Sunday, May 31, 2026

Welcome to Crispycat Recordings....

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, from Sunday 5 March 2005 to Saturday 30 May 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 almost 100 further new releases having been issued in the last five years.

The current 9 strong 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

CURRENT CLOUDLAND BLUE QUARTET RELEASE SCHEDULE

    

Friday, 5 June, 2026: Dark (43rd in The Soundscapes Series) (Recorded August 2025)
Friday, 3 July, 2026Music for Guitar and String Quartet in 18 Movements (44th in The Soundscapes Series) (Recorded November 2025)
Friday, 7 August, 2026: Across the Landscape (45th in The Soundscapes Series) (Recorded October 2025)
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, 2026Swan 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)
NEW! Thursday, 24 December 2026: Twentytwentysix: The Originals (a collection of tracks from releases issued throughout 2026) (to be compiled December 2026)


NEW! Thursday, 31 December 2026 : Twentytwentysix (a collection of rarities recorded during 2026, many receiving their first official release) (to be compiled December 2026)

(All artwork, releases and release dates subject to change)
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UPCOMING LIVE PERFORMANCES

            

Next Appearance: Capital Models at The Hop Run at Stewart Brewing, Loanhead
Saturday 6 June 2026 2pm - 6pm

Performances 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 or vocal/electronic trio, Crazy Wisdom but a gig by Capital Models will take place at Stewart Brewing in Loanhead on 6 June 2026...
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LATEST ALBUM FROM CBQ


As always from Crispycat Recordings, this release is entirely Free to Stream or Name Your Price (including zero) to Download

On 29th May 1996, David Reilly and Peri Urban met at Peri's studio and recorded the first three of seven instrumental improvisations which subsequently appeared on a limited edition CD entitled "29.V.96 6.VI.96", on which David was credited as "The Cloudland Blue Quartet".

This was the first use of this moniker, following almost two decades of having been known as Sombre Reptiles for his song-based projects and The Heavenly Music Corporation for his soundscape work.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Cloudland Blue Quartet, Crispycat Recordings is proud to present a new song-based compilation, featuring 30 slow pieces, on which work commenced back in 1996 (although the first song was not officially released until late 1997) and was completed in May 2026, with the remix, included here, of "The Surrender of Barcelona", along with the final remastering of many of these works.

We hope you enjoy the first 30 years of "the" Cloudland Blue Quartet's songs and, to bring things full circle, the album closes with the 2026 remaster of "29.V.96 I" the first ever piece released under the name, Cloudland Blue Quartet
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NEXT NEW RELEASE

On Friday, 5 June, 2026, Cloudland Blue Quartet will release "Dark", the 43rd in The Soundscapes Series, recorded in August 2025. Deemed "orchestral ambient", elements of this work were first aired at the performances in 2025 of the Live Suite, "Keepsake"...


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LATEST PODCAST

Since 2014, David has produced over 750 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 


Unfortunately, with only the most recent 10 able to be made available, each new podcast replaces the one from 10 weeks before.  

To obtain an MP3 download link for any currently unavailable Cloudland Blue Quartet Eclectic Selection, simply e-mail your request to crispycat@hotmail.com.  

The latest edition was published on 24 May.  2026 Volume 21 features tracks from these recordings...


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CAPITAL MODELS TEMPORARY QUARTET

Capital Models are currently in a series of rehearsals with guitarist Martin McQueen, who will dep for John Barclay at Capital Models next quartet gig, in June (see above under upcoming performances)

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NEW COLLABORATIONS

David has commenced work on new collaborational projects with Edward SparkBlue Sun Chasing and Duke Gray of Oddsfiche.  No prospective release dates are yet known

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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


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CREEK REISSUES

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

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DIARY UPDATES

Note that, in the diary, 150 days, 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!)

Saturday, May 30, 2026

Some things are deserved, some things are not...

Playlist


Up very late...


...for the weekend...


Scrambled egg breakfast...



...followed by box 150, the second of Blue Note compilations...


Today, "Deep Blue: The United States of Mind"...


...covering the kind of avant garde sounds of the sixties and early 70's, mostly 68-72, that is, depending on my frame of mind, my favourite Blue Note period...



At 1, Scotland v Curaçao...


They went 1-0 up then, had a man sent off for a stupid violent challenge...

Final score? 4-1 Scotland, including 2 for Shankland...

Downside?  Billy Gilmour injured and won't be on the plane tomorrow...

Unlike nephew Olly - who is travelling with the squad for the entire tournament...

Just well he decided to give up the cello and do something else instead...

