XLR8R John Maus Interview Transcript That’s my alarm clock. Yeah, 2 o’clock, time to get up. 2 o’clock, time to ring bells. *Maniac plays* I’m from Southern Minnesota, which is still just kind of the North-East of The Great Plains. I went to school in California and I met some people down there. I met Ariel Pink and became best friends and it just changed everything. So, I went to Hawaii and I’m a teacher there, I’m an instructor. This Summer will be my first class, which will be Intro To Political Theory. 303 Poli-Sci, 303. Do you know what my day job was last year? Hanging cable for Comcast. All last year that’s what I did. When I was making “Love Is Real,” I’d spend all day hooking people’s cables, televisions up. When I found out I was going to Hawaii, I just kinda started taking naps and I’d check off that I disconnected so-and-so’s cable and I’d just take a nap. I was taking a nap, motherfucker, I was taking a nap. *Time To Die plays* I’m not sure if it was Beckett or somebody who said the worst thing that happened to music was words, and that kinda makes sense to me. But, I think we find ourself in the situation where it’s just part-in-parcel with music to have to use words. I mean, at least to me, that if you synthesize what’s happening there, that’s what it comes down to, some kind of just one line. My brother calls it “The Mantra.” “The Mantra,” in my songs, “The Mantra.” *Rights For Gays plays* One sentence. I definitely prefer that to this kind of quasi-surrealist poetry. I very much, very much resist the idea that anything in popular music can be equated with the experiments of poetry. Bob Dylan is not as great of a poet as fuckin’ Gerard Manley Hopkins, I’m sorry. But, I mean he is the best at whatever it is he’s doing, which is not poetry. I really resist this style of playing that’s about play-acting. I’m not trying to say there’s such a thing as sincerity or authenticity, but I do think certainly there’s such a thing as fools play-acting and putting on costumes and playing. And that’s an affront to me and to everybody else, I think. And then there’s the whole punk rock thing too, and this is interesting to enter into the equation because certainly, I don’t think he does it anymore, but when I was playing with Ariel he would do things that were more like GG Allin or whatever or Genesis P-Orridge where it’s about giving the audience the finger. To annoy them as much as possible and piss them off and make them feel like they wasted their time and their money. While that’s certainly a wager that perhaps has its points to make, that’s not my personal one. I take the opposite, more “conventional” one and I grant that it’s more conventional where the task is to connect with them. It’s about the “being-with,” being with each other. *Do Your Best plays* Well, that’s another thing altogether, the backing track in the absence of the band. Ultimately, if I had to boil it down to one sentiment, the idea is I think that asked more questions about the live situation than it would if I had a band. The only way we’ll ever arrive at a community, a genuine community, is through eventually arriving at a singular expression in the affirmation of our being singular. The only way we can be plural is being plural singular and so hopefully when I’m performing live I’m approaching that singularity as best as I can. I’m probably failing all the time. I’m approaching that so there’s one and now everybody can join up and maybe there’ll be something like a community that could come out of that. *Pure Rockets plays* The ocean is to me personally is not liberating at all. Perhaps it’s beautiful, but in the sense of freedom/non-freedom it’s stupid. You can only go out a little bit and then the sharks will get you. It’s fun to play on the shore and stuff, but that’s about as much as you can do. You’re surrounded by ocean, that’s locked. I mean, what is land-locked, you can’t be land-locked, you can walk on land, but if you just have a little ocean around you, then you’re locked, you’re water-locked, which is much worse than being land-locked, but I wanna go scuba diving.
This interview is in San Francisco on California street. I recognize the Masonic temple in the background, he's at the church across the street. Sooo cool
i truly believe the mid/late aughts were a glorious time for the internet before corporations and advertising fucked it all up. and then there's john himself! so young, so pure! (sigh)
He still has those physical and conversational tendencies. Maybe he’s gotten more anxious in a public light after gaining more fame and notoriety through his music. Also tragic events like his brother’s death and his divorce.
He's right about the ocean. It's a meme, really. I live by the ocean, and when I go to the beach I'm always left wondering why other people are there. It's not even like the beaches of the northeast, where there's food and boardwalks and things to do.
