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 realised the local indie scene was totally boring and wanted to play something radically different”. That vision has been realised – 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.
Pinkshinyultrablast are Igor - bass, Lyubov - vocals, Sergey - drums, Rustam - synths and electronics and Roman – guitars.
Glitter
Pinkshinyultrablast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're standing on the river along the shore
Crying, it's a riot in the valley of the wind staying far from timid
Come out, we are quiet waiting for the next standing back to back
Your goddesses of greed, all our broken dreams
Barefoot and bleak yet we're all, you're seeing
Crying, it's a riot in the valley of the wind staying far from timid
Come out, we are quiet waiting for the next standing back to back
Quiet and tiered, stepping aside held in this grim mess
Asked who escaped, who was outside, nothing to confess
Do what you want, chase us and haunt, some day it will end
Yet rivers and fields and forests
We wield and all the untouchable lands
The lyrics to Pinkshinyultrablast's song "Glitter" are open to interpretation, but one possible reading is that it's a call to action, urging the listener to put on their shoes and join the fight against oppression and injustice. The opening lines set the scene by placing the singer and the listener by the river, suggesting a connection to nature and the elemental forces that can be harnessed for change.
The next lines, "Crying, it's a riot in the valley of the wind staying far from timid," imply that the struggle is intense and emotional, and that those who engage in it must be bold and fearless. The repetition of the phrase "come out, we are quiet" may suggest a need for stealth and cunning in the face of a powerful enemy.
The lines "your goddesses of greed, all our broken dreams/barefoot and bleak yet we're all, you're seeing" suggest that the forces of greed and oppression have taken much from the people, leaving them impoverished and vulnerable. Yet despite this, they remain resilient and persistent, still visible and determined to fight back.
Overall, the song can be seen as a powerful anthem of resistance and hope, urging listeners to join the struggle for a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
Come put on your shoes and step out your door
Let's go on an adventure, get out of our comfort zone.
We're standing on the river along the shore
We're at a peaceful spot in nature, ready to embark on this journey.
Crying, it's a riot in the valley of the wind staying far from timid
Things might get tough, but we won't back down.
Come out, we are quiet waiting for the next standing back to back
We're ready to face whatever comes our way, together.
Your goddesses of greed, all our broken dreams
We've all been let down by society's unrealistic expectations.
Barefoot and bleak yet we're all, you're seeing
Despite our vulnerabilities, we're all in this together.
Quiet and tiered, stepping aside held in this grim mess
We're tired of the chaos around us and ready to take a break.
Asked who escaped, who was outside, nothing to confess
We've let go of the societal pressures and expectations, and have nothing to hide.
Do what you want, chase us and haunt, some day it will end
We're not afraid of what society thinks of us because we know it won't last forever.
Yet rivers and fields and forests
Nature will always be there for us to find solace in.
We wield and all the untouchable lands
We have the power to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of nature, which society can't take away.
Writer(s): Roman Parinov, Sergey Kudryashov, Rustam Izmailov, Liubov Soloveva, Igor Simkin
Contributed by Jake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.