Fang popped by...



Prawn pasta tea...


Three "Homeland" while we avoided the Champions League Final, re watching the highlights later...

I was soundtracked during all the football today, by quite a few of yesterday's new intake...

Arsenal lost to PSG 1-1 and 4-3 on penalties - but, to be fair, had massively worse stats during the game, including just 25% possession...

Oh well - on the upside it avoided English clubs taking all three European trophies...

To bed at 11:30...

Highlight of the Day: A win for Scotchland and good new music...

Today's New Music:

Friday, May 29, 2026

30 years of quartetting...

Playlist


Up just after 5am...


...and to the machines...





...to prepare the release of "Drift: Thirty Slow Songs 1996-2026", as today was the 30th anniversary of the first ever recordings by Cloudland Blue Quartet...


Another new LP is coming out next Friday, so it's all go...

And I decided to add the first ever recording by Cloudland Blue Quartet as the 31st track on the album...

So had to remaster that to add it in and then do all the sleeve notes etc on Bandcamp to ready the release...

And off it went out into the world and received quite a lot of plays and a few purchases as well...

So that was good...

Then, I updated the landing page here with regard to the new release and up and coming albums from CBQ over the next few months, adding the next two annual round up albums...

"Twentytwentysix: The Originals" and "Twentytwentysix" - here are the current covers for those...



I downloaded and listened to quite a lot of new music today (see below), managing around four new releases all the way through this morning, with more left for the weekend...

Then, I picked the next CD box, number 148, a box of Blue Note compilations, from "The Best Blue Note Album in the World...Ever" through to "Blue 60s"...


I chose that last one. "Blue Note strikes a radical chord", it says on the cover...


...and it's an excellent collection of stuff from the late 60s by the likes of Herbie Hancock, Grant Green, Lee Morgan, Don Cherry and Lou Donaldson...


Tasty...


Will play that tomorrow...

Then, I had a look through the diary for the 29th of May back through the last 21 years, and these are the things that happened on this day all these years ago...

1 year ago: New CD player
2 years ago: Mary into the home
3 years ago: Anne did her back in, gardening
4 years ago: shutting down the noisy party/Anne in Oxford
5 years ago: Record fair with Dr Prog
6 years ago: Gin in the garden
7 years ago: Hospital visit
8 years ago: Listening to 1969
9 years ago: Discovered Roll the Dice
10 years ago: Finding morphine in mum's cupboard/tall chair purchase
11 years ago: Filing Classical CDs
12 years ago: Activated my Facebook and Twitter accounts
13 years ago: Surfing for German music
14 years ago: Avengers Assemble
15 years ago: Gave Olly his Cello music CD
16 years ago: JY Johnny had stayed the night
17 years ago: 3rd Shoulder surgery pre-op/Meal at new Indian place, Abida
18 years ago: My Name is Earl
19 years ago: Laird & Dog and Pam's tales of Menorca including the bleeping alarm inside the suitcase story
20 years ago: Singing new songs at home
21 years ago: Working with Ian Sclater on his LP

and, of course,

30 years ago: Recorded the first pieces credited to The Cloudland Blue Quartet

Then it was time for lunch and a new episode of "Homeland", which was good...


...and then, reading through some reviews of the upcoming Yes album "Aurora" and watching some reviews on YouTube too, soundtracked by a few tracks from each of the last few Yes albums, plus the two tracks from "Aurora" that are available at the moment...

Just after 3, it was time to go out...

We were meeting up at four o'clock with Gary and Bernie at Lothian Road...


 ...and we were joined today by Craig Masson who isn't in the photos but was there for the first few drinks before heading off...

Then, Kevin and Catherine, who we've not seen for a good wee while, arrived... 


 ...they came along to a couple of Capital Models' gigs down at the dockers in 2025 and might well turn up, it turns out, at the gig next week at Stewart Brewing in Loanhead because Kevin really likes their beer and is looking for an excuse to visit again...

So, a good time had in the bar, drinks etc...


...matching shoes and bag...


...and then, a brief walk over the road to Pizza Express...




 ...and three bottles of red wine and loads of tasty starters and pizzas and more good chat...




...were followed by a bus home...


...and down the hill...


...to find a parcel behind the door from Malcolm, with a couple of old photographs of our late 80s band, Call Me Clive  - bringing back some memories...


And, finally, time to hit the sack, because I must admit, was a little bit the worse for wear...

A good Friday...

Kind of celebrating 30 years...

Highlight of the Day: Out with chums...

Today's New Music: