Pictureplane

In recent years, a spate of would-be synth-pop revivalists have come into the world. Some have mixed in rock instrumentals, while others have stuck to pure electronics. The resulting music — a good portion of it, anyway — has been self-consciously kitschy. Few acts, however, have pushed the art form quite as far as Pictureplane. Much like the Human League a generation ago, Pictureplane has used entirely electronically generated sounds and avant-garde leanings to create a new form of pop music. Unlike the League, though, there’s nothing detached about Pictureplane, live or otherwise. The music is a cascading collage of analog and digital synths and drum machines that burst forth and fill the room with a buoyant energy. Instead of post-punk’s stridency and iciness, the group draws more from hip-hop’s lively spirit and the warmth and fuzziness heard in the patchwork soundscapes of Broadcast. Catch a bit of this irony-free retro futurism this Saturday, March 24, at the Larimer Lounge, when Pictureplane shares the stage with Colonial Excess, Calm, Motheater and Nightshark.