just dig it

Shine Grooves is a veteran of Russian electronic music and one of the most distinctive figures in the Urals underground, as well as the quiet mastermind behind the Hanagasumi label. Real name Andrey Kurokhtin, and with a string of group projects and aliases (Quadrat, Rokton Ensemble, X343 etc.), the producer has contributed to various international labels such as 100% Silk, Kimochi and Not Not Fun, alongside an extensive commitment to the local scene since the early 2010s An engineer as well as a musician, Kurokhtin is also the creator of the legendary Magnitron cassette mixer, developed in collaboration with GOST ZVUK. He continues his association with the crew with new full-length Pyshma, revealing a particularly delicate side of his sound world The artwork features an early colour photograph by Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky of the Pyshma River, on whose banks Kurokhtin grew up. Seen alongside the music, the image gives the record a quietly personal depth, drawing together landscape, memory and a sense of home

Drawing influence from late '90s and early 2000s ambient and electronic music, the record channels the nostalgic atmosphere of PS2-era video game soundtracks, console startup screens, and save menus. “I used to play games like Spyro, Crash, Ape Escape, Gran Turismo. It's fun for me to reimagine songs that could have lived in games from that era.” The project reveals Space Ghost interest in writing music for video games, with tracks such as "System Reset" reimagining an alternate PS2 startup screen or “VGM” visualizing a stage selection screen for an imaginary game. Blending ambient, downtempo and house, the LP explores themes of escapism, introspection and the search for moments of calm in an increasingly overwhelming world