For most of their career, Russian trio Pinkshinyultrablast established themselves as one of shoegaze’s finest outfits. While Slowdive and Ride were on hiatus, they filled the void with the expansive, chiming flair. For their third album, Miserable Miracles, however, the band expand their reach and unveil their most expansive LP to date.
Miserable Miracles is more than just a record. It is an experience that features three destinations (or layers if you will). The first is the dance floors of Earth. The intoxicating opener “Dance A.M.” buzzes with bubbly synths and percolating beats On “Eray”, the threesome head back in time and the age of early ’80s new-wave disco. A psychedelic-disco vibe, meanwhile, percolates on fantasy-like “In The Hanging Gardens”, which is as imaginative as Tim Burton’s films.
The heavens is the next stop. The groovy and relaxing “Triangles” is the soundtrack to the journey through the clouds. Upon arrival, the soft notes of “Blue Hour” and the gorgeous “Find Your Saint” welcome all newcomers. Beyond the clouds awaits the cosmos, which is where Pinkshinyultrablast reside.
In The Hanging Gardens was released on February 23rd, 2018 via Club AC30 and Shelflife Records,
The striking instrumental “Earth and Elsewhere” is an alluring spectacle while “Looming” is Pinkshinyultrablast as their dynamic shoegaze best. Whether they send listeners floating through galaxies or grooving in little clubs, Lyubov (vocals), Rustam (synths/electronics), and Roman (guitars) demonstrate they can appeal to all of our senses. They show there is more to their art than meets the eye.
It’s all change for Pinkshinyultrablast. The shoegaze group are titans of the Russian underground, but vocalist Lyubov recently moving to Los Angeles, the band have been exploring new ways of composing and collaborating. Partnered with a line-up refinement, the new material sees Pinkshinyultrablast go down a more electronic path while experimenting with new sounds. It’s reported the rest of the band have now settled in Los Angeles, the band’ style has undergone a line up refinement, including an emboldened use of electronics.
New album ‘Miserable Miracles’ arrives on May 4th via Club AC30, and they’ve arranged a full UK tour to coincide. The latest track ‘Dance AM’ is a bold departure from their previous material, while remaining recognisable as their work. Electronic-driven and with searing guitar lines, it’s digitally enhanced shoegaze which peers endlessly into the future.
Pinkshinyultrablast are Lyubov – vocals, Rustam – synths and electronics and Roman – guitars.
Originally hailing from a city more synonymous with the State Conservatory than a gang of shoegaze addicts, Pinkshinyultrablast have nevertheless seen great critical and commercial success since their debut album Everything Else Matters and follow-up Grandfeathered. They’ve been compared to bands such as Lush but this is no mere throwback tribute – due to their sharp, icy electronics and ability to subvert the genre, bringing something new to the table. They possess not only the spirit of late 80s/early 90s British bands like Cocteau Twins, but also machine-made sounds of the same era from Sabres Of Paradise or Global Communication, not to mention wider vibrations like Cluster, Popul Vuh, Terry Riley and Philip Glass.
The trio’s third album, Miserable Miracles, is out on 4th May via premiere shoegaze ambassadors Club AC30 (UK) and Shelflife (USA). The band have also announced an extensive UK tour to coincide with this and the 10 year anniversary of their very first show, and very kindly talked us through the ideas behind the new record.
Dance AM
Lyubov: This song opens our third full length and marks us moving in a new direction with sound and production and in some way music genres. For one of the most upbeat and fast-paced songs of the LP we also feel like it’s one of the album’s most lyrical.
Roman: Since the last album we are geographically away from each other and the change in locations has led to us moving in new directions musically too. The sound and its production we feel has progressed. For those people who look to genres, we are maybe in a different one too now. Lyrically expressive, this is one of the albums most upbeat and fast-paced tracks and an introduction to Miserable Miracles.
Triangles
Lyubov: We revisited the early years of making music as a band with this song and drew from the early inspiration with krautrock we had. It’s nice to play with this genre once again. After listening back to the final version also felt like a tribute to Stereolab in some way.
Roman: For this track, we had a chance to revisit the early years of how we made music. We spent it together as a band and drew on some of our personal earliest inspirations, It certainly touched on krautrock and some of the less known tracks in that musical space too. We found this a super refreshing approach and cared less about recent musical trends and went old school. When the track was done and we listened back to the finished version it also felt like a tribute to Stereolab in some way, a band that influence far more bands than the casual listener probably realises.
