Part 1

Name: Joanna Bieńkowska aka YANA
Nationality: Polish
Occupation: Composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist
Current event: YANA's Daydreamer is out via Ólafur Arnalds's OPIA imprint. Order the vinyl LP at bandcamp.
Recommendations: I would go with House of Day, House of Night, a novel by Polish writer and Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk. The unusual way of narration, the beautiful language, the graceful maneuvering between eras make this book truly unique. Also, some of the threads in the novel refer to places in Lower Silesia, close to Międzygórze, where we shot the video for the single "Spring". It is a very beautiful and unique Polish region, with an extremely interesting history.
As for the second recommendation, I would like to go with the song "Dorma" from Keaton Henson's latest album, Somnambulant Cycles. I love Keaton's music, the emotional charge, the aesthetics. It's a great inspiration for me. I even paid him a small tribute on the album Daydreamer - the song "Monument" refers to one of my favorite albums of the artist.

[Read our Ólafur Arnalds interview]

If you enjoyed this YANA interview and would like to know more about her music, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, and Facebook.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

Composing has definitely changed my approach to listening to music. I started paying more attention to the solutions used, the structure, the sound.

At the same time, I love listening to music while travelling, especially by train. I get lost in the landscapes flashing by outside the window and it is such a nostalgic moment when music takes me to different places, both outside and inside myself.

I also really like driving, of course with music. Most often it is something stronger, electronic, American hip hop from the 90s, sometimes even techno. I definitely do it with my eyes open. ;)

Entering/creating new worlds through music has always exerted a strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to listening to and creating music?

Creation. That moment when thoughts, experiences, the matter surrounding us, transform into something that can be recreated many times. It's like creating a language that we use to explain our emotions to the world, while at the same time giving space for new ones to arise - because that's how music affects people. I think it's extraordinary, almost like a shared experience, a collective memory.

Sometimes, while composing, there are moments when I get a shiver. I can't fully explain it, but it's as if something very spiritual, special happened at that moment. I know then that everything is in place, that this moment of creation was truly exceptional and in some twisted way - the only right one.

And when it comes to listening to music ... I'll probably say something not very groundbreaking, but I simply like it when music resonates with my mood. When it evokes specific feelings, memories. I like to return to songs that remind me of certain situations, places, smells.

For example, "It's Too Late" by Carole King is an autumn anthem for me.



According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music mean to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

I guess I have to disagree with these studies. ;) In the age range mentioned, I was absolutely absorbed in the world of classical music and playing the violin. I spent long hours practising, went to courses, competitions.

It was my whole world, but I have the impression that I didn't fully understand what music really meant to me. The goal was to get into a music academy and play in a professional orchestra. When I achieved these goals, I suddenly realized that I wasn't fully satisfied.

They say that the brain reaches a level of stable and mature development at around the age of 25. That's roughly the age at which I began my adventure with my own musical project. This path has brought me the deepest and most intense experiences so far, and this collection is still growing. :)

Tell me about one or two of your early pieces that you're still proud of (or satisfied with) – and why you're content with them.

I have a special fondness for the song "Light", which was released as a single in 2020 and which also appeared later, re-recorded, on my debut album Solace from 2022.



I like its delicacy and intimacy, and I still love to perform it at concerts.

What is your current your studio or workspace like? What instruments, tools, equipment, and space do you need to make music?

The attic space of my apartment is my studio, where the main instrument is an English brand Kemble piano from the 70s. Very often, the creative process begins with it, which is the result of practising or improvisations. The piano is my friend, my safe space.

My second favorite is the Korg Polysix synthesizer from the 80s. I call it "Korguś", which can be translated from Polish as "Little Korgy". :) It is the first and only synthesizer I have so far and I really like working with it. I still haven't explored all its possibilities, because technical aspects are not my strong point and it takes me a long time to learn them. The Polysix always inspires me to create something, very often it is the starting point for working on a piece.

Of course, I also have a violin, a wonderful instrument by the Polish luthier Stanisław Łabuz, from 1935. I often record violin parts for myself and others, I also look for sounds and solutions that I can then present to musicians collaborating with me, which makes it easier to convey my sound vision.

I work with the Cubase DAW, and I also have a few effects, like reverb, delay, looper. I'm not really a collector of equipment, but I have my eye on a few things that are on my shopping list. :)

From the earliest sketches to the finished piece, tell me about the creative process for your current release, please.

Oh, this question opens up a very vast bag of memories, but I'll try to summarize it a bit. :)

The first sketches of the songs that are on the album Daydreamer were created when I was still releasing my debut album Solace, in spring 2022. It started with the song "Daydreaming", which evolved over time to take its final form.



Whereas the piano was the backbone of the previous album, here I wanted to place the string quartet and electronics more strongly. I wanted the songs to be more complex, multi-layered, and richer in sound. I experimented a bit with strings, which often create enigmatic, non-obvious layers on this album.

You can hear this most in the songs “Spring” and “Ikigai”.



We recorded the quartet in the wonderful, iconic Polish Radio Studio in Warsaw, specifically in studio S4. It was a very conscious choice, i wanted some part of this place, the history of these walls, to resonate on the album. it is an excellent acoustic space, where you just need to pick up an instrument and play a few notes to enjoy the beautiful sound. I recorded piano, synthesizer and electronics in my home studio with the help of Maciej Milewski, who is also responsible for mixing the album.

The starting point for the tracks was usually the piano or my Korg Polysix synthesizer, which appears on 8 out of 9 tracks on the album. This instrument inspires me a lot and still creates new possibilities for my music. Sometimes in one song different sounds of the Polysix serve as pad, arpeggiator, or bass.

There were moments during the process when the piece came to me almost in its entirety and I worked on it for a relatively short time. Sometimes, however, there were more laborious attempts, changes in arrangement, form, concept. Especially then I could learn the most - both in the context of composition and production, as well as in cultivating my patience. :)

The album Daydreamer was actually created over a year and a half and it was a really good time. Full of excitement, work, emotions. A real journey!

What role and importance do rituals have for you, both as an artist and a listener?

I guess I can't help it if the thought of rituals made my thoughts wander to my morning coffee! :) As a listener, I like ritual walks with my dog and headphones in my ears. Preferably somewhere quiet, in a meadow, in the forest. Then I focus more on listening and experiencing the music, on the emotions that accompany me then. I relax.

I don't know if I have rituals as an artist. Unless we call the habit of regular and intensive work a ritual. I think it's a kind of habit from school and music studies. Regular practice on an instrument (in my case it was the violin), for several hours, every day, on holidays, during vacations.

And this constant work is a kind of ritual for me, which I like very much. It strengthens me and organizes my life. Too long vacations fill me with some anxiety, at the end I usually can't wait to get home and start working. But maybe we should talk about it more in the category of some kind of disease. :)