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 Olivia Tremor Control originated in the late 1980s as a psychedelic band called Cranberry Lifecycle, formed in Ruston, Louisiana.
[2] The four friends exchanged homemade cassette tapes, branding them with an imaginary record label, Elephant 6, which eventually grew into a loose musical collective.
"[4] After graduating from high school, Hart and Mangum moved to Athens, Georgia to join the city's burgeoning music scene.
[8] Mangum left the group shortly after its formation to focus on a solo project, which eventually became the indie band Neutral Milk Hotel.
[b][11] The first Olivia Tremor Control release was the extended play (EP) California Demise in 1994, which introduced many of their signature elements, including guitar effects and vocal harmonization.
[19] It was purported to be the soundtrack to a fictional film, and covers a wide range of genres, including psychedelia, krautrock, noise music, and folk-rock.
[25] Early CD pressings of Dusk at Cubist Castle included a companion album, Explanation II: Instrumental Themes and Dream Sequences, which had nine ambient songs.
[16] The liner notes for Explanation II suggested that it should be played in synchronicity with Dusk at Cubist Castle to create quadraphonic sound, although the albums are different lengths, so the effect does not actually work.
[27] In the liner notes for Dusk at Cubist Castle, the Olivia Tremor Control asked fans to mail the band cassette tapes of themselves describing their dreams.
[29] The Olivia Tremor Control wanted to explore the concept of dreams, and the way they emulate life with unexpected deviations, such as going to work naked.
[36] 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.
"[7] The Olivia Tremor Control officially reunited in 2009, and released two new songs over the next two years: "North Term Reality" and "The Game You Play Is in Your Head, Parts 1, 2, & 3.
[47] 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.
[10] While discussing the band's dynamic sound, Paul Thompson of Pitchfork called it "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.
[49] Hart notes that the band attempted to expand on the sound of 1960s psychedelic pop with modern recording technology, creating more holistic songs and avoiding what he called "hippie jam sessions.
"[49] 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.