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.
The Sylvan Screen
The Olivia Tremor Control Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the cars go back and forth (honk) and seem to never stop
no one sees me looking at them from my window
and i can be any one of them i want to be
and you can come watch with me
see the neighbors up and down my street
mowing their lawns and raking leaves
everyday i sit and look from my window
when everything's unclear to me
but no one sees me pulling the strings from my window
they can play any character i want them to be
and you can come watch with me
see the neighbors up and down my street
it's the best selling book on the sylvan screen
The song "The Sylvan Screen" by Olivia Tremor Control paints a picture of a lonely person who spends their time observing the outside world from their window. The lyrics describe how the cars on the street seem never-ending and how the singer can imagine themselves as any one of the people passing by. They are invisible to those outside, enabling them to manipulate the characters they observe from their window. The second verse describes how this window provides the singer with comfort when they feel lost or unsure of their surroundings. They describe pulling the strings of the characters they observe and how it becomes a source of control for them. The chorus invites another person to join them in their observation, suggesting the singer's loneliness and desire for companionship.
The song's title "The Sylvan Screen" refers to a wooden folding screen, used in the past to separate private rooms. These screens were often decorated with intricate designs and used to create a sense of privacy. However, the screen also created a sense of isolation and separation, which can be applied thematically to the singer of the song. They are separated from the outside world, looking in through this screen, which provides them with both comfort but also a sense of longing.
Overall, "The Sylvan Screen" is a poignant commentary on human connection and loneliness. The singer longs for a connection with others but feels isolated from those around them. The song's lyrics describe this feeling beautifully through imagery, particularly when describing the ceaseless movement of cars outside their window.
Line by Line Meaning
every day i sit and look through my window
Every day, I sit and observe outside of my window.
the cars go back and forth (honk) and seem to never stop
The vehicles pass by continuously, with occasional honks.
no one sees me looking at them from my window
I am hiding behind my curtains, and no one notices me watching them.
and i can be any one of them i want to be
I can imagine myself as any person driving or walking by.
and you can come watch with me
If you wish to join me, you are welcome to observe.
see the neighbors up and down my street
We can observe the people living in my vicinity.
mowing their lawns and raking leaves
They are maintaining their lawns, gardening and cleaning outside of their homes.
like you wouldn't believe
It is quite impressive and hard to imagine.
everyday i sit and look from my window
I cannot make sense of what is happening around me but still observe regularly.
when everything's unclear to me
Even though I don't understand what's happening, I still continue to watch.
but no one sees me pulling the strings from my window
The people out there are unaware of me, someone is affecting their lives with a measure of anonymity.
they can play any character i want them to be
I can envision them playing any role that I can imagine.
it's the best selling book on the sylvan screen
The spectacle out there is of such high caliber that it deserves the bestseller tag on a book about miracles.
Contributed by Jayce A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.