Synopsis
"Pictureplane - Gothstar" unfolds as a hazy collage of noisy VHS textures, flickering overlays and occult-leaning imagery. Images of Stevie Nicks, candlelit rituals and indistinct figures drift in and out of focus, with abrupt superimpositions creating the sensation of a half-remembered transmission. Rather than presenting a literal narrative, the video follows the track's woozy, after-hours mood, moving through fragments that feel dreamlike, nostalgic and deliberately disconnected. The result is more visual spell than conventional performance piece.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video uses a deliberately low-tech visual language: noisy VHS footage, degraded film textures and layered images take precedence over polished production.
- Stevie Nicks appears as a recurring visual presence, connecting the video to the song's use of her vocal from Fleetwood Mac's "Seven Wonders."
- Candlelit seances and other ritualistic imagery reinforce the track's darkwave and psychedelic atmosphere without forming a conventional storyline.
- "Gothstar" appears on Pictureplane's 2009 album *Dark Rift*, released by Lovepump United Records on August 4, 2009. The album track is generally styled as "Goth Star."
- The video premiered online through Stereogum on September 1, 2009, shortly after the album's release.
- "Goth Star" received a Best New Track designation from Pitchfork and later placed at No. 79 on the publication's list of the top 100 tracks of 2009.
- The video's imagery is intentionally open-ended. Its disconnected fragments can be read as an evocation of memory, altered perception or underground club culture rather than as a fixed narrative.