Raised in a highly religious Catholic community in a Polish small town, LGBTQ audio-visual artist Szopa (Damian Malecki) uses his music to explore the effects of religion, devotion, authority and hierarchical structures that shaped his upbringing.
Fusing elements of electronica, darkwave and gothic pop, his complex new record ‘The Prayer Book’ will be out August 16th and his first single Where Do I Go, featuring Cornish folk singer Kezia Warwood is out now.
The brand new offering will act as Szopa’s third album and a profound exploration of religion, devotion, authority and hierarchical structures. Fusing elements of electronica, darkwave and gothic pop and drawing inspiration from medieval church aesthetics, ‘The Prayerbook’ does not shy away from questioning institutions of faith. Szopa reflects on religious core values, contrasting them with his personal experiences of growing up in a small and highly religious community. At its core, the album contrasts fundamental values with Szopa’s personal experiences, observing the corruption and manipulation of scripture for egotistical purposes.
“The overall theme of the album takes inspiration from medieval Roman-Catholicism. I use those themes to explore the ideas of social authority in the context of capitalism, as well as exploring religious devotion in contrast with devotion towards social figures, governments or hurtful ideologies.”
