To a fairly large degree, the Belarusian band Molchat Doma’s rise to prominence within the global post-punk circuit can be attributed to the chaos magic of the internet. The band’s early releases were bolstered by a specialist YouTube account, which led to a burst in popularity, which led to the band signing a deal with the American label Sacred Bones. That all led, somewhat improbably, to Molchat Doma scoring a viral hit on TikTok in 2020 with the song “Судно (Sudno),” taken from the band’s 2018 release Etazhi. 

In the time since, Molchat Doma has toured the world and made Los Angeles their home. Their new album Belaya Polosa is in many ways the result of their new Californian reality. It’s a high fidelity—but, at many points, no less gloomy, regardless of how much more sunshine the band may or may not be taking in—take on their sound that was enabled by a new SoCal home studio setup. We sent over some questions to the band.

The band has been in Los Angeles for over a year now. How are you adjusting to your new location? Do you miss home?  

Roman: Adjusting to Los Angeles has been interesting because it’s such a different environment compared to Minsk. There’s more space, more sun, and an energy that you can feel everywhere. But of course, we miss home—our friends, family, and the familiar atmosphere. 

LA is a weird place—the goths go to Disneyland there. Has being in California drawn out a different kind of songwriting? Does the sound on Belaya Polosa differ from previous albums?  

Pavel: Belaya Polosa differs from our previous albums, likely because of our approach to creating it. We see it as an absolutely more professional project. We had the opportunity to set up our own professional home studio with very good equipment, at least from our point of view. This changed our overall approach and our sound. And you can hear that when you listen to the album Belaya Polosa.

Going backwards, what prompted the band to start in the first place?  

Yahor: Dream.

“Судно (Sudno)” was a major hit on TikTok. How do you feel about that platform?  

Pavel: TikTok is an interesting phenomenon. We didn’t expect "Sudno" to become so popular on that platform, but we’re glad that our music resonates with people all over the world, even if they discover us through such unexpected channels. The platform helps us reach new audiences, and that’s always a good thing.

There is such a long history of post-punk in Eastern Europe. Do you have any feelings about that lineage, and how your band fits into it?  

Roman: Not really. We don’t feel a deep connection to that legacy. We respect the history of post-punk in Eastern Europe, but we don’t see ourselves as direct continuators of that tradition. Our music evolves naturally, and we don’t aim to fit into any particular line or movement. We create music that reflects our own experiences and vision, and that’s what’s most important.

Do you have a favorite Eastern European post-punk band?  

Yahor: Yes, among our favorite bands are Kino, Siekiera (a Polish band), DK Postoronnih, and Utro (Утро).

Let’s talk gear. If you could only keep one keyboard and one drum machine, what would they be?  

Roman: Drum machine: Roland TR-808. Synthesizer: ARP 2600.  

Yahor: Drum machine: Roland TR-909. Synthesizer: Roland TB-303.  

Pavel: Drum machine: Roland TR-808. Synthesizer: Roland Jupiter-8.

What is the music scene like in Minsk right now? Do you keep up with it?  

Pavel: Honestly, I don’t really keep up with the music scene in Minsk. It’s probably still alive, with some kind of underground scene, but I can’t really say anything specific about it.