John Maus

John Maus

Maus performing in 2011
Background information
Born (1980-02-23) February 23, 1980
Origin Austin, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • composer
  • record producer
Years active 1999–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website johnma.us

John Maus (born February 23, 1980) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and academic from Minnesota.[10] An early collaborator of Ariel Pink, he has released three albums of his own material,[11] which incorporates elements of 1980s-influenced synth-pop, post-punk, and Medieval music.[12] He is a former professor of philosophy at the University of Hawaii[11] and his intellectual pursuits are reflected in his style and approach to music.[11][10][12]

Biography

Maus was born in February 1980 and grew up in Austin, Minnesota.[10] Experimenting with music from an early age, his first efforts were strongly influenced by Nirvana and film scores of the 1980s.[13] He later studied music at the California Institute of the Arts.[14] As a college student he was interested in experimental music, such as the work of Michael Pisaro, as well as Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music. When he befriended and began to work alongside Ariel Pink, he took a greater interest in pop music.[14] While continuing to make music, Maus went on to study philosophy at the European Graduate School in Saas Fee, Switzerland, where he earned his master's degree. He was awarded a doctorate in political philosophy from the University of Hawai'i, where his thesis advisor was Michael J. Shapiro.[15]

Style

Maus performing in 2012.

Maus is known for the energy of his performances. A 2012 review of a London performance in The Guardian noted him to be a "ferocious theoretician" in particular given his quoting of Alain Badiou in the title of his album We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves. The review also remarked on the physical nature of his live shows, "Prowling the stage alone like a patient who has given his care nurse the slip, Maus pogos, head-bangs and gives vent to a succession of feral howls as he jack-knifes at the waist, singing over pre-recorded tapes in what he self-effacingly describes as his "karaoke show"."[16]

Charles Ubaghs 2012 review for the BBC also took notice of the philosophical undertones of Maus' works: "...behind these retro overtones is a desire to explore our modern relationships with pop, and its impact on our wider philosophical and cultural lives." The review also remarked that on Maus' self-referential tendencies: "Couple this with lyrics like The Fear’s surprisingly frank “What’s wrong with me, ‘cause I’ve tried everything,” and you’ve an accessibly rich portrait of Maus’ ever-questioning mind."[12] Likewise a 2011 BBC review noted that Maus was " as much a professional existentialist as he is a synth-pop musician" and that "reading his interviews can make your cerebral cortex pulse with befuddlement."[11]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Release
Songs
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: Upset the Rhythm
Love Is Real
  • Released: 2007
  • Label: Upset the Rhythm
We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

EPs/unofficial releases

Compilation

Other appearances

References

  1. ↑ Sedghi, Sarra (December 4, 2014). "John Maus Psychoanalyzes Ariel Pink, Calls Him a Nymphomaniac". Paste.
  2. ↑ Bevan, David (September 6, 2012). "JOHN MAUS". Spin.
  3. ↑ Pelly, Jelly (July 20, 2012). "John Maus: A Collection of Rarities and Previously Unreleased Material". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  4. ↑ "John Maus Book". Dummy Mag. July 19, 2011.
  5. ↑ Reges, Margaret. "John Maus". AllMusic. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Hogan, Marc (June 21, 2012). "Grab John Maus’ Icy Obsession Anthem ‘Bennington’". Spin.
  7. ↑ Bevan, Davin (July 8, 2011). "John Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  8. ↑ Lindemann, Lodovico. "Cosa vuol dire "musica psichedelica" nel 2016?". Rockit (in Italian).
  9. ↑ Smart, Dan (June 7, 2017). "John Maus returns to tour the US, becomes the pitiless censor of Donald Trump’s tweets". Tiny Mix Tapes.
  10. 1 2 3 Loscutoff, Leah (July 2011). "John Maus". BOMB Magazine. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Parkin, Chris. "John Maus We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves Review". BBC Music. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  12. 1 2 3 Ubaghs, Charles (2012-08-21). "John Maus A Collection of Rarities and Previously Unreleased Material Review". BBC Review. BBC. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  13. ↑ "Upset the Rhythm - John Maus". Upset the Rhythm. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  14. 1 2 “John Maus” BOMB Magazine July 2011, Retrieved July 26, 2011
  15. ↑ "University of Hawai'i Department of Political Science". Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  16. ↑ Gittins, Ian (15 August 2012). "John Maus – review". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
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