Imaginary Psychology

2012-03-07T16:09:00.001-08:00

Mike Cooper with Fernando Sixto, Geneva.

2012-03-07T04:39:00.000-08:00

Bauhaus

2012-03-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

The White City

2012-03-07T04:36:00.000-08:00

With Ilan Green, director of the New Music Department at Musrara School of Art.

2012-03-07T04:34:00.002-08:00

2012-03-07T04:34:00.001-08:00

2012-03-07T04:33:00.000-08:00

2012-03-07T04:32:00.001-08:00

2012-03-07T04:31:00.001-08:00

2012-03-07T04:30:00.001-08:00

2012-03-02T14:21:00.001-08:00

Israeli Security Seizure - Does this look like a bomb to you?

2012-03-02T14:17:00.001-08:00

Utrenja

2012-03-02T14:16:00.001-08:00

Marwan

2012-03-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

Fifth Station

2012-03-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

Dome of The Rock

2012-03-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

Ascensions

2012-03-02T14:07:00.001-08:00

Damascus Gate

2012-03-02T14:06:00.001-08:00

Musrara Still Life

2012-03-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

Toulouse, Raclette Breakfast With Stephane - 5pm

2012-03-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

Dios Mio

2012-03-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

BCN

2012-03-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

Aerial Boundaries 2

Twelve Nights In The Triangle

2012-02-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

Tour poster - Matt Fishbeck.
Collage image - Erik Bluhm.

Aquarius Reviews Cryptic Cross

2012-02-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

"We're huge fans of guitarist Matt Baldwin, we are so smitten by his psychedelic kraut-guitar drift, beholden to Fripp and Riley and Reich and Rother but also the Appalachia of Fahey and Kottke. So when he brought in this new disc on Psychic Arts, that's pretty much what we were expecting, although we did think Cryptic Cross was an odd name for some dreamy droney minimal guitar music, so we threw it on and pretty much knew we were in for something completely different. The opening intro is a super lo-fi dirge, all crumbling guitar buzz, sped up voices, tape malfunction, and then suddenly "Don't Chew Worry" kicks in, and we're in full on lo-fi new wave dirge metal territory. At least that's the best way we can describe it. Super murky and lo-fi, buzzy metallic riffage, but strange almost outsider cold wave vocals, crooned, sort of spoken, insane lyrics, the guitar and vocal melodies locked tight, making everything sound sing songy, and then when the vocalist slips into a falsetto, and the guitar shreddery begins, we're in total whathefuck heaven. We say this once in a while, but again, this totally sounds like something you might discover via Brian Turner's show on WFMU, psychedelic, metallic, but with a twisted knuckledragging post punk / lo-fi sludge vibe. Fucking weird, but totally bafflingly genius. Not sure where they're from, or what their deal is, but what we do know is that we have been jamming this nonstop! Fucked up and heavy, warped and drug addled, this is some crazy, kick ass shit!

LIMITED TO 50 COPIES! Each one hand numbered, and housed in a silkscreened origami style cd sleeve."

Available thru Aquarius Records:

http://www.aquariusrecords.org/

Year of The Dog Revisited

2012-02-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

Aquarius now also has more copies of Year of The Dog, a CDr that Nico Georis and I put out last summer. Their review:

"After falling so deeply in love with Matt Baldwin's recent cd-r release, Imaginary Psychology, earlier this year, we knew that this bay area guitar wizard had really come into his own, exploring exciting new terrain in reaching epic psychedelic bliss.
This new outing finds Baldwin collaborating with multi-instrumentalist Nico Georis, as they create two long form pieces that explore a more textured and layered sort of kosmische drift. The first track, "Year Of The Dog", finds Baldwin employing guitar, guitar-synth, as well as loops and delay, while Georis contributes clavinet, Wurlitzer piano, percussion, a Prophet 600, and a MicroKorg to create a meditative movement that's like some pulsating dreamscape conjured up by Robert Fripp, Michael Rother, Ash Ra Tempel, Manuel Gottsching, and/or John Cale. It taps into a sound that folks like Mark McGuire/Emeralds, White Rainbow, Bitchin Bajas, and Arp have been exploring, but with a much more organic and warm approach.
"Juan Carlos" is the other massive track here, an improv psych-jam, that features Juan Carlos Morales Tablada on congas and percussion. It starts with a slow build that immediately entrances as its sounds are both so connected to the earth, yet do such an amazing job of taking you to another dimension. In some ways the vibe makes us think of another one of our favorite cd-r releases from this year, Eat The Earth, by fellow San Francisco psych improv masters 3 Leafs.
Hand numbered and limited to 50 copies, this one is a no brainer. Don't miss out!"

