Мелодии Миры (Mira's Melodies)

Мира Вроблевски

Мелодии Миры №4: Плохо, Добрая Песня

Альбом: Ренессанс

Группа: Плохо

Избранная песня: Добрая песня

You may have heard of Molchat Doma, the Belarussian post-punk band that went viral thanks to its popularity on social media platform TikTok. If you like them, Ploho is another group you might want to check out—the two bands have very similar themes and sound. They even collaborated in 2019 on the song “По краю острова (On the Edge of an Island).” Still, even if you don’t like Molchat Doma, Ploho is worth exploring on their own.

In 2013, frontman Victor Uzhakov formed the band in his hometown Novosibirsk. He sings and plays guitar alongside bass player Andrei Smorgonsky and synth player Igor Starshinov. Recently, Ploho has become one of the most recognizable leaders of modern Russian post-punk, sometimes referred to as “Russian Doom” for its melancholic and dark tones. The genre draws on a geographically diverse range of 80s post-punk influences, ranging from Russian acts like Kino to English band The Cure. While they have received criticism for being uncreative in their emulation of such groups, Ploho assert that they are merely honoring the legacy of post-punk in Russia while still creating their own unique work.

Critics especially praise Uzhakov for his ability to capture deeper meaning in relatively minimalistic, poetic lyrics. Common themes include social topics, protest, and the imperfection of humanity, himself, and those he loves. Uzhakov’s deep and deadpan singing style perfectly establish the feelings he intends to convey. Smorgonsky and Starshinov complement his voice well with the brighter and more upbeat, but still hollow and mysterious sounds of their instrumentals.

The band members cite the perpetually “gloomy” atmosphere of 90s Siberia that they grew up in as a source of inspiration. Bassist Smorgonsky stated that “Gray is the main color of my memories… almost everything was gray,” a sentiment that Ploho demonstrates not only in their music, but also visually in the muted tones of their album art. The cover for Ренессанс (Renaissance), as pictured here, is the most literal depiction, consisting of only a gray square.

While Ploho hasn’t won any awards, they have accumulated fans and recognition abroad. For example, even before their recent surge in popularity, Portland radio station XRAY FM listed their third album, Where Birds Fly to Die, among the top 25 albums of 2018. While their fanbase in home country Russia remains in the underground scene, Uzhakov doesn’t lament. He states that Ploho has just enough fans and media attention not to dominate over the more generic pop and rap scene, and follows up with the claim that “it would be a very sad country” if too many Russians listened to their music.

Ploho recorded their first EP, Ренессанс (Renaissance) in Moscow, where they recorded in a studio for the first time. This was also their first time recording with synth player Igor Starshinov, who would go on to become the band’s third member.

From that album, I’ve selected some lyrics from a song entitled Добрая песня (A Nice Song). The subject matter, however, is darker than the name implies, as is true with most “Russian Doom.”

Избранный текст песни Добрая песня

Мимо проходят люди

пусть проходят они больны

Ведут себя как звери

и ищут повод для войны

Ты закрасишь окна

заколотишь двери

Ты встретишь старость

в своей постели

Дверной глазок заклеен

разбит об стену телефон

Никто не сможет

прервать твой крепкий сон

Тебе не нужно ничего

бежать куда-то на измене

Очередной армагеддон

очередная брешь в системе

People pass by

Let them pass, they’re sick

They behave like beasts

and look for a reason for war

You'll paint over the windows,

board up the doors

You will meet old age

in your bed

The door peephole is sealed

the phone was smashed against the wall

No one will be able to

interrupt your deep sleep

You don't need anything to

run somewhere on an affair

Just another Armageddon

another breach in the system

Цитаты:

My Rock News. November 13, 2020. An Introduction to Russian Post-Punk: Ploho and Molchat Doma. [online] <https://myrocknews.com/an-introduction-to-russian-post-punk-with-ploho-and-molchat-doma/>.

Post-Punk.com. June 17, 2020. Take a Gloomy ride with Russian Post-Punk Trio Ploho in their video for “Горький опыт”. [online] <https://post-punk.com/take-a-gloomy-ride-with-russian-post-punk-trio-ploho-in-their-video-for-горький-опыт/>.

Новосибирск Онлайн. January 5, 2019. Альбом новосибирской группы Плохо вошел в топ американского радио. [online] <https://ngs.ru/text/culture/2019/01/05/65813471/>.