Tuesday, September 01, 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)
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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 Monday, 31 August, 2026

(Please scroll down for the latest posts)
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SITE DIRECTORY

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ABOUT    MUSIC    PODCASTS    ART    RECOMENDED LISTENING
                    
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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...
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NEWS

NEXT NEW RELEASE


On Friday, 4 September, 2026, Cloudland Blue Quartet will release the song-based LP "Broken" (16th in The Songs Series) (Recorded November 2025)

As always from Crispycat Recordings, this release will be entirely Free to Stream or Name Your Price (including zero) to Download (with over an hour of bonuses!)

The record, the first of original songs since "Everything Ends" in June 2024, comprises 15 new songs arranged for synthesisers, rhythm beds and treatments, with input from guest contributors from Spain, Romania, Poland, Greece, Lithuania and the UK.  The lyrics range from six new pieces based on the short stories of Garrison Keillor, to older ideas, re-worked, plus a guest lyric from Capital Models cohort and Mr Impossible Songs, John Barclay

For downloaders, there is a further LP comprising extended versions of each of the 15 new songs, another 63 minutes of music

The Cloudland Blue Quartet Song Series
Callingstill (1997)
Doveloveshawk (1999)
Ampersand (2001)
Anotherhappyday (2003)
Deeperdown (2005)
Ersatzreal (2007)
Soundingfall (2009)
Splinterheart (2010)
Starlightnight (2012)
Disquietsongs (2020)
Sparklemusik (2021)
Fallingsky (2021)
Auden (2023)
The Dark Room (2024)
Everything Ends (2024)
Broken (2026)
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LATEST ALBUM FROM CBQ


On Friday, 7 August 2026, Cloudland Blue Quartet released "Across the Landscape", the 45th in The Soundscapes Series, recorded in October 2025.

As always from Crispycat Recordings, this release is entirely Free to Stream or Name Your Price (including zero) to Download (with 156 minutes of bonuses!)

It comprises, all in all, four different versions of the same album, using treated guitars, treated field recordings, and found short wave radio broadcasts. The LP itself comprises the fourth and final version of the work but, if you download, you receive the 1st and 2nd drafts of the album, "Waterworth" and "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead", along with what was, until July 2026, the proposed LP

"A fragile object moves across the landscape, seeking a signal, untitled.

Dark for a long time, in the tone of a sentry, the first time after winter, it will swallow the plateau.

The night archer looks out at the world from inside the jaws of a wolf, condemned to non-existence, evaporated like air, taking the side roads."
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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...
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CURRENT CLOUDLAND BLUE QUARTET RELEASE SCHEDULE

 

Friday, 4 September, 2026: Broken (19th in The Songs Series) (Recorded November 2025)
Friday, 2 October, 2026: Elevation (46th in The Soundscapes Series) (Recorded November 2025)
Friday, 6 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

In addition to the above planned releases, there are 10 further envisaged musical projects for 2027...

Dissolution VII
A Composer Based Album
A New Ambient LP
A New Song Based LP
A New “Variations” LP
Glam V
Live Suite V
Disquietmusik XI
Twentytwentyseven: The Originals
Twentytwentyseven

(All artwork, releases and release dates subject to change)
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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 only the most recent 10 able to be made available, each new podcast is only available for listening for 10 weeks from the publishing date.  

The latest edition was published on 30 August 2026 and will be available until 8 November 2026.  

Volume 35 features tracks from these recordings, including an upcoming CBQ works and a Capital Models rarity...



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NEW CRAZY WISDOM

Following the reactivation of Crazy Wisdom in 2024 and the release of several EPs and the back catalogue last year, Crazy Wisdom are planning new music for 2026 and the start of this project is imminent


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...

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CREEK REISSUES

The re-issuing on Bandcamp of Creek's long-deleted back catalogue is set to recommence in the Autumn of 2026

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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!)

Monday, August 31, 2026

Luna is back...

Playlist
 

Up just after 6...


...and last day of August...


...which would have been my mum's 96th birthday - almost two years gone now - it's flown by...

Here she is at the swing park with her, then, two children, me as a baby and sister Sheila - sister Pam yet to arrive...