The only update is that the hand-numbered edition has sold out. These new copies are not numbered.

$7.98 at Aquarius Records:

http://www.aquariusrecords.org

Show / Review

2012-02-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight:

Communion

Entrance (solo)
Tim Cohen (solo)
Matt Baldwin
Hot Lunch
Ready Steady

At Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. Doors at 7:30pm.
$10 adv / $12 at the door.

--------------------

I just dropped off more copies of Imaginary Psychology at Aquarius Records. Here is the review they wrote of it last year:

"Man, Matt Baldwin just seems to get better and better, taking his already wonderful celestial spaced out guitar playing and constantly pushing his sound further and further out. This super limited self released outing finds Baldwin positioning one short track inbetween two epic 15 minute sprawls which evoke the spirit of Robert Fripp playing a Terry Riley composition or Michael Rother and Steve Reich teaming up for some hypnotic psychedelic kraut guitar drift. Exploring cosmic guitar explorations similar to folks like Mark McGuire and Phil Manley, this is such a wonderful record of truly tripped out and densely dreamy solo guitar. We could go on and on about how much we love this, but considering these are the very last copies left of this cd-r we should probably just say act super fast as we only have ten of these left!"

Order your copy here:

http://www.aquariusrecords.org

Cryptic Cross

2012-02-02T00:23:00.000-08:00

In The Garden Waits A Stranger Full of Beauty

Tear Down Closet Door And Paint It

Three Ghosts

Stick
--------------------

Copies of the Cryptic Cross EP are now at Aquarius awaiting review and listing. In the meantime, you can listen to it at the Psychic Arts site:

http://psychicarts.bandcamp.com/album/cryptic-cross

Wake up metal heads, this is for real.

Art by Stick Boy (Sean Lyons).

Aquarius Review

2012-01-30T15:13:00.000-08:00

The free download of "Imaginary Psychology" is finished. A few hard copies will be available at shows. Most of this batch has been shipped to Europe.

--------------------

Aquarius Records was kind enough to give me permission to repost their review of Aaron Sheppard's "Leverage."

"So many CDrs come our way on what seems like a daily basis, but it isn't often that one of them immediately stops us in our tracks on first listen. These seven tracks by Aaron Sheppard have done just that. Haunting psychedelic solo guitar that manages to be both meditative, spacey, and focused all at the same time. We had no idea who Sheppard was when this first showed up, but his playing won us over immediately. Like Roy Montgomery and James Blackshaw conjuring up a soundtrack for a dazed afternoon, Leverage also has moments that make us think of vintage Robert Fripp, the beauty of Heldon's second album Allez-Teia, as well as the recent mind blowing output of Matt Baldwin that we've raved about in the last year. Alternating between more grounded finger-picking tracks to more melting and stretched out sounds, this is by far one of the most engaging and rewarding solo guitar records we've heard in so long.

We actually want to go and on about how much this record has been moving us, but the CDr is limited to 50 copies, so we should probably stop talking now and give you the chance to grab one of these before they are gone for good..."

Limited to 50 hand-numbered CDrs on the Psychic Arts label.

Order your copy here:

http://www.aquariusrecords.org/

Harold Budd

2012-01-29T20:26:00.000-08:00

Plays March 2nd in San Francisco as part of the Other Minds music festival. More info:

https://www.jccsf.org/arts-ideas/performances/music/other-minds-17/

I will be jealous of whoever goes to this.

Night Night

2012-01-28T03:08:00.000-08:00

Conrad poster is gone...

A flattering review of Aaron Sheppard's "Leverage" is up at the Aquarius site:

http://www.aquariusrecords.org/cat/newest.html

Will be gone before you know it.

Self portrait - Patrick Kwon with Polaroid of OJ by Andy Warhol. Courtesy of Berkeley Art Museum.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Auf Dem Schwarzen Kanal

2012-01-27T14:17:00.000-08:00

This is a poster that I made of Conrad Schnitzler and it's been up in the different places I've lived over the past few years. Can't tell you how many days and nights I've spent under this eternal gaze. Recently I found something to go in it's place and I'm going to let it go. Send me your mailing address and I'll drop it in a mailing tube for you. All you have to do is pay for postage. A large format photocopy, roughly two-by-two feet.

baldwinunlimited@gmail.com

--------------------

Astrologer, author and filmmaker, Antero Alli is using my version of de Hartmann/Gurdjieff's "Bokarian Dervish" in his new film, Flamingos. I would be at the February 29th premiere in Oakland but I will be on tour at that time. Looking forward to seeing it when I get back. More info here:

http://www.verticalpool.com/

PS - As for astrological insight I can't give someone a higher recommendation.

