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.
Paranormal Echoes
The Olivia Tremor Control Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
we saw horizons and different paths away from here
we touched the wall of airplane avenue
we felt a pleasant grey rain
hiding in the machines of the cities
listening to bells and hardened beaches untouched
we curved around the statues
we saw horizons and different maps away from here
paranormal echoes from unexplained evidence maps
and misty pointed Moscow telephones
supplied by design, five hundred lovely contact microphones
The Olivia Tremor Control's song, "Paranormal Echoes", paints a vivid picture of a surreal journey taken by the singers. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but it seems that they are describing a journey on a psychedelic substance that has transported them to a strange and otherworldly place. The opening lines, "we took a sideways glance and fell into the bottom of the season," suggest that the singers have entered a dimension or a state of mind that is outside of time and space. They see "horizons and different paths away from here," indicating that they are no longer in the physical world.
As they journey deeper, the singers touch the wall of "airplane avenue" and feel a "pleasant grey rain." They are "hiding in the machines of the cities," suggesting a sense of being anonymous and disconnected from the world. They listen to "bells and hardened beaches untouched," which could be interpreted as both natural and man-made sounds that are distorted by the psychedelic experience.
The chorus repeats the line "we took a sideways glance and fell into the bottom of the season," as if to emphasize the sense of disorientation and separation. They "curved around the statues," which could be a literal description of an architectural feature, or a metaphor for a journey that is winding and uncertain. The final lines suggest that the journey has left them with an impression of "paranormal echoes," "unexplained evidence maps," and "misty pointed Moscow telephones" which are "supplied by design" - an indication that the experience was intentionally designed to impart this impression.
Overall, the song is a haunting and surreal meditation on the experience of a psychedelic journey, with vivid imagery and obscure references.
Line by Line Meaning
we took a sideways glance and fell into the bottom of the season
We looked at things from a different perspective and ended up in a season that is difficult or unpleasant.
we saw horizons and different paths away from here
We imagined new possibilities and opportunities beyond our current location.
we touched the wall of airplane avenue
We physically interacted with the surroundings, specifically the wall of a street named after airplanes.
we felt a pleasant grey rain
We experienced a gentle, yet dreary rainfall that brought a sense of calmness and tranquility.
hiding in the machines of the cities
We were concealed within the busy and complex infrastructure of urban areas.
listening to bells and hardened beaches untouched
We were hearing sounds of bells and observing unblemished shorelines that haven't been altered by humans.
we curved around the statues
We moved in a smooth, curving motion around sculptures.
paranormal echoes from unexplained evidence maps
Strange and unexplainable sounds can be heard and traced to unknown locations.
and misty pointed Moscow telephones
Phones located in Moscow, obscured by fog or mist, may have something mysterious or unidentifiable about them.
supplied by design, five hundred lovely contact microphones
A large number of high-quality microphones were intentionally provided for the purpose of capturing and amplifying even the slightest sounds for listening purposes.
Contributed by Stella C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.