Circulatory System

Part of the extensive and often intertwining circles of the Elephant 6 collective of experimental indie pop bands, Circulatory System grew out of the turbulent early existence of the Olivia Tremor Control. That band, formed by songwriter Will Hart and fellow Athens, Georgia popsmith Bill Doss, came to an end in 2000 (though multiple reunions would follow) and Hart instantly put together Circulatory System as a vehicle for his psychedelic leanings, cobbling the early band together from the remaining Olivia Tremor Control players and others. Neutral Milk Hotel's reclusive ringleader Jeff Magnum also contributed to early versions of the band, though he helped out more with recordings than in the live setting. Their debut self-titled album materialized in 2001 on Cloud Recordings, followed up quickly the same year by Inside Views, a companion piece that remixed fragments of the source material, demos, and other related audio from the debut album. Circulatory System were well received by fans and critics for their fuzzy, swirling, eclectic songs, but the band would be active only in spurts for some time. Hart was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which slowed down the creative process of the band for a time. Between the time of a 2005 Olivia Tremor Control reunion tour and the release of second Circulatory System album Signal Morning in 2009, Hart was actively working on new material with both bands. The death of Hart's OTC partner Bill Doss in 2012 left the future of that band uncertain. Circulatory System returned in 2014 with their third album Mosaics Within Mosaics. Will Cullen Hart died on November 29, 2024, at the age of 53. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi