Monday, September 07, 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 Sunday, 6 September, 2026

(Please scroll down for the latest posts)
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SITE DIRECTORY

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

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

LATEST CBQ LP


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

As always from Crispycat Recordings, this release is 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 works arranged for synthesisers, rhythm beds and treatments, with input from guest contributors from Spain, Romania, Poland, Greece, Lithuania and the UK.  The texts range from six new pieces based on the short stories of Garrison Keillor, to older lyrical ideas, re-worked, plus a lyric based on the prose of 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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NEXT ALBUM FROM CBQ


On Friday, 2 October 2026, Cloudland Blue Quartet will release "Elevation", the 46th in The Soundscapes Series, recorded in November 2025.

As always from Crispycat Recordings, this release is entirely Free to Stream or Name Your Price (including zero) to Download (with 62 minutes of bonuses!)

It comprises six long form ambient pieces, designed to be listened to at one sitting (gapless listening is available to downloaders).  They were recorded during a hiatus in the creation of the song-based LP "Broken", released in September 2026, and involve slowed and pitch reduced field recordings plus unrecognisable treated elements of the synthesiser elements of "Broken"

Bonuses comprise a 72 minute stand alone album of the 12 pieces of initial ambience used in the project, under an alternative album cover


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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, 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)

2027 PROJECTS

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 6 September 2026 and will be available until 14 November 2026.  

Volume 35 features tracks from the recordings below, including three tracks from CBQ's "Broken"...


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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 in 2025, Crazy Wisdom are planning more new music 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 January 2027

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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!)

Sunday, September 06, 2026

Progressing the band...

Playlist


Up late...


Blurry...


There was work to do...


It was still the weekend...


Prepared elements of, but did not write, yesterday's entry...

Did some prep too on the next CBQ LP, "Elevation", deciding to swap the covers around between the main LP, which becomes this...


...and the bonus LP (tracks now uploaded to Bandcamp), which becomes this...


...and got down to putting together a sleeve for December's "Disquietmusik X", which I'll record at the end of November...


...all of which meant I needed to create a new "CBQ 2026" GIF...


...which was nice...

Anyway, breakfast...


...and a wee sojourn outside for Luna...



Then, Anne was off to Pickleball...

To compiling and starting the process of the weekly podcast (the 36 tracks included swell the playlist above)...

A pause in proceedings on Anne's return...

Lunch and into Season 4 of "Scandal"...

Then, off to Tynecastle for Anne, where Hearts came from 1-0 down with a penalty in the 84th minute and a winner in the 96th, with a red card for opponents Dundee, between the goals...

A bit like Argentina beating England at the World Cup  - the losers scoring early then "parking the bus", only to lose out to two late goals, with the winner coming in injury time...

As I followed it unfolding, I enjoyed the highlights of Queen of the South v Airdrie yesterday, where QoS also came from behind to win 2-1...

Off the bottom of the league at last, with their first won, and points, after 5 games...

Then to continuing with the podcast...

I was timing my work with a stop watch - just under 3 hours from start to putting out the posts and links on BlueSky and Fleecebook...

But then, there's another 3 hours as I listened back to ensure no glitches (which I should, of course, really do before publishing LOL)...

Rearranged the desk to add in both the Sony speakers now, in stereo mode, the necessary adapters having been delivered in the afternoon after yesterday's order (once I'd worked out exactly what I needed)...


There was productive WhatsApp correspondence with the band too...

Over the last few days, we have agreed:

(a) to rehearse every second Tuesday (moveable if needs be to days in the vicinity) over the next 12 months and 

(b) to play at least 6 gigs over the next 12 months, based around a featured artist or theme...

The question came from Keith: "So, what exactly do we want to be working on at the next session, Mon 14/9"..

JB replied: "I'd say what we've already been doing. Still a lot to do with those songs and I think we are getting somewhere with them."

The last two points, I agreed with...

I think though, we need to be more productive and not only hone but, also, play...

My input : "I’d like to do something like this, on the understanding that we’ll be listening beforehand to the work we’ve already done on the original canon and on Dylan (I can provide a (in places, rough) mock up)..."

Noticeably no-one said "Send it to me , Dave"

Oh well...

I went on...

"This would be in preparation for a performance. 

It factors in 70 minutes for honing ideas etc

If we go with the ideas above (re rehearsals & gigs), including cancelling the next rehearsal post a gig, we will have, each time, just 3 planned rehearsals before each performance

However, if we aim for our first gig to be Sunday November 15, at least we’ll have 5 opportunities to rehearse for that one."

Then...

