Pictureplane

Now on his third album as Pictureplane, Rhinoceropolis linchpin Travis Egedy is coming tantalizingly close to fashioning something consistently sublime out of his ultra-low-budget, hallucinatory take on '80s dance music. On Dark Rift, his Lovepump United debut, his tendency to overstuff his tracks occasionally mutes their danceability; "Cyclical Cyclical (Atlantis)" and "Time Teens" stand out for their simplicity and focus. But Egedy does manage to reach the heavens twice: "Goth Star" (featuring Field-worthy use of a Fleetwood Mac sample) and "Transparent Now (Thin Veil)" ditch the dance idea entirely in favor of electrogaze swells that call to mind Anthony Gonzalez at his finest. Ultimately, Dark Rift might have been better at 40 minutes than at 55, but as a national coming-out party, it'll easily do.