Ice Land

2012-01-24T15:24:00.000-08:00

Ice Land One

Cohort

Ohr

----------

I often see Ethan Miller on my daily circumambulation of the lake - he jogs, I walk. His band, Howlin' Rain has put together a mix of songs representing their 10 favorite vinyl releases of 2011 and in it they included "Pellegrino" from Night In The Triangle. It also includes a short review of the record. Find it here:

http://artistmixtapes.com/2011/12/23/volume-57-howlin-rain-top-10-albums-released-on-vinyl-in-2011/

An honor. Thanks guys.

Also, I've just put together 50 more copies of the Imaginary Psychology CDr which will be for sale at Aquarius Records in SF and at live shows. The free download is only going to be available for a little while longer. Grab one before I remove the link.

http://psychicarts.bandcamp.com/album/imaginary-psychology

Enjoy,

MB

Shows

2012-01-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

Monday, February 6th

Communion:

Entrance (solo)
Tim Cohen (solo)
Matt Baldwin
Hot Lunch
Ready Steady

At Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. Doors at 7:30pm.
$10 adv / $12 at the door.

Also, I've updated the Night In The Triangle tour dates in the previous post with additions and cancellations:

2/18 - Macondo Bar, Barcelona
2/19 - Figueres, Girona
2/21 - L'Episode, Toulouse
3/4 - Club Uganda, Jerusalem
3/5 - Noon lecture on new music at Musrara Art School, Jerusalem
3/5 - Levontin, Tel Aviv
3/7 - Cave 12, Geneva
3/9 - La Chaise, Paris
3/10 - Kunstencentrum Belgie, Hasselt
3/12 - Birthday, London
3/13 - Cellar Bar, Poole
3/15 - 12 Bar, London
3/16 - The Joinery, Dublin
3/17 - St. Patrick's Delirium Tremens (private)
3/18 - Plug'd Records, Cork

A Stick Boy Sampler

2012-01-11T00:11:00.000-08:00

Five of The Undead

Cthulu Mass

Cthulu Mass 2

Cryptic Cross Album Cover

Cloud Specter

Stick Boy

----------

A taste of Stick's imagery in anticipation of his debut Cryptic Cross record. Available soon as a CDr on Psychic Arts.

All artwork by Stick (Sean Lyons).

Atmospheres

2012-01-04T02:10:00.000-08:00

Upcoming MB European/Middle Eastern tour dates:

2/18 - Macondo Bar, Barcelona2/19 - Mariscal L'Estartit, Girona
2/21 - L'Episode, Toulouse
3/4 - Club Uganda, Jerusalem
3/5 - Levontin, Tel Aviv
3/7 - Cave 12, Geneva
3/9 - La Chaise, Paris
3/10 - Kunstencentrum Belgie, Hasselt
3/12 - My birthday (in transit...)
3/13 - TBA, Poole
3/15 - 12 Bar, London
3/16 - The Joinery, Dublin
3/17 - St. Patrick's Delirium Tremens (private)
3/18 - TBA, Cork

----------

Also, Aaron Sheppard's Leverage is up for audition at the Psychic Arts site:

http://psychicarts.bandcamp.com/album/leverage

I dropped off copies at Aquarius Records yesterday and it should be in their next batch of write-ups.

XO

MB

Things as they are...

2012-01-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

Over Nicasio

Aaron Sheppard

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So the Small Town Romance blog was kind enough to include my Night In The Triangle on its "Best of 2011" list. The site is curated by guitarist, Yair Yona - an elegant player himself.

http://en.smalltownromanceblog.com/yair-yonas-fav-albums-of-2011-2/

Also, Aaron Sheppard's debut, Leverage (pictured above) is finished and will be available soon as a CDr on Psychic Arts. It's mood best fits into the melancholy lineage of French progressive guitar records like those by Pinhas and Michel Moulinie - which is to say it's great. I'm dropping off copies at Aquarius this week. Look for it there and at his live shows. Limited to 50 copies.

