Donata is a Berlin, Germany-based singer, songwriter and producer who has just caught my attention thanks to release of her second full-length album, Alchemy.
By Graeme Smith
Alchemy tells the story of growth, and how different emotional moments in our lives contribute to it. There’s a lot of Donata in it, not just her personal experience in the lyrics, but in the creation of the record itself. After the release of her debut album Imaginary Land, she decided to take a DIY approach to its follow-up, producing and self-releasing the music via her own imprint, Donata Music.
Her sound is already being celebrated in her home city, with the album opener A Song About Being In Love chosen to appear on the Listen to Berlin Compilation 23/24, as well as being played on the city’s radio stations. There is something distinctly Berlin about the album, with Derek D. Boom taking on co-writing and production duties, and collaborations from Wouter Rentema, Damian Press, Jasja J. Offermans, Mischa Porte, and Donata’s brother Daniel Kramarz.
Donata describes the process of compiling this album as playful and spontaneous and, as a collection, it certainly has a way of surprising you with each new track. Things start stripped-back and vulnerable with A Song About Being In Love before Moon Will Fall takes things into a moody and image-laden direction. Façade gives us some delicate acoustic folk with some strong storytelling while Long Time is a moment recorded live and provides a raw, mid-album highlight.
The album’s second half gives us some strong emotion, be it from the introspection of All There Is To Do, the intimacy of Lenore, or the cantering fire of Easy To Leave and Lemonade. Things close on a simmering and cathartic moment with Goodnight My Love (cu in hell).
There’s something special about the music that Donata is putting out, and I thank her for inviting us into her world with her new album. Each of its ten tracks tell a strong story of their own, and together create something bigger than the sum of their parts. If you’re a fan of acoustic singer songwriters, then you must give her music a listen.
Alchemy is out now in all the usual places, and you can give it a listen below.