Find Your Saint
Lyubov: The first song we started working on from the album. We all had a strong vision early on of what this song should be like and have had quite a bit of back and forths about it. This is a result of a close collaboration and is also one of the singer’s personal favourites.
Roman: One of the favourites of Lyubov, the lead singer, this was the first song we started working on from the album after a small break post-Grandfeathered. We all had a strong vision early on of what this song should be like and had quite a bit of back and forth about it. It was worth it to come up with something we are all so happy with. The main melody of a chorus came to Rustam whilst he was in a bus so he just switched on a laptop and made a fast sketch and it evolved from there. This is a result of a close collaboration and the long gestation period hopefully shows how much care went into it. The video for this was a lot moodier than what had come before, channelling our inner Lynch!
Lyubov: An intermission on the album, though the conclusion for side A of the LP.
Roman: What started out as a mellow breaking point in the album has ended up being two of our manager’s favourite tracks. He has compared them to Brian Eno, though that is a lofty accolade so they are not our words, ha!. The likes of Brian Eno are obviously great influences as they are for many musicians. This originally was just a part of a jam Rustam played on a Fender Rhodes into pedals and several guitar amps, we were so surprised of sound that we took a small part of this jam into the album.
Earth And Elsewhere
Lyubov: A gateway into the second part of the album.
Roman: Following on from ‘Blue Hour’ this starts off the second half of the album. A record very much designed to be able to be dipped into and consumed as a whole too. Sequentially there was a lot of thought put into the way the album segues and in this digital streaming age, we encourage people to listen through as a whole. The cinematic qualities of both this and ‘Blue Hour’ are sounds we would love to explore further especially with original scores and soundtracks how the likes of Mogwai have managed to combine the two. This track has some crazy Stereolab kind of chords progression and has some cyberpunk anime feeling, Ghost in the Shell or something like this
Taleidoscope
Lyubov: The song that probably points the most to our interest and continuous exploration of the obscure J-pop of the 1980s. Also a nod to our mutual appreciation of the Japanese artist Chiemi Manabe.
Roman: This is our take on disco style music almost without the guitar involved. If we had to point to one artist that this song is our most mutual appreciation of, it would be Chiemi Manabe.
We are on a mission to continually explore our fervent interest in obscure Japanese music of the 1980’s and our song titles have not hidden that fact across this and previous releases. We realise a band dream of playing in Tokyo, two nights in June of this year, and are looking forward to exploring even more of the sounds and culture whilst we were there, dreams do sometimes come true.
In The Hanging Gardens
Lyubov: At times having a slightly darker and more anxious tone than the rest of the songs on the album, this song manifests our exploration of different ways of vocals – instrument interaction and song dynamics. From parts of acapella to a vocals/keyboards dialogue, to a mix that’s densely layered up, we were looking for new ways to play with different parts and textures of the song.
Roman: This was the song that stands out to us at times of having a slightly darker and more anxious tone than the rest of the songs on the album. The fact that the likes of Andy Bell of Ride and Kurt Feldman from the Depreciation Guild chose to remix it is great too.
Eray
Lyubov: This song was the last one we wrote for the album and is named after our keyboardist Rustam’s recently born son Eray.
Roman: It is the last song to have been recorded and a chance for us to be in a contemplative but ultimately upbeat place. To say more words detracts from what we feel is a beautiful thing!
Looming
Lyubov: Further experimenting with the mix, here we contrasted an overall light and airy sound with the distorted choruses, clashing the different sides of the spectrum against each other and trying to see what comes of that.
Roman: We close the album out with a bang and a chance to be experimental within our new found musical happy place. Whilst further experimenting with the mix, here we contrasted an overall light and airy sound with the distorted choruses, clashing the different sides of the spectrum against each other and trying to see what comes of that. This is probably the only song on the album that was born from guitar ideas we found among our practice space recordings.
Miserable Miracles is out on 4th May via Club AC30.
Russian shoegaze band Pinkshinyultrablast were apparently finishing up their third album — the follow-up to 2016’s “Grandfeathered” — when they released “Find Your Saint” a couple months ago. It’s unclear if they’re officially done with it by now, but either way the band has shared a new song to tide us over. The gorgeous “In The Hanging Gardens” finds the group leaning more into gauzy synths than before, but losing none of their epic sweep.
After releasing the exquisite Everything Else Matters last year, Russian group Pinkshinyultrablast return with Grandfeathered. A very prog rock return from the band with a mixture of twinkling guitar harmonies in a much heavier approach. They have named their style “thunder pop,” and on the basis of this 11 track album, you would have to agree.check out these live tracks.
