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, 2 September, 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

OUT TODAY

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 "Broken" and involved slowed and pitch reduced field recordings plus unrecognisable treated elements of the song-based LP "Broken", released in September 2026.

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

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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 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...

...which you can find here...

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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!)

Planning ahead...

Playlist

Up at 6 and to the machines to work...

...including writing this and, generally, mucking about, while listening to Paul Buchanan...

Created a couple of GIFs re my podcasts and my 2026 CBQ output...

Let's see if the work here?

Did another one for the podcasts' content as I was writing this...

So that was good...

Breakfast...

...then, Anne was off to Zumba...

I continued to listen to music which has entertained me for 40 years (see yesterday's post and the playlist above)...

On Anne's return, lunch...

A new "Reacher" - top...

Then Anne went off again, shopping...

I formulated ideas re band rehearsals over the next year - everyone has seemingly agreed to fortnightly on a Tuesday so I set up the calendar re that...

On the left, the last 12 months, on the right, the next 12 months...

You can see we played 18 times over the last year - 16 were rehearsals and only 2 were gigs – half of each were with John B and the other half with Martin McQueen...

18 sessions, with zero at all in the opening to months of the period... 

So, when done on the agreed basis of fortnightly sessions, on a Tuesday, the target sessions for the next 12 months amount to 25, not that much of an increase - given we'll be looking not to have 2 months solid were nothing happens!. 

The September dates are as previously agreed but can be moved to a Tuesday if required...

Nothing's set in stone and any of these dates can be moved to a nearby Fri, Sat, Sun or Mon if anything comes up for anyone (e.g October - and I'll probably not want to rehearse on my birthday either, which is one of the dates)......

We can even cancel if it turns out any date, along with all those around it, just doesn't work...

The guys have balked in the past at any suggestion of such long-term planning, giving the excuse that they have no idea what might be happening so far ahead...

But not knowing what might happen out with things already in the diary, is surely the normal state of affairs?

Diary entries are made so that other things can be worked around them as they subsequently arise or, if needs be, to be changed if something deemed more important comes up. Perfectly understandable...

So, I will be asking them not to say “I can't commit that far ahead”...

Instead, I'll be asking them to say “I'll put that in my diary and deal with changes if something more important comes up” - and to let the others know as soon as something more important does come up, so we can move things...

Pencilling in these dates now, should give us the stability and predictability of "more than likely, every second Tuesday I'll be meeting with the band"...

So, 25 sessions over the next 12 months but those will include any gigs we do. I'm going to suggest we target at least 6 gigs, ideally, 1 every 2 months...

And, if we do play a gig, we can cancel the next rehearsal, so the total sessions, rehearsals or gigs, will remain set at 25...

I'll be asking them to make this commitment to a fortnightly session/gigs so we can avoid those 3, 4, 5 or even 6, 7, 8 or 9 week breaks we've had in the past...

Because, the more we play (and the more regularly we play), surely the better we'll become?

I'm willing to do this....

It remains to be seen what they will say...

On Anne's return, new picture frames in the dining room...

Finished off "Exploding Kittens" - it appears not to have been recommissioned...

Oh well...

Meanwhile, Luna continues to be very much at home with us...

Fang popped by for some Dreamies too...

...and then went on his merry way...

Tasty fish cakes and beans for tea...

Then, some TV - a couple of "Bones" - not watched any for a while...

As usual, Luna is loving Anne and pays zero attention to me unless she wants some food and Anne's not there...

Oh well...

One episode of "Scandal" and off to bed...

Highlight of the Day: Planning...

Today's New Music:

Disparaged pasta concoction and looking back...

Playlist

Up late today...

Another new month...

My onesie is at the ready as it gets colder...

Writing this...

...including putting together my list of projects the band might do...

I imagine the guys will worry about the the amount of work but, well, we need to do something...

Breakfast and, then, listening to new to me stuff from Icehouse and the Jazz is Dead label, plus a wee bit of Miles Davis for 1967...

Anne was off to see her mum...

Played some songs in the back room with the acoustic - first time for a while...

Lunch on Anne's return...

...then, Anne was off to Pickleball...

I started re-watching "I Claudius" - quite possibly the best drama ever from the BBC - 50 years old this year! 

I kept having to refer to the Wikipedia page to remember who everyone was and how they were related to each other...

Then, upstairs and looking back across the decades...

With the aid of my diary, 50 years ago this month, in September 1976...

LPs Bought

Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan

John Cale - Slow Dazzle

Roxy Music - Country Life

Roxy Music - Siren

Most Played LP: Roxy Music - Roxy Music

7" Singles Bought

Bend Me Shape Me

Teenage Opera

Let's Go to San Francisco

Seen Live

Manfred Mann's Earthband/Racing Cars

Hawkwind/Tiger

Strawbs/Phillip Goodhand-Tait

Film

Tommy

The Dylan and the 7"s were bought at a jumble sale. John Cale, Country Life, Siren (and, earlier, Roxy's debut) were all bought 2nd hand, while I got the "Tommy" 2LP soundtrack shortly after seeing the film....

Hawkwind was the best of the 3 gigs (I managed to pick up "Astounding Sounds" the next month, again, 2nd hand) but all were good. Tiger & Phillip Goodhand-Tait were just ok really, but Racing Cars were top...

Then, in September 1986, these were my acquisitions, compiled with the aid of my "Red Book of CDs I Own" and other record lists, re the LPs.  I was just under a year into buying CDs.  So, around half of these were CDs, mostly replacing LPs I already had, but I was still buying LPs too.  I didn't give up on vinyl until early 1988...

In September 1996, 30 years ago, it was these.  I owned a 2nd hand record shop during the 90's, so some were swiped from there. The list includes my own first CD as CBQ. Sinead Lohan supported The Blue Nile. There were no LPs by this time (I only bought them to re-sell) but I was still replacing some LPs on CD (e.g. Roy Harper). Perfect Sound Forever...

In September 2006, these were the CDs acquired that month, so, these probably represent a lot of what I was listening to. The Mott the Hoople and Gentle Giant were me upgrading CDs I already owned to the remastered versions with bonuses...

 All in all, an eclectic bunch of records, including a home made prog collection...

10 Years ago, in September 2016, my monthly acquisitions were already getting out of hand - 90 across these 3 pics. There's no way I listened to all of these all the way through. In fact there's probably some stuff here which I've never heard, even after owning it for a decade. A scathing indictment indeed...

And, finally, today, in September 2026, with just 1 day gone so far, I've acquired these 18 items, including five re my playlist for 50 years ago...

Out. Of.  Control...

Anyway, that was how I wasted my time this afternoon, while Luna hung out in our bed...

Cooked my own tea tonight as Anne had only secured one macaroni cheese thing...

Very tasty indeed - despite Anne's disparaging comments on my cooking techniques...

This evening, the first two episodes of the new season of "Vigil" entertained...

Some more listening...

One episode of "Scandal" and , then, bed...

Reasonable...

Highlight of the Day: Looking back...  And my disparaged pasta concoction...

Today's New Music: