St. Louis’ The Pragmatic makes a style of music this town isn’t exactly known for: effects laden electronic music with a full compliment of bleeps and bloops. They’ll open for Oceana tonight at the Firebird, 9 pm.

The duo-turned five-piece band is on the move, gaining some national attention and prepping for a European tour this summer. They scored an official slot at the upcoming SXSW festival in Austin after sending in cold a press kit via Sonicbids.

The two principals, Karl F. Kling (vocals/synth) and Andre Allen Anjos (synth) met while attending nearby Greenville College in Illinois.

Kling said he first got into electronic music in grade school.

“I was always kind of fascinated by synthesizers – it’s a nerdy guilty pleasure,” he said

When he and Anjos first recorded, Kling said he thought the synth hooks were “ridiculous.”

“I remember laughing listening to the play back … but also being pretty happy with the sound as well,” Kling wrote on MySpace. “I think that pretty much defines what we are usually aiming for, some side of serious surrounded by absurdities.”

The band has released an EP for free, mostly to get some feedback, according to Kling. Their great single, ‘Circles’, can be downloaded on their official website.

Kling’s voice sounds strikingly similar to James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. Musically, though, this crew has it going on. Rich melodies mingling with fat electronic grooves and geeky sci-fi laser noises can only be a good thing.

If you can’t catch them tonight, see them open for Anathallo at the Luminary Center for the Arts in the Tower Grove area on March 26.

http://www.thepragmatic.com

http://www.myspace.com/thepragmatic

Pragmatic shows

Tonight at the Firebird with Oceania and Dysphonix (Click here for our full event listing)

March 18, SXSW Festival at The Wave in Austin

Tue. Mar 24 at Greenville College

Thu. Mar 26 at the Luminary Center for the Arts with Anathallo