Re-release reminds us of the originality of OTC

Spencer Patterson

Friday, March 12, 2004 | 8:23 a.m.

For months I've wanted to feature the Olivia Tremor Control's first album in this space.

In keeping with my own self-imposed rule about avoiding out-of-print material, however, I've resisted. Why tell readers about something they might never be able to hear?

But I recently discovered that Athens, Ga., independent label Cloud Recordings reissued 1996's "Music From the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle" last month, putting it back in play for this weekly column.

The Olivia Tremor Control, or OTC for short, were key members of a 1990s indie-rock collective known as Elephant 6. Other like-minded bands in the loosely grouped musical family included Neutral Milk Hotel, the Apples in Stereo and Elf Power.

All of them shared a do-it-yourself, lo-fi recording aesthetic, along with a similar desire to create catchy pop-rock confections.

Along with Neutral Milk Hotel's two breathtaking albums, "Dusk at Cubist Castle" -- OTC's first full-length disc -- remains the Elephant 6 company's most enduring contribution.

The album's 27 tracks are a wondrous blend of psychedelia and pop, with plenty of instrumental and tape-loop experimentation mixed in, providing it with a unique appeal that defies normal classification.

For every hooky nod to the Beatles or the Kinks, such as "The Opera House," "Jumping Fences" or "Courtyard," there's a strange bit of other-worldly exploration, such as the 10-part "Green Typewriters" movement.

The disc's peak moment may be the sublime "Memories of Jacqueline 1906," a song that transitions from a poppy ditty that might have made it onto the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," to a mess of strange noises and rapid tempo changes.

Early copies of "Dusk at Cubist Castle" included a bonus disc featuring ambient accompaniment to the album, which was said to enhance the listening experience when played simultaneously on a second stereo.

Though interesting, arranging such an exercise can be rather difficult, which may explain why the new edition does not contain the second CD.

Artist: The Olivia Tremor Control.

Title: "Music From the Unrealized Film Script, Dusk at Cubist Castle."

Year of release: 1996.

Tracklisting: "The Opera House," "Frosted Ambassador," "Jumping Fences," "Define a Transparent Dream," "No Growing (Exegesis)," "Holiday Surprise," "Courtyard," "Memories of Jacqueline 1906," "Tropical Bells," "Can You Come Down With Us?," "Marking Time," "Green Typewriters (parts 1-10)" "Spring Succeeds," "Theme For a Very Delicious Grand Piano," "I Can Smell the Leaves," "Dusk at Cubist Castle," "The Gravity Car," "NYC -- 25."