blend of electric gadgetry and classic instrumentation…gradually laying bare their emotional core while taking your breath away", while Chris Ho praised Time of Rebirth for being "[t]ender and beautiful in its intimacy". Time of Rebirth features non-standard packaging designed by Kinetic. Rather than coming in a jewel case, it was released in the form of a diary, complete with paper-clipped photographs and torn pages. The band all had a hand in assembling the packaging. A music video for "Killing Time", directed by Royston Tan, was also released. Blank Walls Released: September 2005 Produced by The Observatory & Jorgen Traeen Mixed by Jorgen Traeen at Duper Studio (Bergen, Norway) Their second album, Blank Walls, elaborates on the band’s philosophy of perpetual change, and is described by the band as "deliberately loose, eschewing particular themes and genres while embracing unconventional structures, progressive sounds and improvisatory forms, continuing an experimentation with song form, delving into greater depths of musical and lyrical tension, creating 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." Today gave Blank Walls 4/5, praising The Observatory for "upp[ing] the ante by bringing in new drummer Adam Shah – who gives the band an unexpected edge – and crafting a beautiful opus that is hauntingly powerful." Complimenting The Observatory on how "the[ir] audacity can be heard in the way sounds are spliced, unwound and transplanted without warning", Yeow Kai Chai of The Straits Times wrote, "No other Singapore band, past or present, has captured the imagination quite like The Observatory. In two brief years, this experimental space-rock combo has risen from nowhere to become a premier act which everybody talks about with a kind of reverential hush." Featuring art by Andy Yang, Blank Walls was launched on 2 September 2005 at a sold-out, lauded concert at the Recital Studio of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. A music video for "Olives", directed by Patrick Ong and fFurious, was also released. A Far Cry From Here Released: April 2007 Produced by Jørgen Træen and The Observatory Mixed & mastered by Jørgen Træen at Duper Studio (Bergen, Norway) Recorded by Jørgen Træen at Boss Studio (Singapore) with Philip Wong Following on from Time of Rebirth and Blank Walls, this was The Observatory's