Introducing Das Worstpiel the Ukrainian duo made up of Maryana Golovko (singer, soloist of the NOVA OPERA formation) and Max Smogol (sound producer, film composer, multi-instrumentalist) who came together in 2022 as a direct response to the devastating Russian invasion. German for ‘Wordplay’, Das Wortspiel share their emotive, eclectic and one of kind debut album ‘Chapter I’.

A collection of spoken word pieces, created by the artists themselves and taken directly from the famous Ukrainian poet Yuriy Izdryk. ‘Chapter I’ is a vast project, ranging from electronic influences to folk motifs and unique, intriguing lyricism by Max, Maryana and a fellow collaborator Olga Kobylianska.

The album details a harrowing period of time for the musicians as they lived in Berlin. Attending events and protests, these activities became a source of inspiration for the pair and an escapism that resulted in the birth of the project.

Avantgarde, poetic and incredibly moving, the project is monumentally courageous and marks as an eloquent statement in the support of the people of Ukraine. ‘Chapter I’ is encased in hope, faith and promise for a victorious future and peace to return once again.

“Now it seems to me that this album is my salvation. This is what all our experiences of that most terrible and difficult, but also the most productive period immediately after the war started resulted in. It’s the adrenaline of those first days and aggression and anger; but also sadness, despair, and uncertainty… A complex bouquet of emotions that I think is reflected in the different tracks of the album. In addition, all the recordings were made not in a studio environment, but wherever and however we had to, and using a very limited set of instruments that was available at the time. This can be heard in the final mix, which is permeated with a very sincere sound…” — Max Smogol.

“The poems were created in different periods of 2022: when it seemed that there would be no more reason to smile, and when hope looked into the heart as a thin ray through the narrow gap between apathy and inspiration. This is a very important job for me. In particular, to touch the poetry of my favorite Ukrainian poet, Yuri Izdryk, again. This is my journey through this difficult year…” — Maryana Golovko.

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