Mathew Rakers is a Southern California pianist, free improviser, composer, writer, music instructor, and business ​owner.

He regularly performs free improvisations with performances of up to three continuous hours in the style of the ​French Impressionists and late Romantic composers.

In his free time, he writes novels and plays with his cats.

CURRENT PROJECTS AND ROLES

2012 - Present: Fistfights With Wolves, progressive rock, Band Leader and Composer

2014 - Present: The San Diego Music And Art Company, Owner

2019 - Present: Moonquake Records, Owner

2019 - Present: Phantom Twins, math pop, Band Leader and Composer

2021 - Present: The Escondido Music And Art Company, Co-Owner

2021 - Present: Move Your Piano San Diego, Co-Owner

2023 - Present: The Musicians Empowerment Collective 501c3, CEO

PAST PROJECTS AND ROLES

2018-2022: Bottom Feeders Quarterly, long form music review, Writer

2020 - 2022: Bardic Management, COO

2014-2019: Latifahtron, funk rock, Keyboardist and Composer

2013 - 2014: The Foundation Music Center, Director

2006-2012: gunghoseesaw, bedroom pop, Composer

2006-2008: 18th Century Fashion, psych rock, Composer

2004-2006: The Green Water District, folk rock, guitar and piano

PRESS

“Fistfights With Wolves produces a musical sound that stirs the imagination with their lightly psychedelic, totally artistic, progressive rock.” - Kristy Walker, ListenSD

“A proposal as captivating as it is challegning. The Sheep That Eats The Wolf offers a series of classical and modern influences highlighting Magma’s Zeuhl and Japanese currents such as Koenji ​Hyakkei.” - Prog Jazz

“… influences of expressionism, neo-folklore, post-modernism, and avant prog rock are organically intertwined… dynamic, emotional, and moving composition…” - Igor Gorely, Recyclable Sounds

“Smart, and truly very good.” - Rock Progressif, Sorties de l’Annee Courante

“Wow… that was beautiful.” - Not So Serious Radio

“… everything I’ve listened to by you guys is epic. There’s a lot of different themes and parts to it, not just your typical verse, chorus, bridge, outro… it’s more structured like a classical piece.” - ​Sunshine Sound Podcast

“(They) take cues from prog rock, video games, and gypsy jams to dizzying and delightful ends.” - Chad Deal, The San Diego Reader

LINKS

The San Diego Music And Art Company

www.sdmaac.com

@sandiegomusicandart

The Escondido Music And Art Company

www.escondidomaac.com

@escondidomusicandart

The Musicians Empowerment Collective

www.mecinfo.org

@musiciansempowermentnpo

Fistfights With Wolves

www.fistfightswithwolves.squarespace.com

@fistfightswithwolves

Moonquake Records

moonquakerecords.bandcamp.com

@moonquakerecords

Move Your Piano SD

www.sdmaac.com/piano-moving-servicing

@moveyourpianosd

Phantom Twins

@phantomtwins

Bottom Feeders Quarterly

www.bottomfeedersquarterly.com

@bottomfeedersquarterly

Mathew Rakers

@matrakers

SPOTIFY, APPLE MUSIC, BANDCAMP, ​YOUTUBE

Mathew Rakers

Fistfights With Wolves

Phantom Twins

Moonquake Records

San Diego Music And Art Company

CONTACT

matrakers@gmail.com