387 by Cloudland Blue Quartet

What's the significance of the number "387"? It's actually a seemingly random sequence of numbers which may have, or, indeed, will have, significance to someone somewhere in the world.

There are three recordings of short wave radio broadcasts of "number stations" included in this 64 minute work.

A numbers station is a shortwave radio station characterized by broadcasts of formatted numbers, which are believed to address intelligence officers operating in foreign countries.

Stations often appear to have no discernible pattern and broadcast at unpredictable times.

The first known use of numbers stations was during World War I, with numbers transmitted in Morse code. They were most prolific during the Cold War era but many continue to broadcast today.

But this is not a "concept album" per se.

I decided my eighth project of 2022 would be recorded solely using my old Yamaha CS5 synthesiser, bought in May, 1980.

There are ten elements in the piece, from drones to pulses to, kind of, actual "tunes". Each of these was looped and, due to their differing lengths, provided a random changing soundscape through the course of the initial 64 minute mix of the piece (downloaders can hear this version on tracks 19-27 which, when played in sequence and gaplessly, provide the entire piece).

The day after recording, after listening back to the dense work I'd created, I went back to the project and painstakingly removed glitches and errors and remixed the entire track to give what is presented here as "387" (Sections I-IX).

Then, I decided I ought to split the piece into nine, more digestible sections and that each section should be a stand alone piece. I returned to the mix yet again and created nine separate tracks, each remixed from scratch (downloaders can hear these nine "singles" on tracks 10-18).

After spending a day creating these and listening back, I came to the conclusion that the piece works best as one 64 minute work and so reverted to the first "remix" but, continued with the idea that the piece ought to be split into more digestible sections.

Again, when played in sequence and gaplessly, they provide you with the entire piece.

I hope you enjoy my experiments with a very old machine!

David Reilly
Edinburgh
2 September 2022

Tracklist

1.	387 I	3:38

2.	387 II	3:26

3.	387 III	2:21

4.	387 IV	3:51

5.	387 V	7:43

6.	387 VI	10:08

7.	387 VII	13:01

8.	387 VIII	7:20

9.	387 IX	12:21

Credits

released September 2, 2022

387 is the 39th soundscapes album from Cloudland Blue Quartet (Crispycat 2208 - 2 September 2022)

Credits

Yamaha CS5 Synthesiser, found shortwave radio, cover (“Detail of Anne Reilly's "Boat"", 28 August 2022) and production by David Reilly for Crispycat Recordings

Recorded at Crispycat Studio, Edinburgh, UK, 28 August, 2022
Stand Alone Sections I-IX (bonus material) remixed 29 August 2022
Initial Mix Sections I-IX (bonus material) mixed 28 August 2022

For best results, please listen on headphones, in the dark

(p) 2022 Crispycat Recordings © David Reilly 2022

Executive Producer : Anne Reilly

Bonus Material (Download Only), a further 2 double LPs or 2 CDs.
Tracks 10-18 Remixed Stand Alone Sections I-IX of "387" (69:42)
Tracks 19-27 Sections I-IX of the initial mix of "387" (63:41)

License