The history of LIPSKI PROJECT reads like a series of fortunate coincidences. Before the project began, Mathias’s twenty-five year musical journey had taken him from classical grand piano to composition of German and Polish songs. So when the time was right, everything fell into place. He met the percussionist Leonardo von Papp and the bassist Paul B Keeves from Berlin. Guitarists from Berlin (Pivo Deinert and Greg Dinunzi) and from Krakow (Piotr Grząślewicz) joined them.
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The history of LIPSKI PROJECT reads like a series of fortunate coincidences. Before the project began, Mathias’s twenty-five year musical journey had taken him from classical grand piano to composition of German and Polish songs. So when the time was right, everything fell into place. He met the percussionist Leonardo von Papp and the bassist Paul B Keeves from Berlin. Guitarists from Berlin (Pivo Deinert and Greg Dinunzi) and from Krakow (Piotr Grząślewicz) joined them. Dedicated “Slav“ string musicians: a cellist, two violists and two first and second violinists came directly from – where else? - the Polish music metropolis. Without their contribution, the songs of LIPSKI PROJECT would not be complete. The idea of combining German and Polish songs on one album is new. Unlike classical music groups, LIPSKI, created as a flexible project, leaves open the possibility of capturing trends and changing moods. LIPSKI PROJECT is carried along by the zeitgeist. “In 2003 I came to Krakow as a student“, reminisces Mathias. Just after arriving, he received his first Polish music CD from Anna, whom he knew from Germany. It was the album “To tu, to tam“ by the Cracovian singer Grzegorz Turnau. “I was immediately enraptured by the musicality of the Polish language.“ Specific sequences of consonants and nasal sounds combine into a harmonious whole that is completely different from the sometimes clumsy German language. The project is named after the Lipski family – the Polish roots of the German frontman: “It was my great-grandmother’s maiden name,“ says Mathias. Another fortunate coincidence brought the brilliant producer Darek Grela to LIPSKI PROJECT. Such excellent musicians as Grzegorz Turnau, Ewa Bem, Brathanki, Nigel Kennedy and Kroke value his talent for bringing together various musical worlds. A good feel for music and perfect pitch are the ears of LIPSKI PROJECT. The band had great fun working on this debut album. “Barriers disappeared and in the end none of us knew exactly which language we were communicating in.“ This was a sign that things were heading in the right direction. “It is clear that we can only manage thanks to the help and support of many enthusiasts, to whom I owe a debt of gratitude.“ We’ve fallen madly in love with LIPSKI PROJECT and lost any ability to assess it objectively. So listen to the bicultural rhythms and passionate texts of LIPSKI PROJECT yourselves! Bianca Killmann Translation: George Lisowski Berlin and Kraków, August 2010
