Many Many Volcano

As said, there will be a new release by Leslie. A spanking new instrumental album by the name of 'Volcanoes'. Believe it that it is smouldered by magma !! During the hiatus of 4 months between the finished recording and the mix of blank walls, Leslie, who backside itchy decided to do an album where he could experiment and see what he can get out of it. And the result... a lava hot album of an interesting and progressive mix of noisy music that reminds me of the band Mandarin Movie. Played, recorded and mix everything himself somemore. One man band vibe. Steady lah. Do buy a copy at the launch. Support!

By the way, Les is wondering if he should name himself "Sonic Bacteria" for this album. That one he must decide for himself. Sonic Bacteria sial !! "Sonic Bacteria with his new album Volcano Amour " I think he's just kidding. Better be. Usual, the designer is the same dude who designed the Blank Walls cover Mr Ferret Yuen Chee Wai, purveyor of unusual designs and ultra small fonts. Don't ask me why his name is Ferret. Manimal scene maybe...

Anyway, Flux Us, the shop at Peninsula Shoppin' Centre will probably stock it after the launch.
They are the experimental nice guys. Experimental but nice. Or Nice and experimental...whichever. Which reminds me that on the 10th Sept there will be another in-store performance by 1) Minister 2) Sembawang Air Experimental Research Station, featuring Harold and Justin Seah, brought to you from the far off lands of Sembawang to a CD store near you and lastly 3) Li Chuan, a composer who has been doing all sorts of experimental music in the arts scene. And a jam session between the 3 after.
Ok lah..
Baik lah...


e

Reminiscing - our trip to Norway

finally sorted out all the photos of our trip to Norway. rather than bore you all with the whole lot at one go, i'll be trying to organise them in some sort of a recognisable order. we've hosted them up at flickr. simply click on this http://www.flickr.com/photos/theobsgallery or our side bar link and check in every few days for newly uploaded pics. first up, our 1st days in Bergen, where we got off to a promising start at Duper with Jorgen, our mixer. Bergen just had such a nice vibe, so laid back and physically a small town, yet with endless creative things going on. gigs, music, art installations, we were quite exhausted after the long plane ride on the 1st morning and had to go straight in to the studio to start. but mentally, the vibe of Bergen and Duper and Jorgen combined had a strangely focusing effect on us.

viv

new website is up!

the new website is up!

www.theobservatory.com.sg

also check out an obs audiocast interview in straydog scraps

Tees & CDs

hello...for those of you who've been inquiring about Blank Walls. here's a quick update. there will be a limited number of T-shirts for sale ($25) & the new album as well. If you purchase Blank Walls at the launch, early buyers will get a launch concert poster free until we run out. Also on sale will be some solo project CDs, Leslie Low's new album called Volcanoes available for the first time as well as a limited number of Evan Tan's EP, Coast To Coast.

Pic of our T shirt

new site under construction

hello,

just want to let you know that our official website www.theobservatory.com.sg will be taken down very soon as we are preparing to launch a new website...

a bit sad...but the new site will be more functional for you and me and just as nice.

it will be done by the same designer and good friend, Jason from Kinetic Interactive.

in the meantime, you can still find us here at blank walls...

victor

Blank Walls - Final Track List

hello everyone,

i promised a tracklist of our final songs that made it to the album. first and foremost, we'd like to make a note of regret that two and a half songs did NOT make it. Observations of Human Failure (the 'passing rain' song) and The Absentee were both cut as they just didnt fit in with the other tracks. We also had another instrumental outro at the end of the album we recorded as part of a jam that we really liked but it too, didn't fit in somewhat. BUT... the good news is we'll be putting these on our WEBSITE as soon as the album is launched as FREE DOWNLOADs!

Okay... here is the tracklist of our 2nd album BLANK WALLS:

1 acid pills
2 olives
3 my whole life
4 oddball
5 sea of doubts
6 failed recollections of a fool
7 finch
8 i didn't see her
9 a good thing
10 strength from the sun

IT'S FINISHED!

We're back from Norway, with the finished master on CD. Cant believe it's all done. And cant believe how inspiring and frriggin tiring it's been. not least because we were doing near 10 hour days in Duper, but also the fact that we really packed in a whole of other stuff as well, The Lost Weekend Festival on some small island off Bergen called Askoy, the crazy rides we spent hanging on for dear life in Jorgen's tiny BUT FAST (he insists) speedboat. Bergen fishcakes... the foosball games... Landmark and the many hugs from the crazy, wonderful people we met who far outdo us in their passion to make or help make music, regardless what the deal is. Oya festival, sonic youth... shining... kill... meeting Martin of Jaga. Our little apartment in Bergen. Sharing a room with the guys in the Oslo hostel, ALL four snoring pretty much different riffs, polyrhythmic and polyphonic too! Jeez... So many memories in so short a time. My sentences getting shorter cos this whole intense experience and the long plane ride home has been too much... i'm knackered and will update you all more on the final tracks on Blank Walls and photos of our trip soon! after a 12 hour snooze maybe....


vi