Profile: Momus

Momus is hard to write about. An artist of such musical and lyrical breadth, so often 'unclassifiable', lends himself to rash judgements and adjectives, some loaded with meaning and some lacking any - 'post-modern crooner' came to my head, only for me to realise that this is empty. Momus sings with the humour of Coward, the astuteness of Brel, the perversion of Gainsbourg and the ultra-modern consciousness of his contemporary Stephin Merritt. He sings of technology, sex and mortality, referencing everyone from Marquis de Sade, Mao and Lucretia to 'alternative literature' muse Marie Calloway. His music is loaded with cerebral wit - he is, after all, named for the Greek god of mockery and satire. But below this hyper-literacy Momus usually lays out soft, sample-laden and synth-based melodies. And, on occasion, Momus reveals himself as vulnerable; whether this is an illusion created by his soft vocals or not is unimportant, for in his music he creates moments that seep from beneath the autotune and academia that are actually comforting and human. In his music - initially intimidating in presentation - I can find more aspects of the human experience than I can in an artist who prides themselves in being a 'heart on sleeve' romantic. Momus champions melody and experimentation, humour and horror, intellectualism and heart. Try the featured song 'The Criminal' as a starting point.

Label: Analogue Baroque Records / Cherry Red Records
Genre: Experimental, Synth-pop, Folktronica, Avante-Garde