Saint Petersburg, Russia may not be known as a hub for the shoegaze sound, but that didn’t stop Pinkshinyultrablast, a band that took its name from an Astrobrite album. Made up of bassist Igor, drummer Sergey, synth player Rustam, guitarist Roman, and singer Lyubov, Pinkshinyultrablast draw from classic sources like My Bloody Valentine and the Cocteau Twins, but their knowledge of the shoegaze idiom runs deep, as evidenced by the obscurity of the group that gave them their name. The bandmembers also cite influences as diverse as Sabres of Paradise and Terry Riley. Over time, their sound has grown more complex and ambitious, incorporating genres such as Krautrock and prog rock on 2016’s Grandfeathered, and Japanese pop on 2018’s Miserable Miracles.
After debuting with a four-song EP titled Happy Songs for Happy Zombies in 2009, the group was quiet before resurfacing with a single (“Umi”) for the U.K. label Club AC30 in late 2014. It was followed in early 2015 by their first full-length album, Everything Else Matters, released by Club AC30 in the U.K. and Shelflife in the U.S. The album found Pinkshinyultrablast in debt to the past but creating something sleek and modern out of their influences, and was met with critical acclaim. The band returned a year later with its second album, the more ambitious, experimental Grandfeathered. The group digitally released a single titled “In the Hanging Gardens” in 2017, and a 10″ EP containing remixes of the track was issued the following year. Pared down to a lineup of just Lyubov, Rustam, and Roman, Pinkshinyultrablast released their third album, Miserable Miracles, which expanded on their electronic pop influences, taking inspiration from Japanese artists like Yellow Magic Orchestra and Chiemi Manabe. ~ Tim Sendra, Rovi
