Sound
John Maus
Maus is a ‘man out of time’ trying to make sense of the inhumanity of our world through his mobilisation of the language of punk rock. His aim is true as he reaches for the seemingly impossible.Programme Text
Pop lacks personality? Far from it. Welcome back, Mr. Maus, you one-of-a-kind hybrid of goth pop, academic theory, and religious motifs! With Later Than You Think, the doctor of political science presents his current album following an existential crisis. Stoic drums and sprawling synths accompany the evocative baritone through melodies brimming with catchiness and strangeness. Maus’s awesome allure is boosted by his stage presence. Completely drenched in sweat in a matter of a few minutes, the singer transforms himself, as he says, into a “hysterical body” who bangs the microphone against his forehead and amid his lamenting opens his heart to all the wounded people in the world: “Reconstruct your life!”