Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia
Mark Mothersbaugh
Myopia
Mark Mothersbaugh is one of those multi-disciplined artists who absolutely doesnât stand still. As a co-founding member of DEVO and the bandâs lead singer (he sang lead on âWhip It,â most notably), painter, composer for television series, films and video games, the man seemingly does it all⊠or at least a bunch âo stuff. Myopia is a companion album to a bigger installation of Mothersbaughâs âstuffâ currently running at The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA Denver). The big retrospective art exhibition brings together the first comprehensive presentation of Mothersbaughâs art and music to date, from the beginning of his career in the early 1970âs through the present. Here we get the opening African-flavored chant, âFoaming At the Mouth,â a fast-paced hand clapping send-up with arpeggio metallic spike sounds. âFinish What You Saidâ follows, with a distorted vocal begging and a video game-sounding plopping running the rest of the song. There are some solid keyboard playing moments here, both fighting and adding to the noise behind it. âQuivering Eyelidâ is more plunking percussion and chanting with bleeps and burbs behind it and âThe Intellectual Risks His Credibility To Save His Soulâ ends, the first real song here, with a good beat, distorted guitars and xylophone leading the melody line. It does overstay its welcome I feel though. To be honest Iâm not sure how well this music works without visuals with it, but it is fun and quirky stuff⊠just what weâd expect from Mark Mothersbaugh.