Typically then, the Russian 5-piece hurtled through their first 3 songs uninterrupted before anyone could blink, retaining an unwavering energy throughout a blistering set. Equal parts shoegaze, post-rock and math-rock, the music had the crowd happily hypnotised from the beginning, with angelic lead vocals piercing through thick layers of guitar and synth, undercut by taut, expressive bass lines.
The band took the radiant sound of their studio work to a stadium-sized level, commanding an inventive live set-up that included more effects pedals than I could count. Their set went by as quickly as it arrived, leaving the crowd suitably spaced-out and desperate for more.
The St. Petersburg five-piece created something of a stir with their debut album Everything Else Matters in early 2015 and the interest in the release stemmed from more than the fact that nobody had heard a Russian shoegaze band before. Despite its obvious influences, there was a depth to the music that implied Pinkshinyultrablast were a band who weren’t afraid to take a step into the unknown and push at a few boundaries. Their new album “Grandfeathered” shows this indeed to be the case as it is more experimental and powerful than its predecessor, managing to be both exhilarating and captivating. Opener ‘Initial’ begins with a long drawn out single note that gives no hint at the multi-layered gem to come, the song throbbing like a dub remix whilst overlayered in Cocteau Twins’ shimmering vocals. ‘Glow Vastly’ follows in the same pattern, the vocals here just managing to keep to the surface while a heavily distorted barrage of guitars and drums attempts to submerge them, the whole occasionally infiltrated by light bursts of melody that tantalise briefly before disappearing into the depths. ‘I Catch You Napping’ flies backwards and forwards between pop serenity and frenzied distortion and is quite excellent, while ‘Kiddy Pool Dream’ opens to a squeal of feedback and embraces MBV noisescaping, something also witnessed in the crushing ‘Comet Marbles’ and ‘Mölkky’. The single ‘The Cherry Pit’ is also a headrush of contrasting forces, while the closing title track moves between tempos with uncommon grace. From a band who had found themselves embraced by supporters of a very precise genre, this is a brave album, a potent blend of force and fancy. All credit to Pinkshinyultrablast for stepping out of the comfort zone to deliver such a fiercely charged offering and all the more credit for producing one of such quality.
‘Plaza’ is the third album by Quilt; a name implying a meeting place, a crossroads, a coming together. In the space of ten songs, ‘Plaza’ clarifies Quilt’s musical stance of a congregation, mixing folk, pop-psych, and wanderlust into a common ground where each form takes on the characteristics of one another to create something wholly satisfying, styles and sentiments hand in hand, the purest and sharpest distillation of Quilt’s group aesthetic to date.
On ‘Plaza’, Quilt has pivoted their sound on a new foothold. The guitars shimmer, squawk, warble, swell, and tense up. The organs and synths flow in the background as mood-enhancers. The drums dig in a little deeper. We hear flutes and harps, a string quartet, grand pianos and Casios, feedback and distorted violas. Among all these sounds the group’s shared and solo vocals showcase some of the strongest lyrics and hooks the band has made to date. Plaza showcases a tighter, more concise version of Quilt, particularly as the members have learned to encourage each other’s strengths and allow each other to confidently exist as distinct voices cooperating within a very intimate creative space; their songcraft has tightened up, their singing now crystal clear, vis a vis personal experiences of loss, frustration and isolation.
LP – Black Vinyl housed in a Gatefold Sleeve with Download.
LP+ – Limited Clear Vinyl housed in a Gatefold Sleeve with Download.
MOTHERS – WHEN YOU WALK A LONG DISTANCE YOU ARE TIRED
Limited Copies come with a Bonus CD ‘Demos and Early Cassette Recordings’ which contains four previously unreleased musings written and recorded solo by lead singer Kristine Leschper before Mothers as a band existed. Beautifully delicate and captivating, it is an intimate record of a songwriter navigating the future foundations of what Mothers were to become. ‘When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired’ is the debut album From Atlanta’s Mothers who were the toast of CMJ 2015. Produced by Drew Vandenberg – who has worked on albums by Of Montreal, Deerhunter and Porcelain Raft – at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, Georgia in December 2014, ‘When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired’ features collaborations with Josh McKay of Deerhunter on vibraphone as well as McKendrick Bearden of Grand Vapids, who played bass and provided string arrangements throughout. Comprised of eight songs – the majority of which were written while Leschper was finishing art school in early 2014 – Mothers’ debut LP is an introduction to the foundations of the young band, a snapshot of a particular period of their genesis that maps both where they began and where they are heading.
