Monday, June 23, 2025

WELCOME TO CRISPYCAT RECORDINGS
We issue the solo and collaborative work of musician, podcaster and abstract artist
DAVID REILLY

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This is the Cloudland Blue Diary - to go to another section of the site, click on an icon
                         

DIARY

The diary is up to date, with daily entries from Sunday 5 March 2005 through to Sunday 22 June 2025...
 (Scroll down for the latest entries)

Between those dates, 146 days are "picture only", across 5 periods in 3 of the, now, 21 years:-

2016 (3 Days): 15-17 October
2022 (85 Days): 18 April - 10 May (23); 6 July - 5 September (62)
2023 (58 Days): 21 September - 15 October (25); 18 October - 19 November (33)

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!)

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 80 further new releases having been issued in the last five years.

The current 14 strong pipeline (see below) will take matters to April 2026, pushing the total Cloudland Blue Quartet releases available on Bandcamp to well beyond 100.

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 have also released new recordings...

LATEST CBQ RELEASE



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

Following on from "Live Suite 2023/24" and "Live Suite 2024/25" (both still available on Bandcamp), "Live Suite 2025/26" was created specifically to be played live at CBQ's next three soundscape performances, with appearances planned in Edinburgh on 21 June 2024 (the day after the LP's release), Glasgow on 31 August 2024 and Whitby on 19 September 2024 and, as the title suggests, may be further performed into 2026.

The suite is a 40 minute sound collage of elements of pieces taken from 20 different Cloudland Blue Quartet records, issued (or to be issued) by Crispycat Recordings from 2024 to 2026. The work also sources items from CBQ's library of Field Recordings and Short Wave Radio Broadcasts. In all, over 70 elements feature in the 40 minute performance.

To enjoy the suite gaplessly, please download the WAVs

The download bundle contains 145 minutes of bonuses, comprising the gapless version of the suite, plus 21 stand alone edits of the pieces used in the initial version, which was subsequently added to to produce the final version presented as this LP.

CURRENT CBQ RELEASE SCHEDULE

 

Friday 4 July 2025Cloudland Blue Quartet - Variations on Fripp & Eno's "No Pussyfooting" (Soundscape Variations LP)
Friday 1 August 2025Cloudland Blue Quartet - Gould (Soundscape Composers Series LP)
Friday 5 September 2025Cloudland Blue Quartet Variations on Fripp & Eno's "Evening Star" (Soundscape Variations LP)
Friday 3 October 2025: Cloudland Blue Quartet & Robert Scott Thompson - Forest Ascent (Collaborative Soundscape LP)

   

Friday 7 November 2025Cloudland Blue Quartet - Like a Sunday (Soundscape Ambient LP)
Friday 5 December 2025: Cloudland Blue Quartet - Disquietmusik IX (Soundscape Guitar Based LP)
Wednesday 24 December 2025: Cloudland Blue Quartet - Twentytwentyfive: The Originals (Compilation of 2025 Releases)
Wednesday 31 December 2025: Cloudland Blue Quartet - Twentytwentyfive (Compilation of Rarities recorded throughout 2025)

   

Friday 6 February 2026: Cloudland Blue Quartet - Shostakovich (Soundscape Composers Series LP)
Friday 3 April 2026Cloudland Blue Quartet - Dissolution VI (Soundscape Piano Based LP)
Saturday 11 April 2026 (Record Store Day)Cloudland Blue Quartet - GLAM! FOUR (RSD Special: Covers LP)

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

UPCOMING LIVE PERFORMANCES

            

Capital Models - Saturday 9 August 2025, 2pm
Fopp, Shandwick Place, Edinburgh, EH2 4RT
Repertoire: The Capital Models LP "Minimal" A laid back set of Bowie/Roxy/Eno/Velvets covers

Capital Models - Saturday 16 August 2025, 7pm
Purple Orange Arts Venue, 7B Bathgate Union Road, Bathgate, EH48 1NS
Repertoire: The Capital Models LP "TWENTYFIVE FORTYFIVE" Songs from Capital Models Original Canon 1979/80

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Sunday 31 August 2025, 7pm
Williamwood Parish Church – 4 Vardar Avenue, Clarkston, G76 7QP
Repertoire: Soundscape set - Brand New "Live Suite 2025/26"

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Friday 19 September 2025, 7:30pm
Wavelength, Flowergate Hall, Whitby, YO21 2QP
Repertoire: Soundscape set - Brand New "Live Suite 2025/26"

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 but a gig by vocal/electronic trio, Crazy Wisdom, is mooted for later in 2025...

PODCASTS
David produces a weekly podcast on Mixcloud, reflecting his esoteric taste in music and encouraging listeners to broaden their musical horizons.  

