Molchat Doma, Manchester

Molchat Doma biography

Молчат Дома (English translation: The Houses Are Silent) is a Belarusian post-punk band with lyrics sung in Russian. Currently a trio with Egor Shkutko on vocal duties, Roman Komogortsev on guitar, synths, and drum machine, and Pavel Kozlov on bass and synths. The trio have been dubbed “the Belarusian New Order of our generation”, but that’s not quite right – they have far more in common with the gloomy nihilism of that band’s forebearer, Joy Division, a bleak, claustrophobic quality that’s like sinking into a pool of tar. Formed in 2017, in their hometown of Minsk, the trio take inspiration from early 80s post-punk and new wave, a visceral, intense mix of metallic drums, ominous synths, and melancholic bass lines. Some tracks sound like they were conceived using basic Casio keyboard presets; others borrow from Krautrock’s motoric grooves. But all burn with a deep seated despair and frustration, Yegor Shkutko’s vocals sounding anguished and distant. The sparse, cold production of second album Etazhi also sounds oddly futuristic, the crushing soundtrack to some dank, cyberpunk dystopia.Their second LP, Этажи (pronounced Etazhi, meaning “Floors”) was released in 2018 on Berlin-based Detriti Records. It has sold out four times and is currently on its fifth repressing due to outstanding demand. Этажи has garnered over one million views on Youtube. Despite playing to packed clubs in Warsaw, Helsinki and Berlin, they are still flying under the radar in their native Belarus.

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