LP – Limited Green Vinyl With Download plus digital bonus track.
BLOSSOMS – AT MOST A KISS
2015 proved to be something of a seminal year for Stockport five-piece Blossoms. Hotly tipped for this year, the band have been announced as number four on the BBC Sound of 2016 list as well as being included in MTV Brand New for 2016. Blossoms release their brand new EP ‘At Most A Kiss’. James Skelly and Rich Turvey produced the EP at Parr St. Studios in Liverpool. The emphatic, fast paced title track sees Blossoms channel their unique pop-rock sound with shimmering synths, crashing drums, a catchy bass line and Tom Ogden’s now unmistakable vocals. ‘At Most A Kiss’ is released on 10″ Single. It’ll come on standard vinyl in a striking purple and black sleeve.
PINKSHINYULTRABLAST – GRANDFEATHERED
Pinkshinyultrablast are a five-piece band from Saint-Petersburg in Russia. They’ve been compared to Lush among others. But this is no mere throwback tribute. Second album ‘Grandfeathered’ is a more experimental listen compared with the debut album ‘Everything Else Matters’, it’s the sound of a band unafraid to try new things and embrace those fine lines between visceral noise and restrained subtlety. The band saying of the new sound. The new album has been recorded and mixed much faster than the previous one. The songs have more density to them and are generally more complex. Recent single ‘Kiddy Pool Dreams’ features on the album. Described as “A flashback to the glory days of ’90s alt-rock, which builds into thundering instrumental interludes. In between are trickling synths and echoing vocals backed by a rhythmic danceable guitar.” If that single offers a glimpse of what to expect from the rest of the record, it’s only the smallest of hints – this is an album that consistently demonstrates diversity and eclectic ambition. Influences on this record certainly suggest a new direction for the band, Lyubov claiming “Hardcore, metal and afrobeat” were all instrumental in its formation.
DMA’S – HILLS END
Australian Britrock enthusiasts DMA’s release their debut album. Called ‘Hills End’, the band recorded the album in guitarist Johnny Took’s bedroom in Sydney, with noted producer Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (Oasis, Madonna) coming on board to mix it. The twelve track album showcases the band’s unique talent in writing both anthemic and heartfelt tunes which manage to sound like immediate classic guitar-pop songs. The album is looking to be one of the most exciting releases of 2016 and can only further the buzz the band have already created. The album includes such exciting hits as ‘Lay Down’ and ‘Too Soon’ sitting next to tender ballads such as the Radio 1 A list ‘Delete’, ‘Step Up The Morphine’ and ‘So We Know’. For fans of Oasis, The La’s and Stone Roses.
LP – Heavyweight vinyl housed in a Gatefold Sleeve and download card.
St. Petersburg rabble Pinkshinyultrablast don’t hang about. Following up their 2015 debut ‘Everything ElseMatters’ in quick succession, they release their second full-length album – ‘Grandfeathered’ – in February next year. The first real taste of what to expect comes in the shape of ‘The Cherry Pit,’ which we’re premiering here on DIY.
Shimmering, lush, and more looming than a neck-craning look up to the top of the Shard, ‘The Cherry Pit’ shares the same lofty ambition as the band’s previous efforts, and typically, their shoegazing sensibilities are carefully balanced with a knack for occasional minimalism; knowing just when to rein it back. Lyubov’s vocals skate atop uneasy, angular chimes, before colliding into a fish-slappingly sudden wall of reverb, getting lost and indistinguishable among the glittery sonic mud.
Pinkshinyultrablast are putting out 500 copies of their second album ‘Grandfeathered’ on what they’re calling ‘Ride The Sky’ vinyl LP, and another 500 copies on ‘Pinkle’. There’s also a regular digital download, if that’s your jam.
Pinkshinyultrablast have a new single available titled ‘Kiddy Pool Dreams’ due Out on Club AC30 on October 2nd
“A quiet riot of ethereal vocals and lustrous guitars. Pinkshinyultrablast a valid insight into young modern Russia via the early-90s Thames Valley.“Beautifully toned, unconventionally fast, a gutsy effort that makes a big impression” A complex but sumptuous confluence of mathy basslines and waves of melodic ecstasy.
“euphoric and latitudinous shoegaze” ,equal parts shoegaze and electronic art pop.
Hot on the success of their debut album ‘Everything Else Matters’ Pinkshinyultrablast, a five-piece band from Saint-Petersburg in Russia, The band take their name from an Astrobrite album, an act who were, according to the band, instrumental in how they “researched spaces between ambient, heavy guitar and pop music” .The spaces are what stand out, the production creates a dream-like affair, while space to breathe and reflect on the beauty of the music is accommodated. There is sparseness to the album that in turn gives spaciousness, even expansiveness.
‘Kiddie Pool Dreams is indicative of a forthcoming album full of even more melodic gems and shimmering shoegaze – euphoric with spectral guitars, its sharp edged pop has a radiant charm. To celebrate the release of ‘Kiddy Pool Dreams’ the band will be embarking on a full UK tour on the dates below.
Pinkshinyultrablast are Igor – bass, Lyubov – vocals, Sergey – drums, Rustam – synths and electronics and Roman – guitars.
Pinkshinyultrablast, are a five-piece band from Saint-Petersburg in Russia. Hailing from a city more synonymous with the State Conservatory rather than a gang of shoegaze addicts, they’ve been compared to Lush. But this is no mere throwback tribute – due to their sharp, icy electronics and ability to subvert the genre, bringing something new to the table. They possess not only the spirit of late 80s/early 90s British bands like Ride, but also machine-made sounds of the same era from Sabres Of Paradise or Global Communication, not to mention wider vibrations like Cluster, Popul Vuh, Terry Riley and Philip Glass.
Disdain for a stagnant scene can often be a driving force of creativity; the band say of St Petersburg that, “we realized the local indie scene was totally boring and wanted to play something radically different.” That vision has been realized – this is a sound brimming with playful melody and finely-crafted songwriting. Imagine the scope of a Caribou record, fronted by Elizabeth Fraser soundtracking a grizzly Raskolnikov crime.
The band take their name from an Astrobrite album, an act who were, according to the band, instrumental in how they “researched spaces between ambient, heavy guitar and pop music.” The spaces are what stand out, the production creates a dream-like affair, while space to breathe and reflect on the beauty of the music is accommodated. There exists a sparseness to their sound, that, in turn gives spaciousness, even expansiveness. The album is full of melodic gems, rich with complexity, while underpinned with a beauty that both beguiles and entrances. Everything Else Matters evokes the spirit of bands like Slowdive and Cocteau Twins, but at the same time remaining undeniably modern.
Everything Else Matters is a co-release with Club AC30 in the UK in a limited edition of 600 copies worldwide with mp3 download. There will be unique colored vinyl per label — 300 copies on amber glitter for the US and 300 on starry sky glitter for the UK.
Pinkshinyultrablast are Igor – bass, Lyubov – vocals, Sergey – drums, Rustam – synths and electronics and Roman – guitars.
Russian band Pinkshinyultrablast formed a few years back, and this year they put out their debut album, “Everything Else Matters”, via Shelflife Records/Club AC30. Nothing on the album sounds too unfamiliar, but they bring together familiar sounds in a way we don’t often hear. It’s equal parts loud shoegaze and electronic art pop, sometimes noisy, and other times danceable. It reaches points that rock really hard, but it also has parts that are sad and pretty. If you can imagine Julia Holter forming a punk band, it sounds kind of like that.
Had to revisit this Russian Shoegazer band Pinkshinyultrablast in advent of its new album that was released late at the end of last year called “Everything Else Matters” and from the previews, its going to be a monster.
Ethereal female vocals hang over tribal beats and blazing guitars in a “Cocteau-esque” sonic haze.
there is something in every track and everything is good on this early release. Hands down the best ‘gaze’ music i’ve come across for awhile, Favorite track: Ode to Godzilla.
The album’s dreamy/post-punky penultimate track “Ravestar Supreme” was given a thumping dance remix by Cascine-signed Michigan producer RxGibbs. He cuts the vocals besides what sound like wordless “ahhhs” at the end, and makes the song pretty hard not to nod your head to. The Band are coming to Leicester and Nottingham.
Pinkshinyultrablast — 2015 Tour Dates
Apr 30th – LONDON – Village Underground
May 1st – LONDON – Shacklewell Arms
May 2nd – LEEDS – Live At Leeds Festival
May 3rd – SALFORD – St Philips Church
May 4th – LIVERPOOL – Kazimier
May 6th – CARDIFF – Clwb Ifor Bach
May 7th – BIRMINGHAM – The Temple
May 8th – NOTTINGHAM – Chameleon
May 9th – LEICESTER – Scholar Bar
May 11th – LONDON – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen
May 13th – RAMSGATE – Ramsgate Music Hall
The Fat Angel Sings 