None of which probably makes the band very happy with me, as it appears by all accounts to aim more for hot-make-out-jams status. Moreover, to be fair, that is indeed its primary application according to an informal and decidedly unscientific poll that I conducted recently.

Nevertheless, that is not to discount the weird-ass sleeping soundtrack capabilities, mind you. Dreams where I am in Yankee Stadium and it is totally empty except for Matt Damon and his brand new herd of sheep. The type of dreams where Donald Trump gives me a million dollars and I end up blowing the whole wad by marrying the entire cast of the film “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” male and female, in an elaborate ceremony in Salt Lake City, Utah. The kind of dreams where I’m walking down the hallways in junior high and I run into Mr. Belvedere, who mentions that my mom really likes him a lot and he will be joining us for dinner this evening. That sort of thing.

The band Digitata is more or less a side project of Andy Christopherson and Ryan Olson of Mel Gibson & the Pants fame with Maggie Morrison on diva vocal duties. Whereas Mel Gibson & The Pants is ostensibly avant-garde, Anticon-brand backpacker hip-hop, Digitata strays more into shiny yet sultry glitch-hop knob twiddling, as if Manitoba, Vox Vermillion and Diplo stumbled back from the bar and passed out cradled in each other’s arms on an old beanbag.

Live drummer and keyboardist Christopherson also contributes to Building Better Bombs, better known as P.O.S.’s ongoing hardcore project. Vocalist and Wurlitzer organ operator Maggie Morrison was briefly a member of the now defunct psychobilly outfit Kentucky Gag Order, some of whose said members later went on to form the Belles of Skin City. Together with sequenced beat master Ryan Olson, Christopherson is a co-proprietor of the fledgling independent record label Totally Gross National Product. TGNP is now home to the aforementioned Digitata, Mel Gibson & the Pants and Belles of Skin City.

Standout track “Death And The Beach” draws comparisons to cinematic, chill-out product shelved next to, say, Morcheeba, St. Etienne and possibly even Black Box Recorder to a certain extent. Fisher Price beats commingle peacefully with tasteful piano licks, while a sensuous young lady coos about not knowing what to wear for the evening. Imagine if the printer at work suddenly sprouted legs and sneakers and then started break dancing and you are halfway there.

All middle-class-Caucasian-Joe-jobbers with some college under their belt, hailing originally from the fair state of Wisconsin, the group has been playing together for roughly a year and a half now. As the trio explained to me over cheap beer and even cheaper tacos in Uptown recently, they’re all pretty sure they wouldn’t classify their act as rap per se, but certainly don’t mind the burgeoning attention they’ve been receiving as of late from Doomtree, Eyedea and others within the local Hip-Hop community.

“We got to go on tour for nine shows opening up for Atmosphere, which was incredible,” said Christopherson. “It definitely was a different type of crowd than we usually get, and by different I mean much much bigger,” Morrison added with a wink. Olson happily mentioned that it was indeed Stef from P.O.S. moonlighting as a hand model for the blingy goods displayed on the front cover. “But don’t get me wrong, we’re still all about shooting 50 Cent.”

As is obviously also the case with Mel Gibson & the Pants, a healthy and decidedly ribald sense of humor separates Digitata far above atypically morose laptop minimalist maestros such as TM Schneider. Case in point: goofy song titles like “Oscar Wilde Breakdown” and the totally random Barry White solo on lead track “What’s Cooking?”

That aww-shucks-signature-silliness was in rare form for a taping of the local television program “Drinking with Ian,” the debut of which the trio awaits with baited breath. “There’s a ton of profanities,” Christopherson informed me, literally beaming.

Olson, whose towering greasy pompadour causes him to slightly resemble the protagonist of the 1991 Don Bluth film “Rock-A-Doodle,” remained cagey about the true meaning of the band’s name. “All I’m going to say is that you’ll need a very old medical dictionary,” explained Olson in a cryptic, mysterious tone. “I will give you a hint: it is not electronic breasts,” offered Morrison semi-helpfully.

The TNGP collective has also apparently snagged some venture capitalist investors recently, reported Olson. “We have no business experience whatsoever but we do have some fans who aren’t afraid to lose money,” Olson stated matter-of-factly.

Live, they do not really talk much between songs. Earnestly citing both Wham! and Renaldo & the Loaf as primary influences, not to mention drugs and Old Dirty Bastard, it is almost impossible not to love this band. And if there is any sense of justice left in this cruel world of ours, Digitata will pen the new theme song for “The Dream Doctor” radio show. ||

Digitata perform the CD release show for Sexually Transmitted Emotions on Fri. May 27 at the 7th St. Entry with Thunder In the Valley, Mute Era and The Nightvision. 9 p.m. 21+. $6. 701 First Ave. N., Mpls. 612-338-8388.

Find out more about Digitata on their record labels official website, TotallyGrossNationalProduct.com.

Head on over to our mp3 page to download hundreds of songs, including Digitata’s “Spring Fever.”