together of pop and experimental traditions the OTC had worked on and won high accolades from the press. Jeff Mangum followed OTC with Neutral Milk Hotel, releasing On Avery Island
and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
, as well as a few "underground" acoustic demos.
Signal Morning
, Circulatory System
's sophomore LP features the reunion of Will Hart and Bill Doss singing harmonies on its opening track. Signal Morning was released on September 8, 2009 on Cloud Recordings.
festival. They appeared at a UK version of the festival, preceded by warm-up shows in Athens and London; that summer, they again played Athens, at the Orange Twin Conservation Community
, as well as gigs in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and L.A. In the fall of 2008, all members of the Olivia Tremor Control toured with other members of the Elephant 6 collective as part of the Holiday Surprise tour. In May 2009, Will Hart
said in an interview that the band had recently re-entered the recording studio: "We've got two songs for the next Olivia record, in my opinion. They're on Bill
's hard drive."
In March 2011, Elf Power drummer Derek Almstead confirmed that he was engineering and playing percussion on the new record and that new material would be debuted at All Tomorrows' Parties later in the year.
In addition to this, they have released a song titled North Term Reality under Olivia Tremor Control for AUX Vol. 2.
In September 2011, the band released the single The Game You Play Is In Your Head, a 3-song suite. It is unknown whether or not the song is a single from their new album or not.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band prominent in the mid to late 1990s which, along with The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo
The Apples in Stereo, styled The Apples in stereo, is an American indie rock band associated with The Elephant Six Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist Robert Schneider, who writes the...
and Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel
Neutral Milk Hotel was an American indie rock band formed by singer, guitarist and songwriter Jeff Mangum in the early 1990s. The band was noted for its experimental sound, obscure lyrics and eclectic instrumentation....
, was one of the three original Elephant 6 projects. The band was founded by the remnants of the group Synthetic Flying Machine
Synthetic Flying Machine
Synthetic Flying Machine was an early project of the The Olivia Tremor Control's Will Cullen Hart and Bill Doss, and Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum. The band later went on to become known as the Olivia Tremor Control, before Mangum eventually left to focus upon Neutral Milk Hotel...
(Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum
Jeff Mangum is a musician best known for being the lyricist, vocalist and guitarist of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as being one of the cofounders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Mangum, along with the other founding members of the Elephant 6, attended Ruston High School in the late...
, Bill Doss
Bill Doss
Bill Doss is among the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, based in Athens, Georgia, and one of the key creative forces behind The Olivia Tremor Control, one of the leaders of the collective, and later, following the band's break-up, The Sunshine Fix...
, and Will Cullen Hart
Will Cullen Hart
William "Will" Cullen Hart is one of the co-founders of the Elephant Six Collective, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control...
) in 1994, went on hiatus in early 2000, and reformed in 2009.
Sound and History
The band's distinct sound is a mixture of Doss and Hart's pop and experimental tendencies. This chemistry is evident in their albums given that some tracks are 2–3 minute songs, while others are electro-acoustic collages ranging in length from 2 seconds to 10 minutes, and differing in content from vibrant horns to near silence. Furthermore, the band released a record of experimental electro-acoustic music, The Late Music, Volume One, under the name The Black Swan Network, in 1997. Another Black Swan Network release, a 7" EP on the Happy Happy Birthday to Me label, appeared in 2000, though it did not feature Bill Doss. In October 1997, a "collaborative" LP between The Olivia Tremor Control and The Black Swan Network was released, originally as a tour-only item, and later put out as a CD by Flydaddy, which gave the record the title, The Olivia Tremor Control vs. The Black Swan Network, though the band had never wanted the record to be named as such.The band is influenced by the odd quality inherent in dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s and asked their listeners to send in tapes describing their own, examples of which can be heard in the final track of Black Foliage and the OTC-BSN collaborative LP. While their debut album Dusk at Cubist Castle focuses more on complex vocal harmonization and upbeat melodies, Black Foliage is more noise-oriented, with more feedback samples and tape loops.
