Point Line Plane

Between 2002 and 2005 Portland synth/punk duo Point Line Plane played 150 shows across the US. Vocalist/keyboardist Joshua Blanchard (Major Hex) and drummer Nathan Carson (Witch Mountain) initially honed their near-telepathic live skills in destructively short 20-minute concert performances. By the time they’d derezzed, their discography included two studio albums, the soundtrack score for a documentary film about haunted houses, plus a slew of comp tracks and singles. The band made its name by creating noise music with pop hooks. As electro continued to fizzle out and screamy dance-punk/neo-no wave enjoyed a brief spike of popularity, kids and college radio DJ’s took note of PLP’s eclectic and original style, often contrasting the sound to other innovators like Liars, Ex-Models, and Lightning Bolt. Actual comparisons were hard to draw, however; reviews in print and online found writers grasping for metaphors rather than listing influences. Following their self-titled debut album, Point Line Plane briefly expanded to a trio and joined the SKiN GRAFT Records roster for their sophomore album “Smoke Signals”. By the end of their tenure, they found their sound mired in grimmer pastures, more often reflective of restraint, tension, and drama. Repetition, hypnosis, psychedelia, paranoia, darkness—these ingredients combined to satisfy extreme noise enthusiasts with sophisticated sonic textures as well as fans of more classic, melodic songwriting. 2026 will see the original duo resume activity after having powered down 22 years ago and now the band’s long lost debut album has been extensively restored and remastered. Originally released on CD only and unavailable for over two decades, “Point Line Plane” is being brought to both vinyl and digital and streaming platforms for the first time ever.