The Dark Room, by Cloudland Blue Quartet

The Dark Room

by Cloudland Blue Quartet

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"The Dark Room", a four song LP plus a five song EP of 7" mixes, is a kind of follow up to "Fallingsky" from 2021. The music was written and recorded in April 2023 with vocals being added and mixing carried out in February 2024. The download version contains a further 2 hours of music, featuring instrumental versions of the LP and EP plus beatless mixes of the LP. At 3 hours long, if it were to be available in physical form, this would be a 3CD or a 6 record set. The full bundle is only available on download. If you download the bundle, feel free to burn the WAV files to CDs or have them pressed privately as LPs!

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1.	The Dark Room 11:06	lyrics	buy track
I sit and watch the television, it sits there in the corner It's the only thing I have, apart from this chair There's nothing on I want to watch, but I watch it anyway I sometimes look out of the window, I while my life away I forgot to mention, that I also have a clock But it's stopped at 12:12, and there's nothing I can do Wait, I have some curtains, they used to be bright red But now they're dull and faded, just like me I have more things than I thought, now I come to think of it There's a table under the TV, with a photograph standing on it It's a photo of my family, they never come to visit I don't know where they are, I don't know what they do Some people come and feed me, I can't make out what they say They wash me sometimes too, but the, the food is never hot enough And they don't seem listen, they're not from here you see Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that they come, but I'd rather have my family I think I've got some money, but I don't really know Well that's enough for one day, I really have to go Cos my favourite detective show is coming on
2.	A Show Like This 13:26	lyrics	buy track
The lights are bright and times are good I'm going out, I'm going out A big black car is taking me I'm going out, I'm going out I'm in the back, I'm looking out I'm going out, I'm going out Flashes flashing all around, interest seems high I'm going out, I'm going out Now I'm at the cinema, I think I'm in this film I'm going out, I'm going out Back into the car, driving through the country I'm going out, I'm going out Does anyone really care about anything I do I'm going out, I'm going out I'm sitting in a chair, I'm waiting I'm going out, I'm going out
3.	Kienholz 10:52	lyrics	buy track
I'm living in an installation, it's a little like a Kienholz But maybe not quite as good, I'm not sitting in a chair And there is no parakeet, hopping to and fro And it's not outrageous, not as far as I know And there aren't any bodies, well, none apart from mine And there are no bright colours, and it's nothing like a shrine In fact it's not an installation, it's really just my home But it could be Sollie 17, that's what it could have been I could have been in a room in the Pedicord Hotel In isolation, in defeat, peering through the window, waiting to die...
4.	Start Here, Start Now 10:02	lyrics	buy track
Start here, start now, that's what my doctor said Try and get those psychoses right out of your head Give myself a lift, give myself a life Give myself a lift, give myself a life Well this is quite dark but it's just inside my head Start here, start now, that's what my doctor said Give myself a lift, give myself a life Give myself a lift, give myself a life So now I'm going out today, I'm going to the park Where everything is colourful and nothing is so dark Give myself a lift, give myself a life Give myself a lift, give myself a life Start here, start now, start here, start now Start here, start now, start here, start now
5.	The Dark Room (7" Mix) 04:24	lyrics	buy track
I sit and watch the television, it sits there in the corner It's the only thing I have, apart from this chair There's nothing on I want to watch, but I watch it anyway I sometimes look out of the window, I while my life away I forgot to mention, that I also have a clock But it's stopped at 12:12, and there's nothing I can do Wait, I have some curtains, they used to be bright red But now they're dull and faded, just like me I have more things than I thought, now I come to think of it There's a table under the TV, with a photograph standing on it It's a photo of my family, they never come to visit I don't know where they are, I don't know what they do Some people come and feed me, I can't make out what they say They wash me sometimes too, but the, the food is never hot enough And they don't seem listen, they're not from here you see Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that they come, but I'd rather have my family I think I've got some money, but I don't really know Well that's enough for one day, I really have to go Cos my favourite detective show is coming on
6.	A Show Like This (7" Mix) 05:18	lyrics	buy track
The lights are bright and times are good I'm going out, I'm going out A big black car is taking me I'm going out, I'm going out I'm in the back, I'm looking out I'm going out, I'm going out Flashes flashing all around, interest seems high I'm going out, I'm going out Now I'm at the cinema, I think I'm in this film I'm going out, I'm going out Back into the car, driving through the country I'm going out, I'm going out Does anyone really care about anything I do I'm going out, I'm going out I'm sitting in a chair, I'm waiting I'm going out, I'm going out
7.	Kienholz (7" Mix) 04:34	lyrics	buy track
I'm living in an installation, it's a little like a Kienholz But maybe not quite as good, I'm not sitting in a chair And there is no parakeet, hopping to and fro And it's not outrageous, not as far as I know And there aren't any bodies, well, none apart from mine And there are no bright colours, and it's nothing like a shrine In fact it's not an installation, it's really just my home But it could be Sollie 17, that's what it could have been I could have been in a room in the Pedicord Hotel In isolation, in defeat, peering through the window, waiting to die...
8.	Start Here, Start Now (7" Mix) 03:30	lyrics	buy track
Start here, start now, that's what my doctor said Try and get those psychoses right out of your head Give myself a lift, give myself a life Give myself a lift, give myself a life Well this is quite dark but it's just inside my head Start here, start now, that's what my doctor said Give myself a lift, give myself a life Give myself a lift, give myself a life So now I'm going out today, I'm going to the park Where everything is colourful and nothing is so dark Give myself a lift, give myself a life Give myself a lift, give myself a life Start here, start now, start here, start now Start here, start now, start here, start now
9.	The Dark Room (7" Country Mix) 04:48	lyrics	buy track
I sit and watch the television, it sits there in the corner It's the only thing I have, apart from this chair There's nothing on I want to watch, but I watch it anyway I sometimes look out of the window, I while my life away I forgot to mention, that I also have a clock But it's stopped at 12:12, and there's nothing I can do Wait, I have some curtains, they used to be bright red But now they're dull and faded, just like me I have more things than I thought, now I come to think of it There's a table under the TV, with a photograph standing on it It's a photo of my family, they never come to visit I don't know where they are, I don't know what they do Some people come and feed me, I can't make out what they say They wash me sometimes too, but the, the food is never hot enough And they don't seem listen, they're not from here you see Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that they come, but I'd rather have my family I think I've got some money, but I don't really know Well that's enough for one day, I really have to go Cos my favourite detective show is coming on

about

How did this album come about?

In a short burst of activity, over 3 days in April 2023, four long instrumental works were created but not released. At the time, there was a fair amount of certainty that these pieces would become songs rather than instrumentals. In February 2024, four lyrics were finally written, heavily influenced by David's mother's situation, following having returned home after a prolonged hospital stay. As it turns out, she was readmitted after only a week back home.

Diary Notes:

2nd April 2023

First thing, I am working on something new. I have accepted an invitation to perform my "non-song" material (it will be the first time I've done this) next year, in Newcastle. So, I fired up the machines and created something from scratch on the Yamaha CS5 synth - in a "live concert" stylee. Before breakfast. Of course, then I had to make it more complicated by introducing various loops I had on the hard drive. Which I wouldn't do at a performance. Before I knew it, I had "accidentally" created the first track for what may be yet another new LP, "The Dark Room" (title from Eno's 1995 diary entry for 2 April). Around 12:30, it was to be found soundtracking part of our bus trip to that Glasgow.

4th April 2023

Worked on a "7 Inch" mix of the new track from Sunday and created a second track, with both 12" and 7" mixes. Progress.

6th April 2023

To work on the third piece for "The Dark Room" project. A 12" and 7" mix completed. More work and a fourth piece created (2 mixes again) while Anne painted downstairs. A brief sojourn into the garden - still feeling quite unwell.

10 February 2024

Most of the day was spent working on my album "The Dark Room". The music was commenced back in April last year. This morning, I wrote a lyric for each of the four pieces. While it took less than 15 minutes to sing them into the hand held recorder (I think I will definitely have to sing them all again*), actually mixing the tracks took the rest of the day.

11 February 2024

More work on the four new songs. I listened back to the finished "album" today.

12 February 2024

More mucking about with music. I tried to create a new "country" mix of "The Dark Room" but it remains a work in progress - will return to it tomorrow.

13 February 2024

To redoing the "country" mix of "The Dark Room" and got it sorted. It's quite good.

*In the event, I did not re-record any of the vocals. The vocals you hear on the album are my first run through of each, just after having written the lyrics.

credits

released March 1, 2024

The Dark Room is the 15th song-based album from Cloudland Blue Quartet (Crispycat 2402 - 1 March 2024)

Vocals, guitarscapes, Yamaha CS5 Synthesiser, loop and sample curation, manipulation, treatment, editing and arrangement, cover (“The Found Dark Room, 4 April 2023") and production by David Reilly for Crispycat Recordings.

Guitarscapes :
"Kienholz" samples "Sollie 17 (1979-80)" from "Disquietmusik VI"
"A Show Like This" samples "CHX (1939)" from "Disquietmusik V"
"Start Here, Start Now" samples "Untitled (Free) (1992)" from "Disquietmusik VI"

Cloudland Blue Quartet's "Disquietmusik" series is available on Bandcamp.

All songs written by David Reilly

Thanks to Mr Roads, Marlowe DK, S Baglio, Trings, Big T, SN Jorinn, Jonny Kaine, Rasputin, Hear Light Records, Prod Faaz and Lil X Let Dwn

For track credits, see individual tracks

For Best Results Please Listen on Headphones (alone, in the dark)

Recorded at Crispycat, Edinburgh, UK
2, 4, 6, 27 April 2023, 10, 11, 12, 13 February 2024

(p) 2024 Crispycat Recordings © David Reilly 2024

Executive Producer : Anne Reilly

Bonus Material (118' 09") (Download Only)

Tracks 10-13: Instrumental Versions 45:23
Tracks 14-17: Instrumental 7" Mixes 17:17
Tracks 18-21: Instrumental Beatless Versions 45:23
Track 22: "The Dark Room" (CS5 Drone Mix) 10:06

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about

Cloudland Blue Quartet Edinburgh, UK

A quartet in name only, initially influenced by Fripp & Eno's "No Pussyfooting" and The Velvet Underground's debut, songwriter & soundscaper David Reilly started musicking in 1977 by creating drones using sellotape on the keys of his dad's Bontempi Organ. The subsequent junk shop purchases of an electric guitar & fuzzbox and the acquisition of an old Beatles songbook, led him into songwriting... ... more

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