Das Wortspiel is a new experimental music project from Ukraine. Its founders are the sound producer and composer Max Smogol and the incredibly talented singer Maryana Golovko. Maryana is a professional opera singer, a member of the world famous Ukrainian project NOVA OPERA. But she also records pop, jazz, and soul releases under the name SUOK.
In Das Wortspiel Maryana goes even further — into the territory of avant-garde spoken word genre, continuing the work of Anna Clarke, Kate Tempest and Laurie Anderson.
Their debut LP with Max Smogol, Chapter I, is a concept album that combines melodeclamations with ethnic singing and theatrical performance.
The project’s name translates from German as 'wordplay'. Created in 2022 during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Chapter I includes the musicians' reflections on the war. While in Berlin, Maryana and Max joined numerous events aimed at supporting the Ukrainian community against Russian aggression. This became a source of inspiration for creative decisions that resulted in the birth of poetry and musical accompaniment to it.
"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"
Das Wortspiel: