Back catalogue: Coldwave/Synth

Review: Sacred Bones Records has a real coup here as they serve up yet another pressing of the debut album of Belarussian post-punk and synth pop trio Molchat Doma. Originally dropping in 2018 on Berlin label Detroit Records, it was an instant hit online and had more than a million YouTube views in no time at all. The band remains low-key back home but have toured Europe and six successive pressings of this record have all disappeared in quick fashion. With Egor Shkutko on vocals, Roman Komogortsev on guitar, synths and drum machine and Pavel Kozlov on bass and synths, the collective cook-up inviting fusions of new wave, synth pop and post-punk that is dark but alluring, danceable yet thoughtful.

Review: Belarusian post-punk trio Molchat Doma started out as little known local artists but, through the power of the internet and the cult of record collectors digging ever deeper, now have a revered profile amongst those who know. Their work has gone viral such is it uniquely curious charm and Monument is their victory lap. On this newest record, S Krysh Nashikh Domov and Etazhi epxand their minimalist sounds into more fulsome post-punk grooves. Some are slow and inviting, others are more urgent and angular for the dance floor, sousing something like a ghostly apparition of Joy Division.

Review: Houses Are Silent - to use the English language translation of Belarusian post-punk and cold wavers Molchat Doma - have managed to buck the trend of nobody in the West really paying much attention to the Belarusian music scene by rising to underground prominence since they formed in 2017. Helped in no small part by finding a way into the record bags of tastemakers on radio stations like NTS, one listen to their work and you'll wonder why you're not moving to their homeland to find more bands to love, clear issues with oppressive politics aside.

Taking big influences from 1980s Russian rock music - another scene that's criminally under-explored by many people in our corner of the world - nostalgic hues cover every inch of this record, and yet it's also forward thinking. Like a sci-fi movie from the past. It's harmonious, dark, moody, uplifting, heart-wrenching and eerie. Basically, buy it.

Review: Molchat Doma are one of the global music phenomenons of our time. The Belarusian trio first started causing a small stir among the kind of circles that actively hunt out Belarusian synth bands. That grew into widespread rumblings throughout the underground, driven by online shares as much as play on independent radio stations. Skip forward again, and the outfit can claim true viral sensation status, having conquered tastemakers and social networks across the world. Monument is their third album, and was largely written during Covid-19 quarantine in their hometown, Minsk. Again, it's an evolutionary thing. Post-punk vies for your attention next to synth pop, cold wave, New Wave and romantic electronica. Calling to mind, at various points, The Cure, Depeche Mode and Joy Division, among others, nevertheless those comparisons don't feel fair - the work here is fresher feeling and, ultimately, removed from the North Atlantic hegemony, so it should be analysed in that context.

Review: Belarusian post-punk and synth-pop group Molchat Doma have always reflected a brutalist aesthetic in their music which has been marked by cold, grey, and industrial tones. Following their 2020 breakthrough, the trio faced significant changes from leaving Minsk to headlining global shows. Settling in Los Angeles, they crafted their fourth album, Belaya Polosa, which symbolises transformation during tough times and celebrates the digital pulse of the 90s. The album combines sombre dance floor anthems with vibrant reinventions and tracks like 'Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh' Kto Ya,' 'Son,' and 'Belaya Polosa' showcase how they have moved their sound along to blend post-punk, synth textures, and melodic sophistication while maintaining their distinctive minimalist style.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Sacred Bones Records has a real coup here as they serve up yet another pressing of the debut album of Belarussian post-punk and synth pop trio Molchat Doma. Originally dropping in 2018 on Berlin label Detroit Records, it was an instant hit online and had more than a million YouTube views in no time at all. The band remains low-key back home but have toured Europe and six successive pressings of this record have all disappeared in quick fashion. With Egor Shkutko on vocals, Roman Komogortsev on guitar, synths and drum machine and Pavel Kozlov on bass and synths, the collective cook-up inviting fusions of new wave, synth pop and post-punk that is dark but alluring, danceable yet thoughtful.