Other projects
The members of The Olivia Tremor Control embarked on a variety of different projects before and after the band broke up. Eric Harris released a record under the name Frosted AmbassadorFrosted Ambassador
Frosted Ambassador was an enigmatic release on Kindercore Records in 1999. While press releases claimed a long career in bands named Chronicle Ape and the New Sound and a failed solo career before "moving to Belgium to study toast," evidence suggests that the project was actually the brainchild of...
and later two CD-R releases under his own name on Cloud Recordings, the label founded by Fernandes and Hart in the wake of OTC's demise. Pete Erchick released three records, Individualized Shirts, Special Fanfare For Anything and Lost in the Pancakes, under the name Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't
Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't
Pipes You See, Pipes You Don't is a project of The Olivia Tremor Control keyboardist Peter Erchick. Conceived in the early 1970's, their first album was not released until July 2001. The band's name may be from a chapter in a children's encyclopedia...
. Bill Doss followed OTC by putting out records as The Sunshine Fix, a name he had used years before. The Sunshine Fix has evolved from a recording project to a formal working band. Hart's post-OTC project, Circulatory System
Circulatory System
Circulatory System is a psychedelic rock musical ensemble formed by musician/painter Will Cullen Hart, and featuring Derek Almstead, Suzanne Allison, Peter Erchick, John Fernandes, Charlie Johnston, and Heather McIntosh....
, has taken a similar route. The self-titled 2001 LP continued the melding together of pop and experimental traditions the OTC had worked on and won high accolades from the press. Jeff Mangum followed OTC with Neutral Milk Hotel, releasing On Avery Island
On Avery Island
-Track listing:All songs written by Jeff Mangum except where noted. Horn arrangements by Robert Schneider.#"Song Against Sex" – 3:40#"You've Passed" – 2:54#"Someone Is Waiting" – 2:31#"A Baby for Pree" – 1:21#"Marching Theme" – 2:58...
and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is the second studio album by American indie rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, released in the United States on February 10, 1998 on Merge Records...
, as well as a few "underground" acoustic demos.
Signal Morning
Signal Morning
Signal Morning is the second studio album by the psychedelic rock band Circulatory System. It was released September 8, 2009 on the Cloud Recordings label.-Side A:#"Woodpecker Greeting Worker Ant" - 3:22#"Rocks and Stones" - 2:42...
, Circulatory System
Circulatory System
Circulatory System is a psychedelic rock musical ensemble formed by musician/painter Will Cullen Hart, and featuring Derek Almstead, Suzanne Allison, Peter Erchick, John Fernandes, Charlie Johnston, and Heather McIntosh....
's sophomore LP features the reunion of Will Hart and Bill Doss singing harmonies on its opening track. Signal Morning was released on September 8, 2009 on Cloud Recordings.
Reunion
In 2005, the Olivia Tremor Control temporarily reunited, solely for live shows, at the behest of the All Tomorrow's PartiesAll Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
festival. They appeared at a UK version of the festival, preceded by warm-up shows in Athens and London; that summer, they again played Athens, at the Orange Twin Conservation Community
Orange Twin Conservation Community
The Orange Twin Conservation Community is a limited liability company formed to create a pedestrian-based eco-village and preserve open space on more than of land located five miles north of downtown Athens, Georgia...
, as well as gigs in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and L.A. In the fall of 2008, all members of the Olivia Tremor Control toured with other members of the Elephant 6 collective as part of the Holiday Surprise tour. In May 2009, Will Hart
Will Cullen Hart
William "Will" Cullen Hart is one of the co-founders of the Elephant Six Collective, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control...
said in an interview that the band had recently re-entered the recording studio: "We've got two songs for the next Olivia record, in my opinion. They're on Bill
Bill Doss
Bill Doss is among the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, based in Athens, Georgia, and one of the key creative forces behind The Olivia Tremor Control, one of the leaders of the collective, and later, following the band's break-up, The Sunshine Fix...
's hard drive."
In March 2011, Elf Power drummer Derek Almstead confirmed that he was engineering and playing percussion on the new record and that new material would be debuted at All Tomorrows' Parties later in the year.
