Welcome to Crispycat Recordings....

We issue the solo and collaborative work of musician, abstract artist and podcaster 

DAVID REILLY aka CLOUDLAND BLUE QUARTET (CBQ)

Total Visitors as at Yesterday: 2,826,079 (+3,539)

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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, 22 September, 2026

(Please scroll down for the latest entries, or click here to go directly to the latest post)

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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 20 September 2026 and will be available until 28 November 2026.  

Click on the pic below to go directly to Volume 38, which features tracks from the recordings below, including exclusives from CBQ and Capital Models...

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CAPITAL MODELS' REPERTOIRE UPDATES & PLANNED THEMED PERFORMANCES

Work is currently being carried out on tracks recorded over the summer, which will be used to update the band's "Repertoire" collection, originally released in September 2024 to Bandcamp and last updated in February 2025 - the virtual box set, designed to be a "moveable feast", contains every song they've ever rehearsed, or played live, since their reconvening in 2017...

Click on the pic to go to "Repertoire" on Bandcamp...

In addition, while no dates have yet been announced, the current quartet iteration of the band is working on a set based on the music of Bob Dylan, to join those already in place of David Bowie, Lou Reed & the Velvets, Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry & Roxy Music for a series of proposed themed performances in 2027 and beyond...

Recordings of their previous, stripped back takes on Bowie, Reed, Eno and Roxy are available on the 2025 LP "Minimal"...

Click on the pic to go to "Minimal" on Bandcamp...

They may also introduce songs from the band's original 1979/80 canon to their live sets...

The 1980 versions are available on "Anthology 1980" on Bandcamp - click to the pic to go to it...

...while, in February 2025, the then quintet line up released "TWENTYFIVE FORTYFIVE" featuring their take on the original canon...

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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. Click on the pic below to go to Crazy Wisdom's music on Bandcamp...

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 January 2027. Click on the pic below to go to Creek's music on Bandcamp... 

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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!)

The downside of buying CDs is filing CDs…

Playlist

Writing this...

..in comparative darkness...

...and, slightly later, under good skies...

Found a couple of good new additions to the collection (see below)...

At 7:15 or so, out and to the store for rolls and bread...

This morning's bacon rolls and coffees did not cost £15 but, on the other hand, I was not outside...

...on a Tuesday morning...

...but then, I was, we both were, as we took rubble from the backstep rebuild over to the recycling centre, depositing it in the skip entitled "rubble"...

Home...

Work on Capital Models and Keith's suggestions on the Dylan stuff from 8 days ago...

My thoughts on Keith's thoughts...

"don’t think we are styling the Dylan themed set much like the early CM’s at all and wonder if we should just be trying to do everything in a way that suits the current line up as opposed to Dylan like the early CM’s? - the first run through of Highway 61 Revisited was more CM-istic than what we've done subsequently. 

We need to punk it up more if that’s the case but the alternative is probs more realistic - we've completely toned down Desolation Row, added in softer ones like Knockin and If Not and not re-played good hard things like Tom Thumb's Blues, Tombstone Blues, Takes a Lot to Laugh, Buick 6, Highway 61 - listen to those again, you'll hear what I mean

Hard Rain is fine - yes, it should be, considering!

If Not For You is a too soft - how do we make it "harder"?  Suggestions?

Knockin could have more dynamics, softer verse/harder chorus - how about, cut the intro two twice thru the 3 chords, in addition, something like a key change upwards for the guitar solo, back down for the first post solo chorus and back up again for the 2nd post solo chorus to the end. 2nd, louder of the two choruses after the after the guitar solo? That knocks 15 secs off too. 

Tambourine Man needs me to play the G and A in the correct octave but not bad otherwise - yes not bad - and well known but it's hardly there at all - done and away in just 2 mins. 

Meet Me needs more bluesy bass and tightening up - as noted earlier, I just made this up from our "getting the sound" jam - but happy to take it further. 

I like Desolation Row but think it could me more structured. It’s a monologue and could start off with just guitar and vocals and gradually buildup, remaining spacey - we did do a gradual build up across the 4 verses we chose of the original recording's 12 (inlc 2 instrumental). 1st verse vox/bass/drums, 2nd add JB's guitar, 3rd add my guitar picking, 4th add my gtr strumming, outro descending gtr and harmonics.Cut the intros to the verses down to 2 bars.  and the descending guitar/harmo nics down to 4 at end.  Takes 40 secs off the song - 14% reduction.

I prefer the punkier Watchtower, think we should throw in the full Hendrix riff in places but maybe go for a Ramones type feel - are you saying you prefer last Monday's one with the duh-duh-duh intro? - that's the one I prefer - I doubled up the two duh-duh-duh's at the start to give 4 and cleaned up between the verses, giving the two each.  I like the verses being vocals, bass and drums with the Duh Duh Duhs and JB's wee solo items. 3 mins of fun.

Hurricane is a bit long - if we take out the 4 bars of intro before each vrse and half the outro down to 4 bars it takes the length down from 9:11 to 6:38 - a 28% reduction?  However, that also removes all JB's between verse solos...

The Times is ok - Times needs tightened up re number of intro bars etc - or we could play it as loosely as we did on Monday.

Rolling Stone is ok - On the "fixed" version I sent out, I cut the intro down to just 2 x the 2 chords and shortened the outro as opposed to how we actually played it.

If anyone wants to hear mock ups, I have them...

Also, they should all sound better once JB sorts out his sound - his guitar sound on Monday was hampered by the equipment and the settings."

By 4:04 this afternoon, everyone had read these...

No one made any further suggestions...

Let's see...

Took pics of my shoes to note the slight differences between this first pair and the the other two I acquired recently - didn't take pics of the others though...

Anyway...

Lunch and the last of "Benidorm is Murder" - ended on a cliffhanger with second season yet commissioned...

We'll see...

Then, upstairs for another afternoon of filing...

The 12 boxes of awaiting-filing jazz were integrated - it’s what Tuesday afternoons are for!

However, 13 boxes of classical, 5 boxes of rock & pop and 2 more boxes of recent purchases, containing a bit of everything, remain to be attended to...

The downside of buying CDs is filing CDs…

A tasty prawn and asparagus pasta tea with some cheeky chili and a spot of n'duja was top notch but was not pictured...

"Taskmaster" entertained...

Then...

Sometimes it’s nice to just dig out a few CDs and give some tracks a spin…

Played tracks from  these 10 this evening…

...then, post dishes, we got back into "Scandal", after a bit of a break, with the next two episodes taking us to bedtime...

Highlight of the Day: Probably filing...

Today's New Music: