"Elements" is a collection of new pieces created in January 2021 by Cloudland Blue Quartet, originally to be included on his long-running weekly podcast on Mixcloud (“Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection").
As the album's title suggests, the pieces comprise "elements" – in this case re-workings, treatments and manipulations - of the “Disquietmusik” guitarscapes created (thus far) between 2017 and 2020 but with added rhythm beds and other inputs, to create these brand new works.
The material on two of the tracks, "Vision of Ezekiel" and "Industrial Facades and Torment" comprises that which CBQ added via his remixes to, respectively, a cover of Andy Long's piece "Intercession" by Edward Spark and the latter's own piece, "The Curse".
For those who choose to download the album, there is a further cache of 10 bonus tracks, with a running time of 58 minutes.
credits
released February 5, 2021
Credits (for background and individual credits on each piece, see the notes on the individual tracks)
Guitars, Rhythm Beds, Samples, Treatments, Elements, Cover “6822" (19 January, 2021) – David Reilly
Additional Synths, Programming, Kick Drum – Edward Spark (2, 4, 7)
Double Bass – Tim Webb (3 pts III & IV)
Drums – Jae Sinnett (3 pt IV)
Voice– Anne Reilly (1)
Elements:-
“The Uncertainty of the Poet (1913)”; “A Mountainous Wooded Landscape with a Torrent (1655)”; “The Immaculate Conception of the Escorial (1678)” by Cloudland Blue Quartet from “Disquietmusik I”, recorded 8, 9 July 2017
“The Awakening Conscience (1853)”; “Reservoir (1961)” by Cloudland Blue Quartet from “Disquietmusik II”, recorded 4 November 2018
“The Stumbling Block (1991)”; “Tree Bones (1974)”; “Requiem for M Oppenheimer (1995)”; “Time Overcome by Hope, Love and Beauty (1627)”; “Industrial Facades (1975-1995)” by Cloudland Blue Quartet from “Disquietmusik III”, recorded 10 November 2019
“Frica As Fear (1950)”; “Vision of Ezekiel (1912)” by Cloudland Blue Quartet from “Disquietmusik IV”, recorded 22 November 2020
“How Do You Like Them Apples?” by Anne Reilly, recorded January 2020
“Bells” by Tim Webb from “Bass Improvisations”, recorded February 2006
Excerpt from “Jazz Drumming Improvisation” by Jae Sinnett 8 June 2016
Intro & Outro from the CBQ Clapping Mix of “Intercession” by Edward Spark (based on a piece by Andy Long), recorded January 2021
Short Wave Radio - Radio Peking (6 November 1970)
Sequencer line from Edward Spark “The Curse”, recorded January 2021
Treated excerpts from the Medici Quartet's recording of Beethoven's String Quartet in E flat major Op.74 2nd Movement, Adagio ma non troppo (amended to E Major)
Recorded at Crispycat Studio, Edinburgh, UK, 2, 7, 13, 14, 26, 27, 30, 31 January 2021
Bonus Material (Download Only)
For those who choose to download the album, there are ten bonus tracks with a combined running time of 58:06.
These comprise the four original individual parts of "The Uncertainty Block", the three original individual parts of "Industrial Facades and Torment", a 138BPM version of "The Uncertainty Block", the full length version of the "Vision of Ezekiel Clapping Mix" of Edward Spark's cover of Andy Long's "Intercession" and the 120BPM version of that same track.
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
Krautrock meets ambient in the full-length from Youth Team, a lone producer twiddling knobs in one of Scotland's most remote locales. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 5, 2021
Ethereal sounds at their finest! This album transcends musical boundaries and takes you on a journey through sound that creates sight. Simply put, I love it! Brilliantly done! OddsFiche