Thursday, September 10, 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 Tuesday, 8 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!)

Tuesday, September 08, 2026

Calendar sorting, strings stringing, songs singing, CDs listening...

Playlist


To the machines...


...to set up, then, to Luna...


...then, back to the machines and transferring yesterday's Loscil recording from my phone and editing and adding it to the library...

And listening back...


...while, under a good sky...


...I did my best to help old chum Pete M and, as ever, young Malcolm...

Enthused by last night's sets, I listened back to my own Live Suites this morning, with thoughts of starting work on the next one...

Meanwhile Anne was out and about, returning in time for lunch - but no telly (other than "Bargain Hunt") as Anne was soon off again, this time to Pickleball (she won all five of her games!)...

In the room with the machines, I was in discussions again with the band re my suggested plans...

The concept is a fairly simple one...

Have a goal of playing a gig (self-organised in order to have full control) every 8 weeks...

The gig would comprise:

(a) "the support act" - Capital Models playing songs from their original 1980 canon (25 mins)
(b) "the main act" - Capital Models playing songs either by a chosen artist or based on a theme, but, in a Capital Models stylee (60 mins) - this artist/theme would be "the selling point"
(c) "the encore" - a few songs from our extensive established repertoire of covers we enjoy rocking out on (15 mins)

And, to prep for each gig, we will have 3 or 4 rehearsals beforehand - during which we would play through the three sets but with around 90 minutes built in for honing and trying ideas...

We'll see how it goes on Monday at the next planned session...

I looked back at the recently created band calendar I put up on the Group Chat...

I was looking to add potential gig dates and indicate rehearsals we might choose to forego if we'd just done a gig...

I realised that I'd botched up a few of the dates...

So, I spent a couple of hours this afternoon re-doing it and expanding it to 16 months, taking us to the end of 2027...

Over the 18 months there would hopefully be 26 definite rehearsal sessions, and a further 8 which might be cancelled if we get to play the 8 gigs I've penciled in...

Works out at around 24 sessions (including gigs) over a 12 month period - i.e. 2 a month, as agreed...



Then, took a walk down to GuitarGuitar for a couple of sets of strings for my acoustics (having broken a string on the Fender yesterday) - there is talk of us doing some acoustic open mics at some point...


Back up the road to do the stringing...

The old strings had been on this guitar, which I bought in 1999 to record many of the titles on the second CBQ song-based LP, "Doveloveshawk", for "very many years"...

Liking the new sound...


Played through a few songs before a tasty prawn and asparagus pasta tea...


This evening, the very welcome return of "Colin From Accounts" along with a "Scandal" or two and messaging Gillian that Luna was fine...


...and, indeed, dandy...


I swithered with the idea of going along to Meadowbank to see Queens play Edinburgh City - surely they could win against the team propping up Scotland's fourth tier?

Nope - in the end , I was glad I watched that extra episode of "Scandal" instead...  

1-0 down at half time and scraped a 1-1 draw...

Post "Scandal", some more songs upstairs with the "new" guitar...

Working out a few chord sequences and amending keys on others...

All in all, between yesterday's and today's sessions, I played 28 songs:

"All the Young Dudes" (new)
"All Tomorrow's Parties" (new)
"Ashes to Ashes"
"The Bewlay Brothers" (new)


"Caroline Says"
"Chance Meeting"
"Children of the Revolution" (new)
"Cindy Tells Me"
"Drive-in Saturday"
"Everything Merges With the Night"
"The Fat Lady of Limbourg"
"Five Years"
"The Great Pretender"
"Heroes"
"I'll Come Running (To Tie Your Shoe)"
"It Ain't Me Babe" (new)
"Lay Your Love"
"Let's Spend the Night Together"
"Like a Rolling Stone"
"Metal Guru" (new)
"Moonage Daydream" (new)
"Mother of Pearl"
"Needles in the Camel's Eye"
"Orifix"
"The Paw Paw Negro Blow Torch"
"Rebel Rebel" (new)
"Regret"
"Se Telefonando"

So, Mott the Hoople, The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Roxy Music, T Rex, Brian Eno, Bob Dylan, Eno/Cale, The Rolling Stones, Capital Models, New Order and Francoise Hardy to the fore...

Eventually, Anne advised enough was enough, and so, some listening at the machines...


