When creating music, James Allison looks to what is popular in the present while also taking cues from the past and even looking to where he thinks music will be in the future. That is the philosophy behind his musical project Digisaurus, which audiences can get a taste of when Allison performs this Saturday at The Hub in Vallejo as part of the venue’s Band Night.

Digisaurus is a “future pop” rock project helmed by Allison and featuring a rotating group of backup performers. Allison said the name is meant to refer to the fact that his project pays homage to the past while living in an era dominated by technology.

“It’s supposed to evoke the idea that we’re evolving in the digital age,” he said. “A lot of what I do is take influence from the past and pay homage to the people who created the genres I take influence from like funk or R&B or hip-hop. What we do is see how we can evolve that sound through technology and all the different tools available to us in 2017 that we didn’t necessarily have back then.”

“I like to take that approach to most things in my life and most things that the project is about outside of music,” he added.

Allison lives in Los Angeles but is a native of Columbus, Ohio. He became drawn to music after taking piano and saxophone lessons as a child and later learning music theory. At the age of 13, he began teaching himself guitar which he found very liberating.

“It opened up a whole new world to me of creativity and what music could be,” he said. “The way I could write things in my own way rather than interpreting other people’s music was more intriguing to me in that way. It sort of opened up a lifelong pursuit.”

Allison was initially influenced by bands from the early ‘90s Britpop scene like Oasis and Blur. It was through his fondness for Blur that he got into Gorillaz, a virtual band (i.e., the members are literally cartoon characters) co-created by Blur frontman Damon Albarn. Gorillaz’s blend of alternative rock, electronica and hip-hop was a major inspiration to Allison, who from there began to gravitate toward electronic acts like Daft Punk and Mark Ronson, who both similarly blend modern production elements with retro styles.

“Different producers have opened up a whole new world of the ‘70s and ‘80s to the interest of different influences and sounds from the past,” Allison said.

Allison performed in several bands in the Columbus music scene and even got to open for well-regarded bands like Weezer and Crystal Castles. In 2013, he began recording under the name Digisaurus and used it as an opportunity to collaborate with other musicians. Allison said not having a rigid lineup actually creates more freedom in presenting musical ideas.

“It brings in a lot of different influence (and) takes songs in a different direction,” he said. “I think even bands, when they work with different producers they’re introducing different elements to their sounds, which is really beneficial. That’s what I try to do.”

One of the collaborators on the song “I Don’t Feel Alright” is Fran Litterski, a touring keyboardist for the group Magic Man who provides vocal interplay on the track. Allison had gotten to know her through the Columbus music scene, and his fellow producer Mike felt her voice would fit the track.

“We knew we wanted to get a different voice on the song, kind of play on that feeling of how the mind has a few different voices going,” he said. “She had a really sweet, sort of gentle tone to her voice that I thought would make sort of a great interplay with what I was doing.”

The style of Digisaurus is a blend of several different styles, including ‘70s funk and disco, ‘80s synthpop and ‘90s indie rock, but a major element of the project is what Allison refers to as “future pop,” which encompasses what he feels music will sound like in five to 10 years.

“You’re creating something in the present, but it sounds like it’s from light years or galaxies away,” he said.

Tomorrow’s show at The Hub comes at the tail-end of nearly two years of touring under the Digisaurus moniker. Allison is currently writing songs for an album with the theme of people’s relationships falling apart but coming back together for the greater good. He also hopes to create online tutorials on technology in music.

Even with all the time spent writing and recording, Allison is especially proud of the extensive touring he has been doing with Digisaurus, and he predicts The Hub show will be a fun time.

“I’m really proud of the last year and a half of playing all these shows,” he said. “My strategy has been to play a lot of smaller venues and play for new people and gain fans, which is harder to do in 2017 than it was 20 or 30 years ago. I still think it’s one of the most important things to do.”

Digisaurus will perform from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12 at The Hub, located at 350 Georgia St. There will be a $10 cover charge. For more information, call (707) 561-6514. To hear some of Digisaurus’ music, go to digisaurusmusic.com.