Pictureplane has been around for a while–since 2004, to be precise–but he seems to be hitting his stride now, a token of his ability to blend a number of styles, new and old, that seem to be resonating with the music world at this particular moment. A liberal categorization might be "witch house," but Pictureplane turns a genre that can often be esoteric into something that anyone can get down to (while still retaining the haunting textural complexity that fans of witch house love). Just try listening to Thee Physical, his latest album, out on Lovepump United on July 19 and also streaming online at www.theephysical.com, without wiggling around in your seat. Thee Physical may be accessible, but it is anything but watered down, with danceable beats and poppy vocals creating a multidimensional experience that blends the genres of electro, witch house, freak folk, and lo-fi like nothing else I've encountered (I'm sure the album's associations with Jupiter Keyes from HEALTH don't hurt). Tracks like Post Physical and Trancegender strike an emotional chord without losing their ability to make you want to dance a little, while tunes with dancefloor banger potential like Black Nails, Techno Fetish and Real is a Feeling don't sacrifice emotional depth.
Purchase: Pictureplane – Thee Physical
