JOHN MAUS

In the organizer's words:

John Maus is a truly enigmatic musician. He has transformed the cold minimalism of synth-pop into a cloak of infinite meaning, genuine grace and absurd humor, which he has presented on three albums since 2006. His music is a highly changeable affair. Although often described as retro-futuristic due to the 80's drum machines and synthesizer sounds used, John's music is more personal than the nostalgic repetition might suggest. His songs have a cinematic quality, with pathos evoked by driving bass lines, dragging arpeggios and, of course, his deeply resonant voice. Moroder has mapped out the terrain, but Maus is more interested in finding a cadence with his love of Renaissance polyphony and post-punk experimentation. It is a fusion of musical ideas that is as radical as its intention.
Maus is a "man out of time" trying to make sense of the inhumanity of our world by using the language of punk rock. His aim is right, because he strives for the seemingly impossible. It is the desire to emerge, to appear, to become, to connect as part of a greater diversity that drives his songs and himself.