When the Minneapolis-based, ultra-hip Trip Shakespeare disbanded in 1994, the Wilson brothers who founded the underground wonderment took separate paths.

The elder went on to form a pop trio that cranked out an E.P. and two full-length records in four years, the second of which included the astonishing summer anthem “Closing Time.”

The younger took a succession of odd jobs exhaling fumes and such, slowly scraping together enough money to buy recording equipment.

During those years, the singer/guitarist/drummer wrote a number of songs, all of which he delivered directly to the trash can.

“About three years ago, I realized the direction I wanted to take,” explained the younger Matt Wilson.

It was a slow process, but Wilson has just released to critical acclaim what he describes as “the ideal of what a record should be.”

He isn’t on MTV, or even the radio — yet. But it doesn’t matter.

He may be a tad envious of Semisonic’s six recording studios, but besides that, Wilson is perfectly happy with where his musical career has taken him.

In struggles, rather than success, Wilson has found happiness.

“I wanted the lyrics to reflect the truth and not be deflected through silliness,” Wilson said about his songwriting difficulties. “It’s always been easy for me to be a clown. I constantly fought that.

“The record reflects my emotional landscape — the suspicion or fear that I have no soul,” he explained. “Only black blues musicians have souls. People who grew up in the suburbs like myself are plastic and live a solace life. But I proved to myself that I do have a soul.”

Wilson penned the tune “Deep All The Way Down” at the time he made this self-discovery and hit his stride immediately after it was finished.

His debut, “Burnt White and Blue,” is an x-ray of his heart and mind. All ten tunes on the record reveal a piece of the musician he never wanted to let go.

Wilson released the record on his own “bogus” PlanetMaker Records.

“It’s basically me, although I now have an intern,” he said proudly. “She breathes the fumes now.”

From the very first tear-soaked lyrics he wrote, to the Official Matt Wilson Web site he just launched, everything has been on a do-it-yourself basis.

He produced and engineered “Burnt White and Blue” on what he describes as “lowly equipment” in the rehearsal room next to the studio where Semisonic recorded “Feeling Strangely Fine.”

So when his brother, Dan, and his cohorts were bored, they dropped in to help Wilson out however they could. Dan sings on a few tracks, while drummer Jake Slichter plays percussion. Wilson, however, does most of the acoustic guitar and drum work.

“I did a lot with synthesizers and really fucked with the sound and make them drunken melodies,” Wilson said. “I sing with a thick, throaty voice and use a lot of the same aesthetic drumming I did with Polara [the alterna-pop band Wilson recently recorded with].”

Wilson just put together a touring band and is embarking on a national tour to support the record. While he stresses the importance of his songs ringing true, Wilson realizes putting aside his goofy persona on stage will be impossible.

“I’ve been disrupting classrooms and threatening jocks my whole life,” he said. “I can’t stop now. I’m a heckler magnet. I can’t shut up.”

So, while Semisonic continues to climb record charts, Wilson will be climbing a few steps to bar stages across the country every night, pointing to the TV screen and saying “that’s my older brother.”

“Dan’s my hero,” Wilson said. “It’s reassuring. I mean, who knows anyone who succeeds in this business?”

Wilson will perform at People’s Bar and Grill Saturday at 10 p.m. Splitsville will open the show.