In addition to this, they have released a song titled North Term Reality under Olivia Tremor Control for AUX Vol. 2.
In September 2011, the band released the single The Game You Play Is In Your Head, a 3-song suite. It is unknown whether or not the song is a single from their new album or not.
Members
- 1992 to 2011 - Bill DossBill DossBill Doss is among the co-founders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company, based in Athens, Georgia, and one of the key creative forces behind The Olivia Tremor Control, one of the leaders of the collective, and later, following the band's break-up, The Sunshine Fix...
; guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, cornetCornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA 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...
, songwriting, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - 1992 to 2011 - Will Cullen HartWill Cullen HartWilliam "Will" Cullen Hart is one of the co-founders of the Elephant Six Collective, as well as the rock band The Olivia Tremor Control...
; guitar, vocals, songwriting - 1995 to 2011 - Eric HarrisEric Harris (musician)Eric Harris is an American musician who played the drums for The Olivia Tremor Control from 1995 to 2000. Harris currently drums for Elf Power.-References:*...
; drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, thereminThereminThe theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
, guitar - 1995 to 2011 - John FernandesJohn FernandesJohn Fernandes is an American multi-instrumentalist musician.-Professional career:Fernandes, along with several other members of the Elephant Six Collective, joined the acclaimed psychedelic pop group The Olivia Tremor Control in Athens, GA in 1994...
; bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed... - 1996 to 2011 - Peter Erchick; keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - 1992 to 1995 - Jeff MangumJeff MangumJeff Mangum is a musician best known for being the lyricist, vocalist and guitarist of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as being one of the cofounders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company. Mangum, along with the other founding members of the Elephant 6, attended Ruston High School in the late...
; drums, guitar, vocals
Studio Albums
- Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist CastleMusic from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist CastleMusic from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle is the first full length album released by The Olivia Tremor Control of The Elephant 6 Recording Company....
(Flydaddy; double LP/CD; 1996) - Explanation II: Instrumental Themes and Dream SequencesExplanation II: Instrumental Themes and Dream SequencesThe first few thousand copies of Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle were released with this bonus CD. It consists of nine tracks of ambient sounds, recorded by Olivia Tremor Control. It has been claimed that this album will produce quadraphonic sound when played in...
(Flydaddy; CD; 1996) - The Late Music Volume OneThe Late MusicThe Late Music Volume One is an album by The Olivia Tremor Control side project Black Swan Network. Released on Camera Obscura, it was a collection of tracks inspired by Olivia Tremor Control fans who wrote the band with descriptions of dreams they had....
(Camera Obscura (record label)Camera Obscura (record label)Camera Obscura was a record label founded by Australian music journalist Tony Dale in 1996. Described by Dale as 'a conduit for the release of contemporary acid-folk, psych-pop and space-rock,' the label put out almost ninety releases over fourteen years, the vast majority of which were...
; CD; 1997) (as The Black Swan Network) - Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One (Flydaddy; double LP/CD; 1999)
Compilations
- Singles and BeyondSingles and BeyondPresent: Singles and Beyond is a collection of rare or out of print tracks by The Olivia Tremor Control, a psychedelic indie pop band from Athens, Georgia.-Track listing:#"Love Athena" – 2:39...
(Kindercore/Emperor Norton; LPLP albumThe LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
/CD; 2000)
EPs and singles
- California DemiseCalifornia DemiseCalifornia 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 7" EP...
(Elephant 6; 7" 33 RPM; 1994) - The Olivia Tremor Control/The Apples in StereoThe Olivia Tremor Control/The Apples in StereoThe 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 Control were later collected and placed on the Singles and Beyond...
split (Small Fi; 7"; 1994) - The Giant DayThe Giant Day"The Giant Day", prelude to the Music from the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle, was recorded between 1994-1995 by Will Cullen Hart, Bill Doss, and John Fernandes on a 4-track. It was released by Drug Racer Records with an initial pressing of 600 copies with hand colored covers...
