Molchat Doma share new single "Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh Kto Ya (You Don't Know Who I Am)". New album out September 6, on Sacred Bones.
Molchat Doma have shared a second track from their forthcoming album,‘Belaya Polosa’. The album is to be released on the 6th of September 2024 via Sacred Bones, ahead of UK live dates in October including a headline date at London's Roundhouse.
The Belarusian post-punk / synth pop group have always exuded the kind of brutalist aesthetic of the architecture that adorns their album art. It’s cold, grey, imposing, industrial—and yet there are human hearts beating within those foundations. In the wake of their breakthrough success in 2020, the trio endured a polarity of experiences, from the nadir of an uprooted life and forced relocation away from their native Minsk, to the apex of headlining massive shows across the world. It was in this headspace that the band settled into their new home of Los Angeles to finish writing their fourth album 'Belaya Polosa', a testament to change in difficult times, a love letter to the digital pulse of the ‘90s, and a technicolor reinvention of the band’s somber dance-floor anthems.
From the very first synth swell and drum machine throb of today's new single, album opener “Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh Kto Ya(meaning"You Don't Know Who I Am"),” it’s clear that Molchat Doma are operating on another level. The track pulses with the precision of early ‘90s EBM, conjuring that world’s mixture of electronic precision, warehouse club palpitations, and despairing minor key melody.
Even though the lyrics are in Russian, the emotional timbre of the music universally communicates vocalist Egor Shkutko’s frustration and pain from navigating a long-distance relationship that’s been stretched to its limit.
"It explores the pain and despair of feeling misunderstood by a loved one,"
he says of the track,
"and the endless guilt that ensues, even though you don’t realise how you yourself contribute to this pain."
The accompanying video was directed by Maxim Kelly, who comments:
"When the band recorded the track, they envisioned a jive dancer, which became the core inspiration for the video. I found jive to be perfectly fitting and intriguingly out of place, making it a compelling choice. I wanted to juxtapose this lively dance with a lonely, post-apocalyptic world to explore themes of isolation and connection. The band allowed us creative freedom, and the song is fantastic, making the whole experience truly enjoyable."
"Ty Zhe Ne Znaesh Kto Ya" follows previous single "Son” - a dream-like examination of how it feels to leave for the unknown, knowing that you won’t be able to return to your old life.
In the four years since their last album, 'Monument', there was so much change in the lives of vocalist Egor Shkutko, bassist / synth player Pavel Kozlov, and primary songwriter, producer and arranger Raman Kamahortsau that it was only inevitable to hear a transformation in their music.
“The entire album is a prism through which we tried to reflect what has happened to us,”
the band says of their new work. Kamahortsau once again handled the production duties, though the sonic spectrum on 'Belaya Polosa' is markedly different from past albums.
The band gained following with earlier albums that sound like third-generation bootlegs of banned recordings from the Eastern Bloc made after a few key entries in the Factory Records catalog were smuggled in from the West. 'Belaya Polosa' propels them into a new direction while retaining their cold minimalist delivery they’re known for. The basement grime and dirty tape-head sound of their previous work are now making space for digital luster and shimmering production values.
Moving on from the band’s past sound was only natural given the album’s themes of change and turning away from a troubled past into an uncertain future.
“It's a different band,” a member of Molchat Doma says when asked about the advanced arrangements and timbral ear-candy of 'Belaya Polosa'.“A different sound and context, but the same style and the same emotions.”
And indeed, Molchat Doma retains the duality of being both cold and feverish in their delivery while pushing their music into expanded territories through an armory of new textures. The trio continue to harness the sound of harrowing beauty thriving under harsh realities.
Photo credit: Alina Pasok, Karim Belkasemi
‘Belaya Polosa’ will be released on September 6th via Sacred Bones.
Pre-order here.
Live Dates
Sun. Oct. 20 - Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Galvanizers
Tue. Oct. 22 - Manchester, UK @ New Century
Wed. Oct. 23 - Bristol, UK @ SWX
Thu. Oct. 24 - London, UK @ Roundhouse
Sat. Oct. 26 - Antwerp, BE @ Trix
Sun. Oct. 27 - Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg
Tue. Oct. 29 - Lille, FR @ L’Aéronef
Thu. Oct. 31 - Lyon, FR @ Le Transbordeur
Sat. Nov. 2 - Paris, FR @ L’Olympia
Mon. Nov. 4 - Hamburg, DE @ Große Freiheit 36
Tue. Nov. 5 - Copenhagen, DK @ Den Grå Hal
Thu. Nov. 7 - Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
Sat. Nov. 9 - Stockholm, SE @ Fallan
Mon. Nov. 11 - Helsinki, FI @ Kulttuuritalo
Tue. Nov. 12 - Tallinn, EE @ Helitehas
Wed. Nov. 13 - Riga, LV @ Palladium Riga
Thu. Nov. 14 - Vilnius, LT @ Compensa Concert Hall
Sat. Nov. 16 - Gdansk, PL @ Stary Manez
Sun. Nov. 17 - Warsaw, PL @ Progresja
Thu. Nov. 21 - Vienna, AT @ Gasometer
Fri. Nov. 22 - Prague, CZ @ Lucerna Velký sál
Sat. Nov. 23 - Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom
Mon. Nov. 25 - Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof
Tue. Nov. 26 - Munich, DE @ Theaterfabrik
Wed. Nov. 27 - Zurich, CH @ X-TRA
Fri. Nov. 29 - Milan, IT @ Fabrique