Kicked off my Mayday holiday by heading over to Modernsky Lab to say hi to an old Shanghai confederate and also see what all the hype around Belarus’s Molchat Doma was about. The Russian-speaking band from Minsk revels in atmospheric synth-heavy dark wave sounds – think sleek moody synths, hip-swaying drum machines, catchy guitar melodies, and earthy baritone vocals – straight out of the 80s.

Playing to a sold-out crowd – filled with a mix of locals and expats – the band jumped head forth into a long set filled with brooding gothic cold wave, jagged and nervy post punk, and highly danceable synth pop – all handled with modest yet deft musicianship and almost hypnotic propulsion. It’s a tricky balance (especially sans drummer) but after one track I was onboard. A nice surprise.

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