John Maus (born February 23, 1980) is an American musician, composer, singer, songwriter, and academic. His music is characterized by vintage synthesizer sounds and the use of Medieval church modes, which frequently draw comparisons to 1980s goth-pop. Much of his early lo-fi work was created using a cassette multi-track recorder and an early 1990s synthesizer soundbank, and is noted for anticipating the late 2000s hypnagogic pop movement. On stage, he is characterized for his intense displays of emotion while performing. He is also a former teacher of philosophy at the University of Hawaii, where he later earned his PhD in political science.