Proposed Songs for 14 Sept Session

Original Canon (25 Mins + 30 mins leeway for honing = 55 mins)
Second Generation
Orifix
Breaking Silence
Stuntman
So You Think You Can Dance
Paranoia's Got You
Computer Operator

Featured Artist (Bob Dylan) (60 Mins + 40 mins leeway for honing = 100 mins)
Desolation Row (2nd Session "Quiet" Version)
A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall (James Bond Version)
The Times They Are a Changin'
If Not For You
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Mr Tambourine Man
All Along the Watchtower
Like a Rolling Stone
Tombstone Blues
Queen Jane Approximately
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
Hurricane
Desolation Row (1st Session "Loud" Version)

Encore (15 Mins)
Crazy Horses
The Jean Genie
Mrs Robinson

Total 170 mins plus 15 min set up, 15 min break, 15 min take down = 215 mins

Timings
10:30 Set Up & Soundcheck
10:45 Original Canon Work
11:40 Dylan Work pt 1
12:30 Break
12:45 Dylan Work pt 2
13:35 Encore
13:50 Take Down
14:05 End"

No comeback from Keith - Johnny W was AWOL in that London and not on the chat...

Thankfully, JB was engaged...

JB came back with : "I'm mostly fine with that. Maybe cut it down a bit on the CMs and Dylan. I don't think Orifix is a good song for OAPs to play. Bin it now ðŸ˜‚. We need to avoid any mission creep and avoid the same old stuff etc. Glad there's no Queen on the list too...🤔"

..which was fine but, the idea for these gigs is to get away from playing "well known covers we're a bit sick of" and to play our own stuff and that of a featured artist or theme...

So...

Me: "Proposed timings for a gig were set out above - 25 mins CMs, 60 mins featured artist. If the honing of either at the rehearsal is taking longer than the 70 mins built in for honing, we can leave out the encore - think we all know those 3 pretty well already - which would give us almost an hour and half to muck about...

Do you have a suggestion to replace "Orifix"?

...and there won't be any Queen unless we decide to feature Queen..."

JB: "Don't think we should replace it. Do less even. Keep the CMs stuff light until we see how it goes down."

Me: "Appreciated input JB all noted - one of my own goals though is for us to actually BE Capital Models, as opposed to a covers band...

So if any of the "old" songs are found to be wanting, the four of us need to write some new ones to take things forward...😉

Await the thoughts of K & JW..."

JB: "Think big but start small"

...to which I gave the thumbs up...

So, all in all, I think we're making good progress on galvanising ourselves and giving the band some sort of purpose...

The thing is, for the plan to work, we must work harder and faster (and at home!) and more proficiently...

On the basis of the agreed action re rehearsals and gigs, including cancelling the next rehearsal after a gig, as I pointed out above, we will only ever have 3 sessions to put together, and learn, the featured artist/theme set...

Which might not be enough...

Maybe it won't be a "hobby" anymore...

Which may not fit with what the others want...

We'll see...

Meanwhile...


Listening back...


Anne arrived home, happy to have won but dubious about the performance...

We watched the highlights with an unpictured takeaway from Wongs...

Then, "Murder in a Small Town" and one more "Scandal"...


Anne was off to bed...

I fine tuned the new desk layout - making the speakers equidistant...


...and, last thing, put together the 60 song playlist of 12 each by Dylan, Bowie, Lou & The Velvets, Ferry & Roxy and Eno...

Which accompanied me into the night...

And, further to timing the production of the podcast, I timed the creation of this post - one hour...

Oofft...

Mind you, yesterday's only took 15 minutes...

Highlight of the Day: Progressing the band...

Today's New Music:

Saturday, September 05, 2026

It was forty years ago, two weeks ago...

Playlist


Ah, the weekend...


...even though any two days in the week could be my weekend...

A handful of biscuits for Luna and a coffee for me...




..and to the machines...


A day of work re the band and CBQ and writing this etc etc...

Plus of course some TV and lunch...

This evening, we drove over to Glasgow for nephew Craig's 40th birthday party (22 August had been the actual day), at Sharkey's...


We discovered what might have happened to Anne's hat that time in Musselburgh...


I had to repark the car out of the permit area and into "under the bridge" - I was a bit apprehensive as to what might happen, given the state of my parking neighbour...


Good catch up with the extended family - with stars of Scotchland Football Opinion Based TV in the background and around the bar...




A couple of Coke Zeros and Zero Irn Brus for your driving correspondent...

A top notch speech from brother in law Keith re his top notch son...


..and thanks to Craig's partner Jillian and to his mum, Sharon, for organising the night - good to catch up with DJ Shazzy Shaz this evening too...


We headed home around 11:20, with chums Alan (long term chum of Keith and fellow Walking Footballer and massive music fan) and Diana on board - they live just round the corner and it saved them a taxi to Buchanan St and long bus journey back...

Good chat in the car from Alan...

Home after midnight...

Luna waiting...

Food provided...

And off to bed...

Highlight of the Day: Craig's party...

Today's New Music: