Molchat Doma, that you can translate to Houses are Silent, is a Belarus cold wave, post-punk, new wave, synth pop band formed in 2017. It is composed of three members: Egor Shkutko (vocals), Roman Komogortsev (guitar, synths, drum machine) and Pavel Kozlov (bass, synths).

The first LP of Molchat Doma is called С крыш наших домов (pronounced S krish nashih domov, which means From the Roofs of our Houses) and was self-released in 2017. Their second LP Этажи (pronounced Etazhi, which means Floors) was originally released in 2018 under Detriti Records, but in 2020 Sacred Bones Records (Zola Jesus, The Soft Moon, Black Marble) signed them and reissued their first two LPs.

The music of Molchat Doma is cold, minimalist and catchy at the same time. However, don’t believe that it is a tribute to the 80s. Indeed, they are highly inspired by the musical codes of that time, but they manage to make them their own and from the very first track they succeed to affirm their musical identity.

The voice of Egor Shkutko is slightly veiled and creates a melancholic atmosphere. Lyrics are sung and from time to time seem almost spoken. The drum is here replaced by a drum machine, which creates a mechanic and cold rhythm. As its presence is not too pronounced it leaves more room for the bass, which makes itself very present, and the guitar.

Oddly Molchat Doma is not very well known in their home country, but enjoys a good recognition in Western Europe and slowly in North America as well. Their old-school sound inspired by various musical styles from the 80’s to which a touch of modernity was added convinced lovers of the genre.

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