Hidden Valley

2011-12-27T12:25:00.000-08:00

Holy Days

2011-12-19T13:28:00.000-08:00

So Christmas is on the horizon and once again I find myself trying to keep my weight up and my soul intact for the better things. In keeping with tradition I've decided to offer all my visitors a little present. For a limited time Imaginary Psychology (originally a CDr that sold out a while ago) will be available as a free download at the Pyschic Arts site.

http://psychicarts.bandcamp.com/album/imaginary-psychology

Nietzsche said something like, "the hand that is full is always giving." I can't possibly relate but it's a nice idea. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah and so forth.

XO,

MB

Also coming soon:

- Aaron Sheppard "Leverage" a 50-copy limited edition CDr.
- MB European/Israeli tour dates.
- New recordings from Matt and Nico.
- Cryptic Cross CDr
- Nugs Vol.1
- Stinging Marbles cassette/download.
- A possible Adam Snider record (if he ever gets it together).

Photos - MB, James Kim (right before he lost half a fingernail), fridge.

State Trooper Live in Oakland

2011-12-11T17:31:00.001-08:00

Live footage - Christopher Sprague

Freaker

2011-10-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

Gnossiennes

2011-10-26T12:52:00.001-07:00

Photo of MB, Roedelius and Patrick Kwon - Katie Miller.

Qluster In Oakland

2011-10-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

I was so excited about this show that I announced it two months early. This should be a little more timely. Tomorrow (Tuesday) night I play an opening set for Qluster at the New Parish in Oakland. This is a new lineup featuring Roedelius and friends, but no Moebius. I guess this shift speaks to the new cabalistic spelling of what once was simply "Cluster."

Also on the bill are Bronze and DJ Caleb Pate of Seventeen Evergreen. Doors at 8pm. I play around 9. $15-20

Wire Magazine Review

2011-10-22T18:41:00.001-07:00

In the October 2011 issue. Please overlook the Ted Nugent reference. Also, I would have italicized "sociopathic."

State Trooper

2011-10-16T15:22:00.001-07:00

A rough mix of State Trooper is up for audition at Psychic Arts. Featuring Derek James of The Entrance Band on drums. Out soon as as a CDr single - available at Aquarius Records and live shows. Enjoy...

http://psychicarts.bandcamp.com/album/state-trooper

Poor Bert

2011-10-10T02:41:00.000-07:00

Impossible to overestimate his importance. A musical parent. I've been asked to play a tribute show on December 1st at the Great American Music Hall. More details soon...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/8809432/Bert-Jansch.html

Overdub

2011-10-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

Shot by Nico Georis at his studio in Nicasio. Compression by iPhone.

2011-10-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

Shane Ridenour showed this to me last night. Still stunned...

Catch Wave

2011-09-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

After playing it live for a couple years I've finally recorded a version of Bruce Springsteen's "State Trooper." Featuring Derek James of The Entrance Band on drums. To be released as a CDr single on Psychic Arts in October. Limited edition of 50 copies available thru Aquarius Records and at live shows.

Photo - fridge.

Release

2011-09-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

Thursday, September 29th

Zine release party w/

Uzi Rash
Matt Baldwin
Alexis Blair Penney
DJ Hether Fortune (Dion's great-granddaughter?)

The Knockout
1125 Valencia Street, San Francisco
9:30pm
$2-7

Live With Nico

2011-09-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Sailor's Union Hall of The Pacific was vast and empty. Just us and the other bands.

Nacarubi was the opposite.

White Walls

2011-09-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

It's been said that the mystic swims in the water in which the schizophrenic is drowning. Since our college days it's amazed me the way that guitarist, Adam Snider sputters at the surface. He doesn't really know how to stay afloat but then he never quite goes under either.

After finishing another long academic stint Adam's moved back to the Bay Area and called me up for a drink the other night. We spent the evening passing his guitar back and forth, going over the old Masters: Fahey, RGD, Bola, The Mississippis. In Christ There Is No East Or West. Then he showed me a bunch of his new songs which are brilliant. Apparently he's been writing the whole time. So we set it up and he agreed to record his debut full-length for Psychic Arts. Out soon on CDr - we just have to set up the mics.

Also, somehow in cutting his own hair Adam recently ended up with partial white walls. A look he describes as "psychiatric."

Three Shows

2011-09-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 5th (Labor Day)

Harlowe & The Great North Woods
Montra
Matt Baldwin & Nico Georis

Sailor's Union Hall of The Pacific
450 Harrison (at 1st) San Francisco, 8pm
$5

===

Terry Riley Solo Concert
September 9, 2011; 7:30 p.m. Berkeley Art Museum; Gallery B. $7

===

Also, I'm playing guitar with Sam Flax and Higher Color at McLaren Park in SF for The Mission Creek Music Festival on September 10th. Lots of other bands. Free.

