The band's distinct sound is a mixture of Doss and Hart's experimental tendencies. This chemistry is evident in their albums given that some tracks are 2-3 minute pop 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 was influenced by the odd quality inherent in dreams 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.
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 Ambassador 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 two records, Individualized Shirts and Special Fanfare For Anything, 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. While the follow-up is still in the works, the band continues to play live shows in Athens and occasionally elsewhere.
In 2005, the Olivia Tremor Control temporarily reunited, solely for live shows, at the behest of the All Tomorrow's Parties 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 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.
On August 30, 2011, the band premiered a new song, "The Game You Play is In Your Head Parts 1, 2 &3" and announced they planned to have a new album out later in 2011. Tour dates for Winter 2011 were also announced.
The death of Bill Doss was announced on July 31, 2012.
California Demise 3
The Olivia Tremor Control Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
between spaces between friends
archaic angels pose in rows
and in my garden angels grow
they come inside only at night
interstatic sunbeams are the angels only storybook
they come inside only at night
friends
everybody sees everyone
they don't bother wearing seat belts
to protect them from the wreck
they've already died in the california demise
The lyrics to The Olivia Tremor Control's song California Demise 3 capture the feeling of an impending end, a coming apocalypse. The first line, "home of the saints burn down the walls", suggests a holy place being destroyed or under attack. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for religion being destroyed or questioned. The second line, "between spaces between friends", seems to suggest a separation, almost a disconnection between people. The use of the word "archaic" to describe the angels suggests a sense of the past or ancient, something that has been lost or forgotten.
The third line, "archaic angels pose in rows", continues this idea of something ancient or lost. The imagery of angels posing in rows could suggest a sort of funeral or procession. The final line, "and in my garden angels grow", is perhaps the most intriguing. While the other lines suggest a sense of loss or destruction, this line seems to offer a sense of hope or growth. The idea of angels growing in a garden is unusual and mysterious, leaving the listener to interpret its meaning.
The repetition of "they come inside only at night" and "interstatic sunbeams are the angels only storybook" reinforces the idea of something hidden or secret, something only visible or accessible under certain conditions. The final lines, "everybody sees everyone / they don't bother wearing seat belts / to protect them from the wreck / they've already died in the california demise", again suggest a sense of impending doom. The idea that people don't wear seat belts because they've already "died" or given up on life is dark and unsettling.
Line by Line Meaning
home of the saints burn down the walls
The place where many religious people live is being destroyed.
between spaces between friends
There are physical, emotional, and philosophical boundaries between friends.
archaic angels pose in rows
Old-fashioned beings stand in a formation.
and in my garden angels grow
The artist has angelic beings in their personal space.
they come inside only at night
The angels are only present in the darkness.
interstatic sunbeams are the angels only storybook
The story of the angels is told through beams of light.
everybody sees everyone
People are visible and exposed to each other.
they don't bother wearing seat belts
People aren't concerned about their safety.
to protect them from the wreck
Seat belts are meant to prevent injury in case of an accident.
they've already died in the california demise
People have already been destroyed by the downfall of California.
Contributed by Wyatt P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.