Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Welcome to Crispycat Recordings....

We issue the solo and collaborative work of musician, abstract artist and podcaster 
DAVID REILLY aka CLOUDLAND BLUE QUARTET (CBQ)
__________________________________________________________________________________

THIS SECTION IS THE CLOUDLAND BLUE DIARY
The diary comprises over twenty-one years of daily entries, commencing on Sunday, 5 March, 2005

The latest entry is from Tuesday, 10 November, 2026

(Please scroll down for the latest entries)
_________________________________________________________________________________

SITE DIRECTORY
To go to another section of the site, click on an icon below

ABOUT    MUSIC    PODCASTS    ART    RECOMENDED LISTENING
                    
                    
__________________________________________________________________________

CRISPYCAT RECORDINGS ON BANDCAMP
To go to the Bandcamp discographies of these Crispycat related artists, click on an icon.

                    

Crispycat Recordings released the first 25 Cloudland Blue Quartet albums (recorded between 1996 and 2012) to Bandcamp in 2013.

A further 8 LPs were released between 2013 and 2019.

Then, with the advent of lockdown, David spent much more time on new Cloudland Blue Quartet works, with the result that, since May 2020, new music has been released almost every month, with 100 or so further new releases having been issued in the last five years.

The current pipeline (see below) will take matters to the end of 2026, beyond the 30th anniversary of Cloudland Blue Quartet's debut recordings, pushing the total CBQ releases available on Bandcamp to 140.

Meanwhile, retrospective releases by David's groups Creek, Crazy Wisdom and Capital Models have also been being issued by Crispycat Recordings and these are set to continue, with around 50 planned over the next 18 months or so...

In 2025, Crazy Wisdom and Capital Models also released new recordings, with seven new EPs from Crazy Wisdom and their remastered back catalogue, which you can find here; and, from Capital Models, two new studio LPs, a live LP and an update to their all encompassing "Repertoire" virtual box set, all of which, along with original recordings from 1980 and reunion tapes from 2011, can be found here...
__________________________________________________________________________________

NEWS

LATEST CBQ ALBUM


On Friday, 6 November, Cloudland Blue Quartet, Edward Spark and Matt LeGroulx released the collaborative soundscape LP "Precipitation", the 47th in The Soundscapes Series, created in October 2026

As always from Crispycat Recordings, this release is entirely Free to Stream or Name Your Price (including zero) to Download (with 104 minutes of bonuses!)

"Precipitation" is a 42 minute collaborative work, with disquiet guitar and treated field recordings by Cloudland Blue Quartet, along with treatments of synthesiser pieces by electronic maestro, Edward Spark, and of several short saxophone passages played by Canadian jazz musician, Matt LeGroulx

This 4LP equivalent release is completed by the inclusion of the treatments of each of the solo recordings by Matt LeGroulx, Edward Spark and Cloudland Blue Quartet which were created for "Precipitation"

And, for downloaders, the bundle includes a further 104 minutes of music, comprising the initial and second versions of the main work
__________________________________________________________________________________

UPCOMING LIVE PERFORMANCES

            

There are no live performances planned at present...

Performances will include solo appearances, as Cloudland Blue Quartet, presenting sets of either songs or soundscapes, and group performances, with the current line up of David's 1980 new wave band, Capital Models 

At present there are no plans for his electronic improvisational quartet, Creek, to play live and nothing in the calendar for Cloudland Blue Quartet, Capital Models or vocal/electronic trio, Crazy Wisdom...
__________________________________________________________________________________

CURRENT CLOUDLAND BLUE QUARTET RELEASE SCHEDULE

  

Record Store Day Black Friday, 27 November, 2026: Swan Songs (6th in the GLAM! Covers Series) (Recorded December 2025)
Friday, 5 December, 2026: Disquietmusik X (10th in The Disquietmusik Frippertronics Guitar Series) (to be recorded November 2026)
Thursday, 24 December 2026: Twentytwentysix: The Originals (a collection of tracks from releases issued throughout 2026) (to be compiled December 2026)
Thursday, 31 December 2026: Twentytwentysix (a collection of rarities recorded during 2026, many receiving their first official release) (to be compiled December 2026)