Compare his comments on being surrounded by the ocean to Dave Thomas from Pere Ubu's take on Cleveland being bordered by an inland sea and the kind of desperate people come out of that environment
I feel poetry moves within everything, life is a great canvas of colour and expression. Music inspires words, words can help shape the feeling of music, both are two separate entities which work both equally as well together or apart. When there were no words in silent film, they used music to express and generate feelings, when words arrived, they heightened the emphasis on music and placed it strategically throughout films. The graceful poetry of life dances betwixt entrancing melodies and communicates through the rhythm of eloquently expressed words. Poetry in itself flows like a musical song, as a musical song transcends the power of the word. Before I had even formed fully within my mother's womb I experienced the rhythm of life, as I am placed into the ground, set for decay words shall be uttered towards my departure. Poetry is everywhere, it's complex expansion in expression weaves through the intricate tapestry of life, when music doesn't have words, words are already forming to express feelings around the music, when there are only words the great symphony of life keeps playing around each heartbeat that generates its gentle rhythm within my chest... Poetry is everywhere.
John mous! neeto- type o-negative vocals meets quirky synthy bubble pop of kraft werk and say jim morrison singing with a very un talented slew of new age moogs? sorry still sounds alrite and has its moments! but if ur gonna dis bob dylan(who has always sohnded like shit! then suck it up buttercup
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
I went to high school with this guy. It's fun to see what folks are up to these days!
dustin Nystel what was he like in school
I really hope he answers because I'm REALLY interested to know what this mad genius was like in his younger years..
you'd rly make everyone's day if you answered, dude
*pokes comment with a stick*
*PLEASE ANSWER US FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD*
I adore this guy
XLR8R John Maus Interview Transcript
That’s my alarm clock. Yeah, 2 o’clock, time to get up. 2 o’clock, time to ring bells.
*Maniac plays*
I’m from Southern Minnesota, which is still just kind of the North-East of The Great Plains. I went to school in California and I met some people down there. I met Ariel Pink and became best friends and it just changed everything. So, I went to Hawaii and I’m a teacher there, I’m an instructor. This Summer will be my first class, which will be Intro To Political Theory. 303 Poli-Sci, 303. Do you know what my day job was last year? Hanging cable for Comcast. All last year that’s what I did. When I was making “Love Is Real,” I’d spend all day hooking people’s cables, televisions up. When I found out I was going to Hawaii, I just kinda started taking naps and I’d check off that I disconnected so-and-so’s cable and I’d just take a nap. I was taking a nap, motherfucker, I was taking a nap.
*Time To Die plays*
I’m not sure if it was Beckett or somebody who said the worst thing that happened to music was words, and that kinda makes sense to me. But, I think we find ourself in the situation where it’s just part-in-parcel with music to have to use words. I mean, at least to me, that if you synthesize what’s happening there, that’s what it comes down to, some kind of just one line. My brother calls it “The Mantra.” “The Mantra,” in my songs, “The Mantra.”
*Rights For Gays plays*
One sentence. I definitely prefer that to this kind of quasi-surrealist poetry. I very much, very much resist the idea that anything in popular music can be equated with the experiments of poetry. Bob Dylan is not as great of a poet as fuckin’ Gerard Manley Hopkins, I’m sorry. But, I mean he is the best at whatever it is he’s doing, which is not poetry. I really resist this style of playing that’s about play-acting. I’m not trying to say there’s such a thing as sincerity or authenticity, but I do think certainly there’s such a thing as fools play-acting and putting on costumes and playing. And that’s an affront to me and to everybody else, I think. And then there’s the whole punk rock thing too, and this is interesting to enter into the equation because certainly, I don’t think he does it anymore, but when I was playing with Ariel he would do things that were more like GG Allin or whatever or Genesis P-Orridge where it’s about giving the audience the finger. To annoy them as much as possible and piss them off and make them feel like they wasted their time and their money. While that’s certainly a wager that perhaps has its points to make, that’s not my personal one. I take the opposite, more “conventional” one and I grant that it’s more conventional where the task is to connect with them. It’s about the “being-with,” being with each other.
*Do Your Best plays*
Well, that’s another thing altogether, the backing track in the absence of the band. Ultimately, if I had to boil it down to one sentiment, the idea is I think that asked more questions about the live situation than it would if I had a band. The only way we’ll ever arrive at a community, a genuine community, is through eventually arriving at a singular expression in the affirmation of our being singular. The only way we can be plural is being plural singular and so hopefully when I’m performing live I’m approaching that singularity as best as I can. I’m probably failing all the time. I’m approaching that so there’s one and now everybody can join up and maybe there’ll be something like a community that could come out of that.
*Pure Rockets plays*
The ocean is to me personally is not liberating at all. Perhaps it’s beautiful, but in the sense of freedom/non-freedom it’s stupid. You can only go out a little bit and then the sharks will get you. It’s fun to play on the shore and stuff, but that’s about as much as you can do. You’re surrounded by ocean, that’s locked. I mean, what is land-locked, you can’t be land-locked, you can walk on land, but if you just have a little ocean around you, then you’re locked, you’re water-locked, which is much worse than being land-locked, but I wanna go scuba diving.
He is adorable.
This interview is in San Francisco on California street. I recognize the Masonic temple in the background, he's at the church across the street. Sooo cool
really one of my favorite interviews of his! he's so young here. i wonder if he still feels the same way about some of these things
He does not.
The ocean is literally the most powerful thing on the earth.
YOOOOu know what my day job was ??? my fav part
Imagine being a fan and JM just pops up at your house to hook up the cable 😂
This is ancient now.
i truly believe the mid/late aughts were a glorious time for the internet before corporations and advertising fucked it all up. and then there's john himself! so young, so pure! (sigh)
Shit
the way he talks is so much more put together then his live preformances
Love you and your music
I love John MAUS hes soooo awesome. makes me wanna move to hawaii and have him as a teacher
Increíble, thx XLR8R .
Oh what I want to do to you.
the eloquence of MAUS.
John Maus seems a lot more calm here, I think his 6 years in the woods fried his brain :/
He still has those physical and conversational tendencies. Maybe he’s gotten more anxious in a public light after gaining more fame and notoriety through his music. Also tragic events like his brother’s death and his divorce.
i really like these installments you guys do. so thank you.
The ocean is stupid lol
super fantastic!
I'm with you all the way John. great fuckin stuff. the best
sorry, what "Known previously as a collaborator with [...] Panda Bear" means? did they really collaborated? I can't find it anywhere.
In a far off dimension, we're married
His voice sounds like Ian Curtis
Crazy to think he’s just in his late 20s here, dude’s been in the music scene for so long
He started recording albums in 1999
He's right about the ocean. It's a meme, really. I live by the ocean, and when I go to the beach I'm always left wondering why other people are there. It's not even like the beaches of the northeast, where there's food and boardwalks and things to do.
Earl C. Surf
Like the late Bill Hicks said; 'it's where dirt meets water' ;^)
it's about the being-with. yes. be careful when you talk of the ocean, though.
scuba! yes!
He´s the new Jesus
Compare his comments on being surrounded by the ocean to Dave Thomas from Pere Ubu's take on Cleveland being bordered by an inland sea and the kind of desperate people come out of that environment
don’t care about january 6, still want to take a nap with you
I feel poetry moves within everything, life is a great canvas of colour and expression. Music inspires words, words can help shape the feeling of music, both are two separate entities which work both equally as well together or apart. When there were no words in silent film, they used music to express and generate feelings, when words arrived, they heightened the emphasis on music and placed it strategically throughout films. The graceful poetry of life dances betwixt entrancing melodies and communicates through the rhythm of eloquently expressed words. Poetry in itself flows like a musical song, as a musical song transcends the power of the word. Before I had even formed fully within my mother's womb I experienced the rhythm of life, as I am placed into the ground, set for decay words shall be uttered towards my departure. Poetry is everywhere, it's complex expansion in expression weaves through the intricate tapestry of life, when music doesn't have words, words are already forming to express feelings around the music, when there are only words the great symphony of life keeps playing around each heartbeat that generates its gentle rhythm within my chest...
Poetry is everywhere.
verbal masturbation
haha me too
WORLD PEACE
He kinda speaks like an aspergers charls carroll
@@turnip5359 Charls Carrol speaks like a manic John Maus
3 3
fools playacting
John mous! neeto- type o-negative vocals meets quirky synthy bubble pop of kraft werk and say jim morrison singing with a very un talented slew of new age moogs? sorry still sounds alrite and has its moments! but if ur gonna dis bob dylan(who has always sohnded like shit! then suck it up buttercup
suck it up buttercup