Since 2014, over 720 editions of the "Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection" have been recorded.  Unfortunately, only the most recent 10 are able to be made available on the Mixcloud platform.  

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

Click on the pic to go to Mixcloud...


Sunday, June 22, 2025

It's entirely possible to perhaps watch too much TV in one day...

Playlist


Up and to the machines...


Wrote this up then got to work on the recordings from yesterday - editing slight glitches out of the soundcheck and the performance and then adding to the folder, combined mixes of the desk and audience recordings of the pieces...

Done...

Downloaded a few items recently liked in my BlueSky timeline...

Breakfast...

Then, finishing off last night's "FUBAR" and watching a second...

Anne was off to the shops...

Compiled this week's podcast...

On Anne's return, lunch and two more "FUBAR"s...

Then, Anne was off to visit her mum...

Some tweaking of the podcast content...

And typing up all the notes...

On Anne's return, downstairs and some concert from Wembley - caught the end of Tate McRae and someone called Brook Benson or Boon Benson, no, wait, Benson Boon...

Anyway, not the best...

A snippet of football - UEFA Under 21 Quarter Finals...

Tonight's tea was a very tasty lamb burger from M&S...


Two episodes of "Rizzoli & Isles", "Death Valley" with Timothy Spall, then the last two of the eight episodes in Season 2 of "FUBAR"...

All very enjoyable and I managed to stay awake too - always a bonus...

Bed at 11:30, weekend over...

Highlight of the Day : Lamb Burger...

Today's New Music:

Saturday, June 21, 2025

A good thing and a bad thing...

Playlist


Up pre 6...



...and working getting all the files required for today's performance, to the right place on the system...

Writing up the last few days of this whilst enjoying some new stuff from yesterday...


Also created a GoGo Penguin playlist of the set from Antwerp...

A rehearsal in the usual place and, then, a set up and rehearsal in the back room...


All good...

Lunch at 12...

To Fopp for 1 and set up there...


I was in good company on the record shop walls...


Soundcheck was a 20 minute improv based around the stems for the suite...


Sounded great up the back amongst the CDs...


 ...which was where I directed listeners as they arrived...


All set...


A few wee botches due to losing concentration when arriving audients were talking to me as I played...

All in all, very enjoyable indeed...

At 2:45, all over, as planned.  A chance, then, to chat properly with Anne, Bob, Bernie, John B, Stu & Sarah and Ian (and Franco), all of whom came along especially to listen...

Which was nice...

Take down and then, a couple of drinks in the Fox and Faun with Anne and Bernie...

Home around 4:40...

"Taskmaster"...

Ordered an Indian from a new place, Chettinad Mess...

Their service lived up to their name...

An utter mess...

Ordered online and told to come between 7 and 10 past to collect...

Arrived at 7:03 to be told "2 minutes" - in reality, they didn't even start cooking our order until around 25 minutes later...

Utterly...

Hopeless...

15% discount for the inconvenience but, really, manage expectations please and, don't lie to your customers...

If the food was excellent, we might be back...

We won't be...

Starters and unpictured naan were good...



But this was their attempt at a Lamb Rogan Josh...

It's described on their website, thus...

"Slow-cooked lamb in a fragrant Kashmiri-style curry with yogurt, spices, and a deep red chilli oil"

Erm...


Anne's home cooked rice was good but, of course had been prepped to be ready around 30 minutes before we actually ate it so, you know, all in all, a disaster...

The day was rounded off with "Rizzoli & Isles" and "FUBAR"...

To bed around 11:30...

Highlight of the Day : Performing...

Today's New Music:

Friday, June 20, 2025

The verdict is unacceptable...

Playlist


Up late after the late retiral last night...


Breakfast and then to downloading this week's New Music Friday stash (see below) - 25 top titles...

Only had a chance to listen to a couple of them though...

At 12, out and down the hill and into town for a lunch date with Prog Rock Willie...

A tasty time and top music chat ensued...

Initial meet at Ryrie's at Haymarket for a swift pint...

Then to Mia's Italian Kitchen in Dalry...

Prawns and squid to start...


Veal cutlets and spaghetti for mains...


...and a nice bottle of Italian Red...

Back to Ryrie's and, quite possibly, too much Staropramen was consumed - evidenced by the fact that we ended up in the Scots Guards club for "just one more before the train"...

Anne sent me a pic of her tea - which, to be fair, did look pretty good...


Home around 7:30, very much the worse for wear...

Apparently, I then proceeded to sleep for around 4 hours...

"Unacceptable" was the verdict from the Exec Producer...

A verdict with which I must concur...

Highlight of the Day : Long leisurely lunch with Prog Rock Willie...

Today's New Music: