Search - Olivia Tremor Control :: Dusk at Cubist Castle

Dusk at Cubist Castle. A majestic masterpiece.

Wickerlove | Canada | 09/08/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album didn't appeal to me at first until I rediscovered it recently, I was immediately struck by it's brilliance, making me wonder what I missed the first time around. 'Dusk At Cubist Castle' by Olivia Tremor Control is one of these unrecognized gems, perhaps being the Can of the Elephant Six label, going unappreciated if somehow not unearthed and allowed to shine. This CD is pure neo-psychadelic pop genius, a combination of latter period Beatles, 'Pet Sounds' by The Beach Boys, and the improvisational spirit of Krautrock. Or if you want a more contemporary description, just think 'Navy Blues' by Sloan meeting the psychadelic noodlings of The Flaming Lips or Super Furry Animals. Thrown into the arrangements are these creative interludes, sporadic Zappa-like segues often giving the impression of a 'song within a song'. The entire recording is incredibly rich and well produced, melodic and harmonic, yet not straying too far from Elephant Six's raw retro-guitar sound. Nothing more can be said really, other than 'Dusk At Cubist Castle' seems like a musical speaking-in-tongues, drawing from classic innovators like Brian Wilson and Lennon/McCartney, and channeling it through Olivia Tremor Control."

A Transparent Dream: Psychedelic, Ambient, Dear Prudence, No

Wendell Chancellor | Utah | 05/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Geez. I was forty-four years old. For twenty years (and more) I had been trying to re-create the moment when I first listened to Talking Heads' "Speaking in Tongues." "Dusk at Cubist Castle" had arrived that day. The wife and kids gathered around the boom box in the kitchen. "Let's check this out."



What I heard I was not prepared to digest--psychedelic, ambient, dear prudence, noise, pet sounds, beatles, pop, . . . transparent dream. I didn't have a category for this . . . and I still don't. But that night "Dusk at Cubist Castle" convinced me that music wasn't dead (as I had come to almost believe).



In the wake of that night, the Olivia Tremor Contral has ruined most other music for me. And here is why.



1. "Dusk at Cubist Castle" took me to a place I had never been before. A unique and new listening experience: I haven't gotten much of that from other artists before or since.



2. There is an artistic vision in the work. Sure the vision isn't as consistent in "Dusk at Cubist Castle" as it is in "Black Foliage," but it is there. The vision of most artist doesn't extend much beyond trying to get me to open my wallet and buy their stuff.



3. The work is generous. On listen after listen, "Dusk at Cubist Castle" continues to speak to me. It is layered and complex and is therefore able to give something over time. This is one standard of good art: with each viewing or listen it speaks to you. Most art has said all it has to say in one glimpse, in one listen.



4. It offers a rich sonic experience. I am sick to death of guitars, bass, and drums. In some sense that combination is in danger of playing itself out (the exception may be Spoon). "Dusk at Cubit Castle" creates a complex and unexpected landscape of sound.



So now I spend my time trying to re-create the experience of listening to "Dusk at Cubist Castle" for the first time. Here is what I have found that is worth mentioning: Olivia Tremor Control's "Black Foliage" (a stronger work); Circulatory System's eponymous CD; the Go! Team's "Thunder, Lightning, Strike"; Elf Power's "A Dream in Sound"; Dungen's "Ta Det Lugnt"; Manitoba's "Up in Flames"; and the Microphones' "The Glow Part 2"; All Night Radio's "Spirit, Radio, Frequency"; and, of course, Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea."



Check out "Dusk at Cubist Castle" and invite me over for the first listen.





"

Late to board the OTC space vessel, but here I am

Christopher Ruble | Fort Wayne, IN | 10/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought the Circulatory System album about a year ago after reading a review on here. Long story short, the album blew my mind to bits. So I went on to search frantically like I was in the midst of a god damned gold rush, testing the abilities of every search engine on the net, trying to find anything about William C. Hart. So of course I eventually become educated about OTC and Hart's buddy, Mr. Doss, among others. I bought this album along with Black Foliage: Volume 1, and while I think Black Foliage is slightly better, this album, Dusk at Cubist Castle, is a masterpiece as well. At first, I was a bit put off by this album because it didn't seem as trippy as some of the other albums, but then I realized that this album is loaded with great songs. Eventually, the album gets more and more experimental and trippy, as the album gets further and further. I kind of think this album as a double edged sword. Half of it is straight up great pop songs and half is twisted, trippy, scary but good nightmare. Many of the songs are so good, you just sit there in amazement at the beautiful sounds that hit you from a million directions. Like anything else the Hart/Doss maching makes, you need to listen to this album as a whole, at least the first couple of times, before you make any judgement or decide which songs are the best. Hart and Doss have completely changed my perception of psych/pop/rock music; now I want every album to sound like Olivia Tremor Control, they are just that good. This album is a masterpiece: great vocals/harmonies, great lyrics, great instrumental placements, amazing overall song-crafting, experimental sounds fitting perfectly with the flow of the album, BEAUTIFULLY CONTROLLED CHAOS would describe it the best."