that recording the first album was "a process [of] 'Delusional Exploration'. Rockets and Robots was an experiment to take the Phenomenauts rock show ... and translate it to your mind. So that if you had never seen the band before and listened to the album you could paint the picture of the show in your imagination". Later in 2002 The Phenomenauts won two awards. They were chosen as California's Best Live Band by the East Bay Express, and called the Best Lifestyle Music artist by SF Weekly. After touring to support their debut album, the band signed with Springman Records. "After a year of touring up and down the Bay ... Avi [the] owner of Springman Records ... saw us at the Gilman. He said, ‘You guys are something I want to be a part of’. ... It was one of our best ideas to work together". In the spring of 2003, Rockets and Robots was remastered and re-issued on Springman Records. Expansion and mini-albums (2002–04) Leading up to their second full-length album The Phenomenauts released two smaller works. These releases, in turn, were preceded by the band adding a fifth member to their lineup—Professor Greg Arius playing synthesizer. This gave the group an "extra layer" and type of sound. Then in 2003 the band released Mission Transmission, a 7" vinyl containing two new songs. To celebrate The Phenomenauts went on their first European tour in November 2003 with fellow punk/rockabilly band Demented Are Go. This was followed by their second mini-album Pre-Entry in 2004. Pre-Entry had live versions of the two Transmission songs as well as three new ones. Re-Entry (2004) The Phenomenauts released their second full-length album Re-Entry later in 2004. "With the new record ... the band felt really comfortable about the vision and going into the studio. We didn't worry so much about [making] a movie this time as we did trying to capture the energy of the songs". Shortly after releasing Re-Entry, the Phenomenauts were a finalist for the "Not So Silent Night" concert held by San Francisco radio station Live 105. Discussing their music-making process, the band noted that trying out songs live before they were recorded "enabled the band to sort through their best material, and eliminate any excess fat". While it had been two years since their previous album release, the band was "glad [they had] waited until [they] had enough 'A'