Singapore’s The Observatory announce first-ever fundraiser for annual operating costs

Written by on 07/06/2022

The Observatory

Singaporean art-rock band The Observatory have announced their first-ever fundraiser, hoping to raise SGD$22,000 for their annual operating costs.

  • READ MORE: The Observatory: “We’ve been looking to Asian sounds as opposed to looking to the West”

The band says that their target of $22,000 will cover up to 5 percent of the amount they need to “support essential operating costs including manpower, equipment and resources,” including their work as a non-profit group producing albums, music festivals and online radio shows – notably producing the REFUSE inter-media exhibition, which explored  music-making and artistic expression through experimentation with fungi and mycelial networks and the 2019 Playfreely Festival.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Observatory / Playfreely (@theobservatorysg)

The band currently claim 50 percent of their operating costs from the Singaporean government as a non-profit charity with Major Company status from the country’s National Arts Council.

Those interested in donating to the long-running act may choose to donate any amount, though the band have prepared limited-time collectables for every tier of donor. Most notably, should the band hit their $22,000 target, The Observatory will also share an unreleased track.

Those who donate any amount below the set tiers will receive a spore variant digital collectable of The Observatory’s Jammi fundraising mushroom mascot and a 2-second preview of the unreleased track. Donors in the $42 tier will receive a button mushroom variant of Jammi, a 4-second preview of the track and two redeemable merchandise tokens. In contrast, those who donate $82 will receive a 6-second preview, four merchandise tokens, and an enoki mushroom variant of the Jammi collectable.

Those in the $122 tier will get an oyster mushroom Jammi alongside a 8-second preview and six merchandise tokens, while donors in the highest $282 tier will get a Ling Zhi Jammi, a 14-second preview, eight merchandise tokens and will receive a signed vinyl of the band’s upcoming album ‘Demon State’ upon release.

The first 44 donors in the $42 tiers and above will also score spots at an exclusive fundraiser gig to be held at Black Axis this June 25 featuring The Observatory, Bani Haykal, Jaydah, and Weish hosted by Becca D’ Bus.

All donors in the $42 tiers and above will receive exclusive previews to The Observatory’s new works.

The Observatory last released ‘Authority Is Alive’, a live album recorded with veteran Japanese musician Keiji Haino, in late 2020. The band previously teamed up with Norwegian improv-rock trio MoE and Japanese psychedelic rock outfit Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. for separate releases in 2018.

Their last studio effort was ‘August is the cruellest’, released in 2016.

The post Singapore’s The Observatory announce first-ever fundraiser for annual operating costs appeared first on NME.


Reader's opinions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *



Current track

Title

Artist