Friday, August 07, 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, commencing on Sunday, 5 March, 2005

The latest entry is from Wednesday, 5 August, 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

NEXT NEW RELEASE



On Friday, 4 September, 2026, Cloudland Blue Quartet will release "Broken" (19th 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 comprises 15 new songs utilising vocals, treatments and rhythm beds by David Reilly along with synthesiser input from guest contributors from Spain, Romania, Poland, Greece, Lithuania and the UK, with the majority of the lyrics inspired by the writing of Garrison Keillor, along with a guest lyric from Capital Models cohort and Impossible Songs own, John Barclay

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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)

(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 


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 3 August 2026.  Volume 31 features tracks from these recordings, including 3 unreleased CBQ related works...


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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 Autumn 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!)

Wednesday, August 05, 2026

A good day, somewhat let down by crackling and rattling...

Playlist


Up before 7 and another large playlist today - but only one track each played from around 20 of these...

Anyway...

Yes, up before 7...


Porridge and over-ripe bananas for breakfast - Anne will not allow this microwave arrangement, even though it means the door is more accessible re stuff going in and coming out...


Oh well...

Wednesday...


Anne was off to Zumba - I was staying in, awaiting arrival of the new amp...


...and listening to some CDs...

NITS in the back room...


DJ Hell and...


...Jimi Hendrix in the laptop room on the SMSL...


Just as Anne returned, the amp was delivered...



It is indeed tiny...


Now to decide on a position...

This?


Or this?



No, this...


Yes, this...


Some new jazz listened to and, then, time for home-made soup based lunch...


A call with Prog Rock Willie, while I backgrounded with some top Miles...


Then, out to pick up a new toaster...


...and kettle...


...unpictured tea towels and fat balls for our wee friends at the feeding station...

Back to listening - Goddammit the crackling from the laptop re internet interference returned...

FFS!!

So, to the back room for some Haydn...


...Phil Bancroft...


...Jeff Berlin...


...and some Blues, which was surprisingly enjoyable...


But what the fuck?  Now there's a rattle coming from the transport of my trusty Marantz CD Player - which has worked perfectly since 1991...

A tasty chicken pasta tea and then, the 3rd season of "Granite Harbour" in one go (3 episodes) - quite enjoyable...

Then, listening at the laptop again - cracking gone (for now)...

Unfathomable...

And brought down the BluRay player from the attic (to where it, plus myriad other HiFi items had only just been consigned this afternoon)...

It sounds fine and dandy (but certainly does not have the best display) re all the possible replacements for the Marantz, currently in the house ...


Ended the day with some Beethoven on that...

And the Marantz awaits its fate...


Lights out at midnight...

Highlight of the Day: New amp...

Today's New Music: