At 74 minutes in length with 27 songs, Dusk at Cubist Castle was a large undertaking.; . It was purported to be the soundtrack to a fictional film, and covers a wide range of genres, including psychedelia, krautrock, noise music, and folk-rock. Dusk at Cubist Castle was released on August 6, 1996, by Flydaddy Records.; . The songs "The Opera House" and "Jumping Fences" were released as singles. To promote the album, the Olivia Tremor Control served as an opener for Beck, and toured with Gorky's Zygotic Mynci in 1998. Keyboardist Peter Erchick was brought on as the fifth band member while on tour. Dusk at Cubist Castle received positive reviews from critics, who noted the intricate composition and judicious use of pop elements.; ; ; It ranked at number 37 on The Village Voice year-end Pazz & Jop critics' poll.
