- published: 02 Apr 2016
- views: 5929577
John Maus (born February 23, 1980) is an American avant-garde musician and composer. A keyboard player for Animal Collective, Panda Bear and Ariel Pink, he has released three albums of his own music to mixed reviews. He grew up in Austin, Minnesota, and studied music at the California Institute of the Arts. He later went on to study philosophy at the European Graduate School, in Saas Fee Switzerland, to work towards a PhD in political philosophy. As a college student he was interested in experimental music and performance art involving music, such as the work of Michael Pisaro. When he met and began to work with and alongside Ariel Pink, he took a greater interest in pop music. He is known for his eclectic samples when composing, "an almost absurd mix – a stand-off between taut, bass-driven post-punk, whooshing electro-pop and, thanks to the chants and bleak intoning, Medieval and Gregorian disco."
-- "A Collection" -- from the single "No One Can"
I've got a photograph,
I took a picture of you.
I took your picture in front of my favourite view.
You play the part so well,
You look so sure and free.
No one could ever tell
that you belong to me
And 'cos you lie so well,
I've got to pin you down.
Under lock and key,
So you will always be in my..
In my..
My collection.
If you can't speak, you can't lie.
If you can't run, you can't hide.
I know a place you can't die,
So no one lives inside..
My collection.
I want to capture you.
I want to immortalise,
The way you play with your hair,
The way you flash your eyes.
I taste the air you breath.
I taste the food you eat.
I keep your nails and hair,
And some of the clothes you wear.
If you can't speak, you can't lie.
If you can't run, you can't hide.
And if you're dead, you can't die,
So no one lives inside..
My collection.
I've got some photographs,
I'd like to show them to you.
Though you don't know the girls,
You'll recognise the view.