...and August is away too...


All in all it's been a good month - even though I only saw two things out of the thousands of opportunities re the Edinburgh Festival & Fringe...

Pre breakfast, searching through all my pics and posting one from almost each of my mum's birthday's from 2005 to 2024 to the family WhatsApp group...

Then, starting to put together what might be "The Bob Dylan Show" by Capital Models...

Progress today, gaining agreement from the boys in the band on finally finalising plans for us to play at least once a fortnight - no more month or 6 week long breaks...

We will play fortnightly on a Tuesday - unless anyone's unavailable, in which case we'll move to the nearest available Friday, Sunday or Monday...

We need to do this to allow us to work on new projects properly...

Projects in my head are:

Bob Dylan Show
David Bowie Show
Brian Eno Show
Ferry/Roxy Show
Lou & the Velvets Show
Other TBA Single Artist Shows
(All of these would include short sets of the Capital Models' original 1979/80 canon plus a few other covers we all like to play...)
Re-recording all the songs on our "Repertoire" collection not currently fully available (i.e. bonus tracks as they are so rough and (un)ready
Working on new original material by the 2026 quartet
Sets for impromptu open mic nights, with, most probably cahon instead of drum kit
Working on more minimal sets like the one we did at Fopp
Working on a set of CBQ songs

11 projects - maybe the others will have ideas too!

It could be all go...

Anyway...

Breakfast...


...and "work"...


...including downloading loadsa stuff by Bergen born jazz man Kjetil Møster, inspired by old chum, Sid Smith with a BlueSky post...

At 12:30, Gillian arrived with wee Luna for a holiday, while her mum and dad are off to Florida again for a couple of weeks...

She soon settled back in...


Lunch of home made soup and a rye bread chicken sandwich and back to the machines...

Luna spent the afternoon inside our bed, sleeping...

Listened to "Free Live" - don't recall exactly why...

And, then, some Paul Rodgers blues stuff...

Ah wait, no - we watched one episode of "Scandal" before Anne went off to Pilates - and it featured Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City", which prompted me to find versions in my library - which led me to a Slash LP from a couple of years back, on which Paul Rodgers guested on one track...

That led me to Rodgers' 1990's blues album and, from there, I moved on to "Free Live"...

That's how it happens...

Then, looking at the library in alpha order, as opposed to most recent acquisitions first, I saw Adel Tawil and searched for anything new (nothing) which lead me to his duo, Ich & Ich...

And, right next to them, was Icehouse...

Started playing a comp of remixes of their hits...

Found new stuff by them which I didn't already have, while sorting out the tracks on the remix comp...

I've had it for ages sitting with the content just in alpha order...

Pound for pound (or dollar for dollar) one of my fave Australian acts...

Anyway, this is how I waste my time...

Salmon for tea...


Then, sorting out my contacts on my phone - many had been switched to their numbers rather than names - must've been when I moved to the Tesco SIM...

105 on "University Challenge" - most of our answers were bonuses rather than starters, hence the low score...

And, for a change from "Scandal", the last two of "Murder in a Small Town"'s first season pre doing the dishes...

Luna was at home...


All she really wants to do is sleep and encourage us to feed her...


She is also prone to stealing our seats as soon as we move away for any reason...


She will also just flop down on the floor...


...and, erm, sleep...


...which is good as it shows she's fine about being here...


Just before midnight, lights out, as we moved into September...


Highlight of the Day: Luna is back...

Today's New Music:

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Scandalised again...

Playlist


Up to start the compilation of this week's podcast...


...and to write yesterday's entry (which I didn't finish until just before midnight)...


The view from the office as the compilation got underway...


With Anne off to Zumba/shopping, I carried out the work...


It wasn't finished by the time she returned and then, time for lunch and to start season 3 of "Scandal"...


After 3 episodes, time to get back to the machines...


...and to the podcast to finish things off and get it uploaded...

Done, dusted...



Then, the listening back...

Tasty tea...


...and another four episodes of Scandal took us to bedtime and weekend over...

Highlight of the Day: Podcasting...

Today's New Music: