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Olivia Tremor Control: The Tour EP Olivia Tremor Control 
The Tour EP
[Elephant 6/Flydaddy]
Rating: 5.5
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While on tour in support of their terrific full- length debut, Dusk At Cubist Castle, the Olivia Tremor Control sold a limited- edition vinyl of another album they referred to as The Tour EP. It was originally thought that if you missed it while they were on tour, you'd never hear the record. But all that's changed, and the EP is now available on CD.

For those of you not down with the OTC, the Black Swan Network is an alias under which the band records bizarre experimental stuff. And frankly, I think they just slapped the Olivia Tremor Control brand name on the disc to sell more copies at concerts-- this is clearly a Black Swan Network release.

The disc consists of two tracks which are comprised of freaky noises and echo-licious guitars, but unlike most other experimental projects, their Tour EP has some standout moments. The band shifts gears a number of times throughout the disc, occasionally sounding like a post-rock Pink Floyd, the cantina musicians from "Star Wars," and the tribal ritual of the Moog people.

In terms of an Olivia Tremor Control release, it's far from typical, and that's part of the fun. There's nothing better than hearing an already innovative band push their boundaries, and this is a great example of that. This time around, there's no catchy pop melodies and no George Martin- esque production-- just a band getting crazy on their own private darkside.

-Ryan Schreiber

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