Have you ever been to the East? Crazy to think it's even considered a different region with so much of it in the middle of the globe. But it is. And there is an inherent disparity between the East and West. Economically, environmentally and culturally. Molchat Doma lean into all of these in different ways. They explain through music what it is like to live in Belarus. Every catchy and enjoyable melody, underlined with a tone of uncertainty and melancholy. Don't be fooled by the effervescent fluidity of the opening track. This is an album about the indiscernibility of life and our environment.
You say, "But I don't speak Russian". No need. Listen to the despondent opening of Клетка. Or the opulent Судно. Feel that synthetic wave of platitude. Notice the lack of change in tone or melody. One long observation on the monotony of one's environment.
If you do go through the effort of looking up the English translations, you'd be blown away by the poetic beauty and sadness in the sentiments that are expressed. Whether it being На Дне about drinking as a means of coping, or Судно about suicidal thoughts of a destitute man living in a small room with a bed pan, or the lost commiserations of loneliness and servitude of Клетка. This is Belarus and Eastern Europe in the slums. This is a life we would never know about or feel without the expressive power of Molchat Doma's music.
I have now spoken for 3 paragraphs without a real evaluation of the music of Molchat Doma. Fuck me, sorry everybody. This is the electronic Joy Division. Alright done, moving on.
No just kidding. Molchat Doma lives in an array of music that has long gone on in the eastern hemisphere since the inception of Joy Division. Joy Division created a canvas for countless artists to jump off from. And fortunately for us, Eastern Europe took it and ran with it. The bass and overall tone of the music is practically indifferentiable from Joy Division. However, Molchat Doma add synth, surprisingly technotic, electrical drumming, and engrossing melodies that meld with the atmosphere to absolute perfection.
In spite of all of its highs and lows, there is little differentiation throughout Etazhi. The entire album could have practically been written with the same electric drum, synthesizer, amplifier, and vocal reverb settings. This gives it an incredibly monotonous feel. There are no passages that will take you to a different realm than the land and cityscapes of Belarus. With all of the partying and drinking, the poverty, and the monotony of the environment. However, there is love, happiness and abject misery within every shred of this post-punk masterpiece.
The unquestionable highlight of the album is Судно. Maybe you heard this as a background track to countless Tik Tok videos that came out around the time of this album. It really is a testament to the quality of the music that this obscure, Belarusian outfit reached a mainstream audience. Судно is truly the highlight of the 2010s. From the enormously catchy riff that keeps expanding upon itself, to the perfectly accompanying bass, the enormous synth fueled climax, this song simply fires in every way that a song possibly could.
Not to say that the rest of Etazhi is without highlights. While the overall mood of the album is a cantankerous waltz in post-punk, never taking any significant detours or reaching unheard of areas, many of the tracks nail you in a spot that requires no understanding of Russian. Or what it's like to live in Eastern Europe. Or the questions about our livelihoods and existence. This is an existential masterpiece that makes you feel alive. Or close to it.
