The Year of Living Obviously
The Obs at SODF, Bangkok
2007 is calling to an end soon... but what a year it had been for me, musically. There are a few important gigs that I had attended, which had affected me for the better. It all started with The Observatory concert on 25th March at NUS UCC Auditorium. It was a perfect setting to experience one of the best band Singapore has seen. Totally sonic porn !
The Obs at Seoul Fringe Festival
Source: Used with permission of the Observatory
A brief intro : The Observatory are an indie space rock and electronica band and have toured widely throughout Asia (despite the facts that they all have day-jobs) and are influential in the Singapore music scene. They first performed at the Baybeats music festival in December 2002, and have released three albums, Time of Rebirth, March 2004, and Blank Walls, September 2005 and A Far Cry From Here, April 2007. 'They use electronic effects extensively, using several laptops during their performances.
Their music defies classification and it is an amalgamation of confluences as wide as the galaxy. There are a few tracks from their 3 albums which are listed as my all time favorites : Acid Pills, Time of Rebirth, Sea of Doubts, Enlightense etc
“Beyond the jazz subtext, whiffs of
electronica, and folk rock roots, The Observatory makes compelling music
through engaging storytelling … truly a work of genuine talent, a work from the
heart, of belief seldom seen, and of passion rarely heard.
- Sebastian Ho, MTV Asia
Visit their website for more info on ordering their works. If you are in Singapore, you can grab their stuff at Gramaphone, Sembawang Music etc
There is no finer time to be alive to be a groupie of The Obs ! I recommend you starting via their 2nd album, Blank Wall and work you way to Time of Rebirth & then A Far Cry From Here. Afterwhich, you can then shuffle all their songs in your iTunes for an immersion of the fourth dimension !
BLANK WALLS
release date: September 2005 / produced by: The Observatory & Jorgen Traeen / mixed by: Jorgen Traeen @ Duper, Norway
Blank Walls is deliberately loose, eschewing particular themes or genres and embracing unconventional structures, progressive sounds and improvisatory forms, continuing our experimentation with song form into greater depths of musical and lyrical tension. A diverse, experimental palette of words, sonic layering, and musical contrasts. The subject matter signals a mood-shift towards a more palpable intensity, exploring various themes from anger to disenchantment, from the quaint and humorous to self-mockery or plain indignation.
Lead Singer: Leslie Low
wikipedia : The Observatory
official site: The Observatory
All Photos Used with permission of the Observatory