Retro synth pop/80s science video protest music
John Maus is a PhD student in political philosophy, and for more than a decade he’s been developing his own idiosyncratic, hyper-intelligent musical style. It sounds like the best 80s science video music ever made (with vocals on top). And even though this album is what the title declares, these are some really well written, strange, disturbing, and beautiful songs. They sometimes have a more demo-ish recording quality than the stuff on his most recent album, We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves, but the music is superb all the same. Favorites: 3, 8, 12, 14, 16. FCC WARNING 5, 6, 11, 13.

1. (2:32)—Medium-slow. Very spaced-out, with lots of dated synth leads and sound effects.
2. (1:23)—Mid-tempo. Lo-fi bedroom protest disco. “That’s the law.”
3. *(2:15)—Medium-fast. Sparkling synths with echo-y vocals and a searing faux-electric-guitar hook. Fans of Suicide will appreciate this.
4. (2:04)—Beatless. Goth keyboards and cloaked, mournful vocals.
5. (4:37)—FCC WARNING (multiple “f**k”s). Medium-fast. Tinny beat and very unsettling minor chord synths. This is really cool—would recommend this song but the FCCs make it a shaky proposal. Favorite lyric: “Take-a-take-a ride with Shakira!”
6. (3:13)—FCC WARNING (multiple “f**k”s). Mid-tempo. More unsettling minor chord synths. Melodramatic and very catchy.
7. (2:13)—Medium-slow. Woozy, sad synths and despairing lyrics.
8. *(3:09)—Medium-fast. Builds incrementally. Catchy vocal hook. Hit material right here.
9. (2:50)—Mid-tempo. Scary. The most dissonant thing here. Lots of piano. Don’t think there are any FCCs, but can’t tell.
10. (2:51)—Fast. Dreamy, bright 80s synths everywhere. Lyrics difficult to discern.
11. (2:24)—FCC WARNING (multiple “f**k”s). Fast. Really silly—could be a parody of pop music. In interviews Maus talks a lot about classical music’s influence on his work, and you can definitely hear that influence here.
12. *(2:57)—Medium-fast. Get on the floor and dance to Maus’ magnificent hatred. “Oh-oh-oh”s included.
13. (2:46)—FCC WARNING (multiple “m********k”s). Slow. Creepy. Jagged synths that could be used to score a vampire film.
14. *(2:57)—Medium-fast. Eerie. Sounds like a song from a Broadway play in Maus’ alternate universe. In the song’s second half, prog-rock chaos ensues.
15. (2:50)—Mid-tempo. Dreamy, ridiculous disco music.
16. *(3:41)—Medium-slow. Whoa, this sounds like full-on 80s bombast, except this is Maus’ anti-cannibalism protest song. If David Lynch makes another film, he should get Maus to score it. False ending at -0:35.