Walter Schmidt Ballardo (born in Texcoco, August 10, 1953) is a Mexican musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and music journalist. He is the founder of the bands Decibel, Size, and Casino Shanghai.
Career
Schmidt grew up in Colonia Del Valle in Mexico City. He became interested in music during his youth, taking guitar and flute lessons. He co-founded the progressive and experimental rock group Decibel in 1974 with Carlos Robledo, which remained active until 1979. After Decibel disbanded, he participated in the formation of the post-punk and new wave band Size in 1979 under the pseudonym Dennis Sanborns. Between 1985 and 1986, he was part of Casino Shanghai. Schmidt plays electric bass, guitar, flute, cello, saxophone, various synthesizers and keyboards, as well as providing vocals.
As a music journalist, he has been active since 1972, starting with the magazine La edad del rock, and has contributed to publications such as Conecte, Pop, México Canta, Rock Póster, and Rolling Stone. As a radio producer, he has worked at stations including Radio Educación—where he hosted the program "Música marginal" for twelve years—Radio UNAM—where he programmed "Rock marginal" from 1981 to 1991—and Estéreo Joven (now Reactor) of the Mexican Radio Institute.
Schmidt has promoted experimental and unconventional music, working to bring avant-garde genres such as progressive rock and Rock in Opposition to wider audiences.
Discography
With Decibel:
- El poeta del ruido (Orfeón/MIO, 1979)
With Size:
- El diablo en el cuerpo / La cabellera de Berenice (1984)
- Nadie puede vivir con un monstruo (reissue on Bandcamp, 2018)
Casino Shanghai:
- Film (Comrock, 1985)
Solo:
- Bosques de niebla (Discos Abronia, 2000)
- The wooden soldier and the China doll (Discos Abronia, 2001)
- Ríos de sangre (Luna negra, 2005)
- Clásicos (Discos Abronia, 2018)