    

Just Announced!  Friday, 1 January 2027: Pedantic Pedestrian/Cloudland Blue Quartet - Miniatures (Pedantic Pedestrian's Remixes of CBQ) (Recorded October 2026)
plus
Just Announced!  Friday, 1 January 2027: Substantives (CBQ's Remix of Pedantic Pedestrian's CBQ Remixes) (Recorded November 2026)
Friday, 5 February, 2027: Requiem for a Time Yet to Come (Soundscape LP) (Recorded October 2026) 


2027 PROJECTS

April 2027 - Dissolution VII
April 2027 - Glam V for Record Store Day
November 2027 - Covers LP for Record Store Day Black Friday 2027
December 2027 - Disquietmusik XI
December 2027 - Twentytwentyseven: The Originals
December 2027 - Twentytwentyseven
 
plus, projected release dates to be confirmed
Live Suite V
A Composer Based Album
A New Song Based LP
A New “Variations” LP
A New Collaboration (or two or three)

(All artwork, releases and release dates subject to change)
__________________________________________________________________________________

LATEST PODCAST

Since 2014, David has produced around 800 editions of the "Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection", his weekly podcast on Mixcloud, reflecting his esoteric taste in music and encouraging listeners to broaden their musical horizons.

Click on the pic below to go to Mixcloud 


With just the most recent 10 able to be accessed by you, each new podcast is only available for listening for 10 weeks from the publishing date.  

The latest edition was published on 9 November 2026 and will be available until 18 January 2027.  

Click on the pic below to go directly to 2026 Volume 45, which features tracks from the recordings below, including exclusives from CBQ, Capital Models, Edward Spark & Matt LeGroulx...


__________________________________________________________________________________

CAPITAL MODELS' SURGERY, RETIREMENT, REPERTOIRE UPDATES & PERFORMANCE PLANS

Sadly, after almost exactly three years with the band, guitarist John Barclay has announced his retirement...

And so, the group moves into yet another phase, with the 2017 trio of David Reilly, Keith Apter and John Weitzen taking things forward...

However, drummer JW has had to undergo surgery and will be out of action until 2027...

In the meantime, work will continue on tracks recorded over the summer with stand in guitarist Martin McQueen and with John Barclay, and these will be used to update the band's "Repertoire" collection...

The virtual box set was originally released to Bandcamp in September 2024 and last updated in February 2025...

Featuring recordings by 10 different line ups of the group, the collection is designed to be a "moveable feast", containing every song the group has rehearsed, or played live, since reconvening in 2017...

Click on the pic to go to the current version of "Repertoire" on Bandcamp...


Plans for the to work on themed sets based on the music of the likes of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Lou Reed & the Velvets, Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music for a series of proposed themed performances in 2027 remain in place...

Recordings of their previous, stripped back takes on Bowie, Reed, Eno and Roxy are available on the 2025 LP "Minimal"...

Click on the pic to go to "Minimal" on Bandcamp...


The plan is to also introduce songs from the band's original 1979/80 canon to future live sets...

The 1980 versions are available on "Anthology 1980" on Bandcamp - click to the pic to go to it...


...while, in February 2025, the then quintet line up released "TWENTYFIVE FORTYFIVE" featuring their take on the original canon...


___________________________________________________________________________________

NEW CRAZY WISDOM

Following the reactivation of Crazy Wisdom in 2024 and the release of several EPs and the back catalogue in 2025, Crazy Wisdom are planning more new music and the start of this project is imminent. Click on the pic below to go to Crazy Wisdom's music on Bandcamp...


Meanwhile, on 14 August 2026, a new 6 track, 27 minute EP, "I Am Your World/Angel of Mercy", featuring the Logan/Reilly/Dootson/Brodie line up from around 1996 was released to Bandcamp...

__________________________________________________________________________________

CREEK REISSUES

The re-issuing on Bandcamp of Creek's long-deleted back catalogue is set to recommence in January 2027. Click on the pic below to go to Creek's music on Bandcamp... 

