John Maus released We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves (TMT Review) to world-spanning acclaim last year (making #7 on our own year-end list), but did you know that this was not his debut album? Of course, no shit it wasn’t! Love Is Real came out four years before that, and Songs (TMT Review) was even earlier. But did you know that John Maus was making music long before the release of Songs? Of course, no shit he did! He’s been associated with Ariel Pink since the late 90s. Well good, I’m glad you know so much about John Maus. I’ll just get right to the point in that case. Bully.
Ribbon Music will be releasing A Collection of Rarities and Previously Unreleased Material on July 17 in North America and July 16 everywhere else. Most of the tracks are from the Demos 2011 collection, briefly available on Maus Space, but five songs can be traced to compilations (most recently the Record Store Day Smugglers Way flexi disc), and two haven’t been heard by nearly anyone on Earth. Okay, right, he emailed them to you personally a decade ago. Well now others can be so lucky. Listen to “Mental Breakdown” from 2004:
The collection will be available in an edition of five billion CDs, but for LPs there will only be a one-time pressing of 3,000 copies (plus 500 web-exclusive LPs on translucent pink vinyl). All the tracks are remixed/remastered to the satisfaction of John Maus, and the cover art (pictured above) is a 2004 piece by Wolfgang Tillmans that makes me think of the bubble-gummy back cover of RTX’s Transmaniacon. But anyway. I see you’re tiring of me.
A “smattering” of live shows surrounding A Collection’s release date are planned, taking Mister Maus from New York to Seattle, Oslo to Gothenburg. Check the dates out below the tracklist, and then do me a favor and FUCK YOU!! *throws water balloon and runs off*
A Collection of Rarities and Previously Unreleased Material tracklisting:
01. North Star (2008)
02. The Law (2003)
03. Castles in the Grave (2010)
04. Angel of the Night (2010)
05. Mental Breakdown (2004)
06. Bennington (2007)
07. Big Dumb Man (2003)
08. No Title (Molly) (2008)
09. Lost (2003)
10. All Aboard (2007)
11. This is The Beat (2005)
12. My Hatred is Magnificent (2008)
13. The Fear (2003)
14. Fish With Broken Dreams (1999)
15. Rock the Bone (2008)
16. I Don’t Eat Human Beings (2008)
Dates:
06.15.12 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace (NXNE)
07.12.12 - New York, NY - Pier 84 (River Rocks Series) *
07.20-22.12 - Seattle, WA - Capitol Hill Block Party
08.09.12 - Oslo, Norway - Oya Festival
08.10.12 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Way Out West Festival
* Dan Deacon
• John Maus: http://mausspace.com
• Ribbon: http://www.ribbonmusic.com
