‘Sand In My Boot’ by Betty Benedeadly and Braden Guess | New Album, ‘At the Institute of Mentalphysics’

Uncategorized March 7, 2023

‘Sand In My Boot’ by Betty Benedeadly and Braden Guess | New Album, ‘At the Institute of Mentalphysics’

Exclusive video premiere of ‘Sand In My Boot’ by Betty Benedeadly and Braden Guess, taken from the latest album, ‘At the Institute of Mentalphysics,’ released February 17th, 2023 via Desert Records.


Betty Benedeadly and Braden Guess have been collaborating musically on Sheverb and Benedeadly recordings for years. For the psych spaghetti western duo from Texas, process is just as important as the destination, and their music-making approach involves experimental, immersive, destination recording adventures in strange desert communities.

Betty Benedeadly and Braden Guess spent May 2022 in residence at the Institute of Mentalphysics. Known today as the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, this fascinating historical property began in 1940 as the foundation of Ding Le Mei’s utopian society, where he taught Tibetan-style breathwork, yoga and vegetarianism. They lived in one of the site’s first buildings, a cottage from 1941, where they built a temporary recording studio to explore the sonic intersections of psychedelia and folk traditions.

Part sonic exploration, part time capsule, this soon-to-be-released album features the local musicians that Benedeadly and Guess befriended over the course of their time in Joshua Tree, including Janie Cowan on upright bass, Victoria Williams on guzheng, and Ron Therrio on lap steel guitar. Layed in the organic textures of percussion tracks, you’ll also hear crystals gathered near the Giant Rock and bones found while hiking.

On the final track, you’ll hear original audio of Institute founder, Ding Le Mei preaching Mentalphysics, his signature combination of affirmations, visualizations and breathwork, as learned from Tibetan monks in the 1920s.


Betty Benedeadly Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bandcamp / Patreon / Apple Music / SpotifyYouTube
Braden Guess Facebook / Instagram
Desert Records Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bandcamp / YouTube

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