Molchat Doma: Etazhi [SACRED BONES]

Why you'll love it

Etazhi is the cult-classic second album from Minsk's Molchat Doma, home of "Sudno (Boris Ryzhy)," the song that went viral and turned a little-known post-punk trio into a worldwide phenomenon.

This edition

• Single LP, 9 tracks
• Sacred Bones pressing
• Includes "Sudno (Boris Ryzhy)" and "Kommersanty"

About the album

If the idea of three dour gents from Minsk picking up where the synth-shocked Joy Division of "Isolation" left off all those years ago and running with it full-tilt appeals to you ... well ... we've got your next record, right here. Etazhi ("Floors") is the second album by Belarusian combo Molchat Doma ("Houses Are Silent"), first out overseas in 2018 but picked up along with the rest of the band's catalogue by doting American indie label Sacred Bones in 2020.

And it's a goodie: 33 minutes of brittle lo-fi synth-pop chilliness that zeroes in on one particularly brooding, obsidian vibe and sticks with it for the duration. It's a compelling listen, and Molchat Doma has a gift for compact, sticky songwriting to rival Wire's, so even if you don't share the group's native tongue you'll still find its tunes rattling around in your head for days. All of Molchat Doma's stuff is pretty rad, but this is a terrific entry point.

Also at Kops: more Molchat Doma on vinyl · browse Industrial & Goth

Tracklist

Listen

On Sacred Bones, a reissue of the 2018 album.