More details at highercolor.com

Triangle

2011-08-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Tracks for Night In The Triangle are up at the Psychic Arts site. Double LP/Download available at www.americandust.net and elsewhere on the web.

http://psychicarts.bandcamp.com/

White Ink

2011-08-23T23:39:00.000-07:00

A video Matt Fishbeck made of him and Ariel Pink goofing around this weekend. Features a short piece that I composed on his ARP Solus - a sketch for a project I'm working on called White Ink.

Roedelius/Baldwin et al.

2011-08-22T01:33:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 25th
(((folk YEAH!))) Presents

Hans-Joachim Roedelius/Qluster
Bronze
Matt Baldwin
Dj Caleb Pate (of Seventeen Evergreen)

The New Parish
579 18th Street, Oakland

8pm

Tickets at folkyeah.com

Alpine Retreat/Euro Appeal

2011-08-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

Caveat
Lakeside
Hiawatha 1
Hiawatha 2
An 8 lb. Pine Cone
Altamont Pass Dance of Death

---

So, I have a ticket to Europe for mid-February to March 2012. Let me know if you want to do a show in whatever part of Western Europe and perhaps we can set something up. The schedule is coming together but, believe me, there are plenty of gaps.

baldwinunlimited@gmail.com

Photos - MB and Jake Luce

Paths

2011-08-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

All the tracks from 2008's Paths of Ignition have been uploaded to the Psychic Arts site. You can listen to it there but have to buy/download it somewhere else due to contractual limitations. www.americandust.net is a good place to start.

Check out Julian Cope's lovely Album of The Month review for Paths of Ignition here:

http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/albumofthemonth/1903/

Thanks again, Julian. XO

Bourgeois Kosmische

2011-08-10T15:55:00.001-07:00

Tracks for Year of The Dog will be up at the Psychic Arts site this evening. Promise.

http://psychicarts.bandcamp.com/

Playing an ambient set this Saturday (8/13) with Nico for the annual Perseid shower at Meteor Vineyards in Napa. Details soon on upcoming SF area shows with Qluster (Moebius-free) and Holy Shit.

Photos - MB and Galapagos stranger.

Gone

2011-08-06T23:45:00.001-07:00

Photo - courtesy of an evening spent hanging with Greg Pawelco.

Solstice Salon/Nacarubi

2011-08-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

In LA - the films were gorgeous. Played interpretations of Year of The Dog and Imaginary Psychology to accompany Frank Mouris's Academy Award-Winning short, Frank Film and Donald Fox's Omega.

Big Sur was Heaven.

Yes.

Photos - Joey Armario and Nic Coury.

New

2011-07-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

Year of The Dog, a full-length collaboration with Nico Georis, is now available for order thru Aquarius Records. Limited edition of 50 hand-numbered CDrs on the Psychic Arts label. $8.

http://www.aquariusrecords.org/

Soon it will also be available for audition and download at the Psychic Arts page:

http://psychicarts.bandcamp.com/

June Shows

2011-06-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

This Thursday (6/23) - solo set and live cassette mixes to accompany films for John Wyatt of Cinespia's annual experimental film salon in Mount Washington, LA.

The day after that I perform a solo set at midnight for The Nacarubi Fesival. Later, a cosmic-bedtime DJ set at 3am. Saturday afternoon I sit in with Nico Georis' band. Then... we swim.

Fetival lineup includes Nabob Shineywater's new project, Library of Sands, Miller Carr and Shalants, members of Fela Kuti's Afrika 70, Iasos performing a solo set at twilight and much more. It's an all-out, remote camping kind of thing so it requires a little planning. More info:

http://www.nacarubi.com/

Poster - Alia Penner.

One More Thing

2011-06-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

The new double LP, Night In The Triangle is now for sale at http://www.americandust.net/ and elsewhere on the web. Comes with a free download.

Also, some live recordings gathered under the name Imaginary Psychology are available for listening and purchase at http://psychicarts.bandcamp.com/ - $8. Limited edition CDr version for sale at live shows. Aquarius Records of SF should still have some copies in stock. Their nice review and ordering info at http://www.aquariusrecords.org/

Herzog Premier

2011-06-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

4/23/11 - LA Natural History Museum - premier screening of Cave of Forgotten Dreams and Q&A with director, Werner Herzog. Performances by White Magic, MB (me), Nite Jewel and several Dublab-affiliated DJ's. Graciously curated by Cinefamily and John Wyatt of Cinespia. Poster and photo by Alia Penner.