...before Anne retired early, not feeling 100% and I went to the back room to listen to tracks from 8 recent CD purchases on the SMSL player with my trusty AKG 702s...


A good end to the day...

Highlight of the Day: New strings on my guitar...

Today's New Music:

Monday, September 07, 2026

11 years later, almost to the day...

Playlist


Up and to work, writing the last two entries...


...with promising skies outside...




...and I was accompanied by coffee, post giving a few wee biscuits to Luna...


It was reasonably early...


...and it was Monday - into week 37...


The new set up (which would be amended again, later today and tomorrow morning)...


Pre breakfast, over to the opticians for my eye test...

All good...

Right Eye Stigmata thingy has actually improved by 0.25, left eye long sightedness is down by 0.25 i.e. very slightly worse...

Nothing to be seen in the scans and photos and I was given a clean bill of eye health for another 2 years or until whenever anything arises....

Got drops in my eyes to dilate my pupils, so very slightly blurry vision whilst shopping for bread pre the drive home...

Also bought a thing to allow my outside/TV glasses to be on my person at all times while in the house...

This should save myriad trips up and down the stairs when I try to watch TV with my computer specs on...


Back home for breakfast and work - when I put together a folder with the 60 tracks re possible Capital Models gigs in it, it seems I "moved" rather than "copied" the files...

So they all had to be copied back...

I believe this is something I've done quite a few times in the past and have not realised - of course, now, I cannot remember which files I may have moved...

Idiot...

Also, researching buses between the main bus station in Glasgow and tonight's venue, the Glad Cafe...



By 1:15, post lunch, we were ready to set off down the hill for the bus to said Glasgow...



Just over an hour later, we were there, despite a delay re a crash on the A8, in which one man died and from which, two women and another man fled the scene on foot...

Off Anne went to get things she likes...


...as I walked down to Missing for a rummage...




I swithered over this but did not partake...




Half an hour later I exited with 3 CDs for a fiver...

A walk back up towards George Square for a meet up with the coffee enjoyed EP...

Then, to The Merchant for some Jubel Peach...



...before heading to La Pulcinela at 5 for tea...


...accompanied by small beers...


Pate and Bruschetta for starters...


...Ravioli and Pollo Milanese for mains...


Lovely...

Then, a walk for the number 3...


"Does this bus go to Pollokshaws Road?", was my attempt at obtaining confirmation that my earlier research had been correct...

"I think so" said the driver...

Helpful...

In fact, it did...

Into the Glad Cafe for tonight's concert by Loscil, ably supported by Kinbrae...



Americanos, while we waited for the doors to open...



I noted that the Dar Williams gig we will see in Glasgow on 1 October is part of a larger festival...


In and a good position secured amongst the sold out crowd...


An interesting 40 minute set from Kinbrae, involving electronics, trumpet and vocals (it was better than that sounds)...


They were their own roadies...


...as was Loscil (Vancouver's own, Scott Morgan)...



Obligatory pre performance pic...





Since then, he's become an ambient music fave...

I captured tonight's 50 minute set for private posterity...

Superb...

Both acts this evening put me in the frame of mind to start work on "Live Suite 2026/27"...

We'll see...

A bus immediately on exiting the venue...

“Does this bus go to Buchanan St Bus Station?”, was my attempt at obtaining confirmation that my earlier research had been correct...

“Sort of…” said the driver...

Helpful...

In fact, it almost did...

...and within 20 minutes we were approaching the bus station...


...for the 10:30 bus home...


...and off we went, right on time...


I was soundtracked by Loscil's set...

The bus was diverted due to the ongoing road closures re this morning's crash...

Which was fortuitous (the diversion, not the crash) as we arrived at the foot of the hill just in time to catch a 26 up it...

And home to Luna, who was rewarded for her patience with some midnight food...

A quick de-labelling ready for ripping tomorrow...



It turns out, the first two of today's purchases, chosen from the thousands of CDs in Missing, are CDs I considered buying back in June but, instead, chose merely to photograph and download on my return to base...



I also took a chance on this, based on the cover blurb...

Spoiler: It's not as good as the cover blurb makes out...


Not to worry...

To bed with the mark of Loscil about me...


...and with Loscil in the cans...

Highlight of the Day: Loscil live...

Today's New Music: