Altered Zones

Despite the rounded disco-bounce that pervades "Head For The Country," we are confronted with John Maus' conflicting, cold and matter-of-fact assertion that, "This is where a human being finds itself-- a locker." Describing a human being as "itself," as if it were a specimen being observed from afar, he provides a stark juxtaposition with detached, diagnostic lyrics set to a liberating disco beat. Maus has us dancing to a groove that proclaims our own entrapment, and the paradoxical awareness of our own estrangement from our wrongs: "Somewhere there is a crime being committed." His resolve-- to "Head for the country"-- takes on an almost Biblical significance, reminiscent of the hymnal "And The Rain." The accompanying video by Jennifer Juniper Stratford, the mastermind behind psych-fi show Multinauts, further enriches this picture by depicting a frigid, snow-packed country as the launch pad for Maus' imaginative space explorations. Amongst a burst of color, Maus repeats, "This is where a human being finds itself," but this time with an altered intention. We find the country could be represented as the ultimate escape of space, away from the trappings of the modern locker. In doing so, John Maus has cleverly made the country, usually the domain for rock and folk's nostalgic claims to purity and simplicity, a subject for a modern synth movement. --Daniel Gottlieb, Altered Zones

MP3: John Maus: "Head For The Country"

We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves is available from Upset The Rhythm/Ribbon Music next week