(Drug Racer; 7" 33 RPM; 1996) - The Opera HouseThe Opera House (song)The Opera House is a song by indie pop band The Olivia Tremor Control. The two B-Sides can be played on two separate stereos to produce a quadraphonic "third" song.-Track listing:CD 1#"The Opera House" - 3:15...
(Blue Rose; double 7" 45 RPM/double CD-single; 1996) - The Olivia Tremor Control/Black Swan NetworkThe Olivia Tremor Control/Black Swan NetworkThe Olivia Tremor Control/The Black Swan Network is an LP released by The Olivia Tremor Control. Within some of these tracks are extracts from The Black Swan Network's dream appeal - taped contributions from people as to various dreams they've had or would like to have. Also known as the Tour EP or...
(Flydaddy; LP, October 1997; CD, 1998) - Jumping FencesJumping Fences"Jumping Fences" is a 1998 single by The Olivia Tremor Control.-Track listing:#"Jumping Fences" - 1:52#"Optical Atlas" - 2:33#"Language of Stationary Travellers" - 6:30#"Green Typewriters " - 9:44...
(Blue Rose; 12" 45 RPM/CD-single; 1998) - Hideway (Blue Rose; 12" 45 RPM/CD-single; 1998)
- Those SessionsThose Sessions"Those Sessions" is a 1997 EP by The Olivia Tremor Control. The album is also known as Peel Sessions for BBC radio jock, John Peel, who worked on it with The Olivia Tremor Control.- Track listing :...
(self-released CD; 2000) - Once Upon a Time (Backing Kahimi KarieKahimi KarieKahimi sings in English, French, and Japanese with whisper-like vocals.-Albums:* 1997 - Larme de crocodile * July 15, 1998 - K.K.K.K.K. * May 24, 2000 - Tilt...
) (Polydor Japan; 2000) - "The Game You Play Is in Your Head, Pts. 1, 2, & 3" (Cloud Recordings; 2011)
Compilation appearances
- "The Ships" on Succour (Flydaddy; CD; 1996)
- "The Late Music 2" on Treble Revolution, Vol. 1 (Kindercore; CassetteCompact CassetteThe Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
; 1996) - "Silverbug" on Treble Revolution, Vol. 2Treble Revolution, Vol. 2#Henry - Henry :38 #Servotron - Speak + Spell – 1:51 #Kincaid. - Mr. Dreamer – 3:47 #Tuscany - Tuscany – 4:37 #Classified - " " – 2:24 #Joe Christmas - Hesitation; They Knew the Song by the Dance – 4:34...
(Kindercore; CD; 1996) - "Beneath the Climb" on DreamboatDreamboat"Dreamboat" is a popular music song, the words and music to which were written by Jack Hoffman, ....
(Cassiel; CD; 1996) - "Collage #1" on TerrastockTerrastockTerrastock is a music festival organised periodically by Phil McMullen, formerly editor of the Ptolemaic Terrascope and since 2005 the publisher of the Terrascope Online website. The event typically features independent bands playing psychedelic rock....
(Ptolemaic Terrascope; CD; 1997) - "Christmas with William S." on Christmas in StereoChristmas in StereoChristmas in Stereo is a 1997 Christmas album featuring various indie rock bands. Each band had only two weeks to write their song.A followup compilation, Christmas Two, was released in 1999.-Track listing:...
(Kindercore; CD; 1997) - "I Won This Dog At The Driftwood Reunion Carnival 12/2/72" on Soundtrack To The Bible Belt Reunion Carnival (Anhedonia; CD; 1997)
- "Do You Like Worms? (Do You Dig Worms)" & "Little Pad" on Smiling Pets (Sony; CD; 1998)
- "Outside Explorations, Pt. 3" on More Music, Less Parking: WFMU Live From Jersey City (WFMU; CD; 2000)
- "European Son" on Rabid Chords 002: Tribute to the Velvet Underground (Victor; CD; 2000)
- "Glass Beard" on Keep Left Vol. 1 (Ace Fu; CD; 2000)
- "Hideaway (Remix)" on Kindercore Fifty (Kindercore; CD; 2000)
- "North Term Reality" on AUX 2 (ICE; CD; 2010)