__________________________________________________________________________________

DIARY UPDATES

Note that, in the diary, 150 days (of over 8,000), across 6 periods in 4 of the 21 years are, currently, "picture only":-

2016: 15-17 October (3 Days)
2021: 8-21 May (14 Days)
2022: 18 April - 10 May & 6 July - 5 September (85 Days)
2023: 1 - 15 October & 18 October - 19 November (48 Days)

It is always the intention to update "picture only" days with the relevant text but doing so is, of course, subject to opportunity (and, indeed, memory!)

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Re-modelling, the malign speedbump and the wrong, expensive, strings...

Playlist


A day of Capital Modelling, mostly...


1st thing, going through all the backing tracks and counting the bars to ascertain the points of entry for my guitaring and Keith's bassing...

He arrived on time and we got to work...

For some reason, no pics were taken...

But I took these this evening, as covers for the two sets of recordings made, edited and sent out to Keith and Johnny W...

We played through the Original Canon - playing eight of the ten songs, twice...


...and the Dylan set, repeating only one of the eleven songs...


Between the two sets, we had a good long chat over coffee, tea and orange Kit Kats...

Due to that, we didn't have time to run through the third set - but we will reconvene in a fortnight...

On Anne's arrival back from Pickleball, the three of us headed down to the Corstorphine Inn for a Pensioners' Lunch deal and more chat...

By the time Keith set off for home, it was after 4:30...

I didn't mention but, on Sunday, I ran through the sets playing my bass (ok, Jamie's bass) and managed to break the E String - so I'd popped to GuitarGuitar at the bottom of the hill and asked for the cheapest bass strings I'd found on their website (given I don't actually play the bass in any band or anything) - £19...

They'd had to have them sent to the branch so they were ready for pick up today...

So, I walked down the hill...

Shortly before this pic was taken, I suffered an extremely painful injury to my right ankle...


As I was crossing the road, in the gathering gloom, I was busy nosing at the lit scene through the window of one of the houses...

You may find this hard to believe, but a completely stubbed my entire right foot, ankle and knee by not noting I was walking directly into a speedbump...

Fucksake...

I hobbled down the road and got the strings, then, a bus back up and hobbled down from the terminus...


...only to find the strings don't fit the guitar!!

They are long enough but the wee knobs on the end are so small they just slip through the relevant holes on the guitar...

That's effing £19 I'm never getting back...

And an injured leg in the process...

This evening I edited the recordings from today and got them sent out...

And we watched some telly - mainly "Nobody Wants This..."

Bed pre midnight with Ibuprofen gel applied to my ankle and foot...

Jeez oh...

Highlight of the Day: Rehearsing with Keith...

Today's New Music:

Monday, November 09, 2026

Baldy guy in a Black T Shirt worships a hero 18 years ago....

Playlist


Monday - week 46...


Always good to waken up to something like this (even though it's only a quid - or, in fact, 74p, net of Bandcamp and Paypal fees)...

A fan of some 3.5 years makes their first purchase...


Anyway, more time at the machines today as the entries for this slipped still further behind due to being sucked into other stuff...


Stumbled across (don't aske me how, it was two days ago!) videos on YouTube of the Allan Holdsworth concert at the Renfrew Ferry on 25 September 2008...


See that baldy guy in the black T Shirt down the front?

That's me, that is...

And here's my diary entry re that night - when I met one of my heroes...

Of course I downloaded the eight vids which covered what looks to be the entire set and created my own LP of the event...

This is how I waste my time...

Time was also wasted today playing more Capital Models songs in the back room and watching stuff on TV (including a paltry 80 on "University Challenge" this week)...

In the late afternoon I was wasting time too, compiling, recording and uploading this week's podcast - another short one - just 20 tracks...






...and, also today, I satisfied myself via another listen back, that the main LP of "Substantives" is done and dusted...

So, I updated the pipeline thus...


The time wasting will continue in 2027...

Salmon for tea, post Anne's Pilates...


...and the aforementioned evening of TV...

...and of podcast listening back to...

Highlight of the Day: Finding film of a top gig I attended...

Today's New Music: