John Maus (US)

John Maus is a truly enigmatic musician.
Since his debut in 2006, he has crafted music that stretches far beyond conventional synthpop. Drawing influences from both post-punk and Renaissance polyphony, he has shaped a unique sonic world—cinematic, driven by pulsing basslines, and anchored by deeply resonant vocals. His breakthrough came with We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves (2011), an experimental pop album that has since become a modern classic.

Maus is a "man out of time," trying to grasp the inhumanity of the world by channeling the language of punk rock. His aim is sincere—a pursuit of the seemingly impossible. It’s a desire to appear as part of a larger multiplicity, to be seen, to come into being, to connect—a force that permeates both his music and his very being.

It’s now been twelve years since We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves struck like a bolt of manic energy, turning heads everywhere. Earlier albums like Songs (2006) and the masterful follow-up Love Is Real (2007) found renewed life as a new wave of listeners discovered his work. After touring the world with Pitiless Censors and releasing a compilation of rarities and unreleased tracks, Maus returned to academia. In 2014, he earned a PhD in political philosophy for his dissertation on communication and control.

Shortly after, he began building his own modular synthesizer—etching circuit boards, soldering components, and assembling panels until he had an instrument that embodied his vision. Once the ambitious project was complete, Maus returned to songwriting and began work on his fourth album, Screen Memories (2017).

In 2018, he released a 6-LP box set compiling all his works to date, including Addendum, a sister album to Screen Memories. Since then, Maus has been exploring the world of film scoring and is currently preparing a new full-length album.

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Accessibility

The Cultural Center Oceanen is a Q-marked culturally historical building, which is challenging when it comes to accessibility. We do our best to have as many people as possible visit us. When visiting us with mobility aids the best-suited entrance is through the stage. This entrance is accessed via Gathenhielmska trädgården. The entrance is locked, please email us the day before your visit or the latest Friday at 16:00 if you are visiting us during the weekend. We have a wheelchair-accessible bathroom. Personal assistants do not need to purchase their own ticket, but we ask you to contact us in advance so we can issue a ticket for the person.
Please note that flashing lights may occur during concerts and events. For questions regarding accessibility email Mia Herman at mia@oceanen.com.