THE BALDOCK TRANSMISSION

Jon Durant : “For some time, Colin and I had wanted an opportunity to do more live group improvisation as we had done way back on the first album we worked on together (Durant’s album “Dance of the Shadow Planets). Unfortunately, circumstances never allowed it, but when Colin asked if I’d be up for playing with him and Chris I jumped at the chance. I’d always loved Chris’ drumming, and as soon as we started playing I immediately recognised his distinctive approach. It was a tremendous joy to be a witness to the two of them instantly finding their connection and being able to help steer the ship into some very cool waters!”

Chris Maitland: “After initially re-making contact with Colin when suspecting I was no longer PT’s sole ‘ex’ member, I enjoyed simply meeting up after many years. With a long time of highly prescribed playing at West End musicals, I was out of the habit of spontaneous creativity and resisted the idea of the two of us having a ‘jam’. I welcomed being given & enjoyed listening to his Burnt Belief cd’s and realised his later suggestion of a creative recording session with the project’s collaborator might be a better possibility. The same day I first met Jon I was also playing with him and he was enabling this new musical connection - one which included mine & Colin’s that was evidently not extinct and had only been dormant!”

The Baldock Transmission will be released on Alchemy Records, November 7 2025, in a special Limited Edition Transparent Green vinyl. CD and digital formats will be available with extra tracks.

Colin Edwin (bass) and Chris Maitland (drums) are both best known for being half of the original four piece line up of legendary progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. Their prior musical association ended in an abrupt manner some 20 years ago, and The Baldock Transmission documents the first recordings they have made together since that time.

The Baldock Transmission could be construed as a one-off self indulgent experiment, or instead as a reconnection and possible future creative path. No plans have been made and no plans were made prior to entering the studio and hitting “record”. It’s a simple capture of the signals received and acted on. It could be thought of as a live in studio research session to test their instinctive musical chemistry, which was previously well documented across a number of live and studio releases.

Joined by guitarist Jon Durant (Colin’s creative partner in the long running “ambient ethno improv” duo Burnt Belief) Colin and Chris ably demonstrate that their creative connection and chemistry is still very much active, despite the many preceding years of silence. Overdubs and edits are minimal, although a few found sounds have crept in to aid the concept and cement the ideas. Overall, it’s an extraordinary document of the spontaneity and flow of ideas as they took shape in the moment.

Noting that the new trio entered the studio with no preparation, Colin states “Quite a few of the Porcupine Tree tunes we’d a hand in were birthed in the moment with minimal prior discussion, and, after all, they seemed to have worked out well. Moonloop is perhaps the most well known, but also Intermediate Jesus, the entire Metanoia album. It’s also worth remembering there were quite a number of spontaneous improv moments even in the more composed songs, and especially in the earlier, spacier songs when they were performed live - Dislocated Day, Radioactive Toy, Not Beautiful Anymore…”

“a beautiful display of musical meditations embedded in a controlled variety of grooves and atmospheres. The subtle variations of creativity distilled and compositional finesse secure this as one of the great albums for the jazz and progressive avant-garde for the year 2024.”

Autopoietican, on the release of Momentarily, 2024

Bandcamp

“Momentarily” dropped April 16th…

Percussionist Andi Pupato (Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin, Andreas Vollenwider, Fractal Sextet) shines throughout with his totally unique hybrid kit comprising both hand drums and conventional drum set. This distinctive collection of timbres emotes the open space of European jazz with considerable Middle Eastern elements that the hand drums reveal alongside Durant’s Fretless guitar. Anchoring the whole process is bassist Colin Edwin (O.R.k., Gaudi, Burnt Belief), with whom Durant has worked extensively over the past 12 years. On “Momentarily” he is playing acoustic basses (upright and fretless acoustic) providing a sonorous low end balancing out the whole picture. His beautifully melodic playing on the opening track “In A Moment” provides especially delightful interaction with Durant and Pupato.
Among the standout tracks on the album is the epic “Rockets on Kyiv.” Originally conceived and recorded on the morning Russia bombed the glass bridge in Kyiv (where Durant, Edwin and Ukrainian singer Inna Kovtun had filmed many scenes in the video for their song “Gannochka”). When Durant steps on the distortion on this one, you can instantly feel the deep emotions he was experiencing that morning. In addition, the one track with fretted guitar (“Bitter Wind”) shows a depth of gratitude towards his Scandanavian musical influences.

The album showcases the best of Durant’s unique skillset, an amalgamation of transcultural, jazz-related styles, that gives way to euphoric, universally relatable grooves and soundscapes. This musical jewel showcases rare mastery through individually compelling tracks and comprehensive arc.

The responsive and fluid interaction of these three collaborators immediately draws listeners in. Created initially as a series of guitar improvisations by Durant, the composer then developed and rearranged the pieces for trio. Grounded musical elements beautifully balance freely improvised aspects, hinting at one of the key ingredients of Durant’s signature, sublime sound. The seamless flow between composition and improvisation leaves the listener in an effortless state of engagement.

Throughout “Momentarily” Durant’s explorative guitar leads the way. His expressive use of fretless guitar on all but one of the tracks “shows he is one of the precious few practitioners on the instrument that elevate it beyond its usual presence as a mere novelty.” (All About Jazz) In addition, his use of guitar synth – in this case playing a modified sample of an Armenian Duduk – adds a breathy counterpoint to his emotionally tinged guitar parts.