Ania’s creative licence is substantial-she paints good-makes good clothes-and then there’s the rest.

’Cement Pond’ poems by Ania Chorabik was published in April 2011 (Frank Publishing).

It is available via Amazon here

'Cement Pond' Film by Emil Nylander. Music by Olle Strange

Below is an interview Ania and I did relating to her music and poetry sometime in 2011.

A: Well...what I think is most important..whether it’s picked up by anyone or published or given out is that it’s got to be real. That’s the thing about poetry it’s instant, spontaneous, my real feelings transferred directly.

G:Can we compare that to music? Do you find there’s restrictions when expressing yourself through music?

A:Yes of course-simply you have to rely on other people.

G:With the music you’ve done...it should be out there right? It just should be out there..you know the lyrics are so good.

A:People tell me that a lot..it’s no different to when I’m writing my poetry..But I also get told with music you only get one shot at it otherwise you’re going to blow it. I don’t care if it’s not going to be out there for the mass..certainly if there’s going to be so much bullshit around it.

You know before I used to be so fame driven because lots of bullshit would come into my ear about how I was going to be the next Madonna and all that crap you know what I mean and that made me like a secret prostitute. I’d be like ‘that’d be cool yeah’ and then it was like why would that be cool? It’s a secret prostitute.

The music I want to make it’s not mainstream in the sense of what is getting airplay these days. It’s like in the shadows and it’s for a minority. I haven’t made any new tracks recently (the last one I released a year ago) because the people who I’ve met-the ones who want to work with me just haven’t been my type. Not the right chemistry and vibe, you know. Their desire to create is different to mine. Their need for physical recognition is greater than mine. I’m just trying to be as real as possible to what drives me. That voice inside that doesn’t want to hear the bullshit involved. It’s a persistent problem I guess. Coz there’s young people out there who are willing to be manipulated just as long as the spotlight is shining on them. Try dealing with these guys these A&R dicks..there was this one guy, he was like ‘oh yeah you’re cool-you’ve got this dark voice..we can make you like this Depeche Mode style, how old are you?’ I was like I’m 27. He goes 27 fuck! Why’d you have to be so old...So obsessed..the whole industry is obsessed..artists these days..you have to be like 17 if you want that break so they can form them..have young fans and all that bullshit.

G:It’s like we’re not allowed to praise the wisdom of a well walked path. It keeps getting swept over and we all have to create the path again. Maybe it’s cultural amnesia.

A:Certainly it’s about youth and youth only, that way we’ll feel old. Why does the modelling industry only want to have the youngest, the latest, the thinnest freshest when they’re 16 and call them super stars instead of having someone that has some character or substance..but no you don’t see that because it’s not possible without the “approval stamp” from the fashion police and it has nothing to do with talent and brains. And that doesn’t impress me.

G:I always thought a star was something that could guide you in the night..in the darkness. A rock star or a movie star once had that ability through the freedom of being themselves. That’s not possible anymore..it’s manipulated from the outset.

What’s your plan to beat that..to defeat the medocrity?

A:To surround myself with people who feel the same as I do. They exist out there. They want to do what is true to them. They’re like ‘welcome into my studio’..it’s not like time is money and there’s a record company behind it. I found people that just want to make the best music possible that’s liberating to step aside from the whole machine. There was this producer who sent me some music and he said just play it-listen to it and see what you think. So I listened to it and it made me feel uncomfortable and I wasn’t sure..but I tried and when I listened to it again I started writing my feelings on a piece of paper and it was a rollercoaster of emotions..One page became six or seven. When I spoke to him again he invited me to his studio to record it and I didn’t know..I didn’t know if I wanted to go there, I don’t even know how to compose this..so I went there and the session became this spontaneous one take with these papers everywhere and with the timing of the beat..it felt like I was in this living poetry thing..in a way. It was poetry..everything..to me.

G:So what’s the difference between music and poetry? How do you transport your poetry into music?

A:I want my music to be poetry..so

G:And what’s music?

A:Feeling. It’s feeling. True feeling..what’s true to me. It’s not like it’s got to rhyme..yeah you know there’s a natural flow.

G:The sounds-how do you interact with musicians..do you direct them..how does that work?

A:In the stage I am now I do direct more..they’re long conversations and I say what I want it to sound like..in a way..the feeling. In the beginning music was played to me and I was asked..do you feel anything and I said yeah..it suits me. Then the music made me write. Then I turned it around and I met some music people who had been working in the industry for a very long time and had been successful and they heard it and said okay this could be good. But they were very interesting and then they asked me..what do you want to say and who are you? What do you want to sound like?

It opened up an entirely different way of thinking..because a couple of years before I would just record at home..making demos without any music. I’d just have a beat in my head and I’d press record. It was an interesting way to go. Then I had my piano..that was all dusty and I’d..

G:Did you use to play the piano?

A:Yeah I was forced to take piano lessons when I was little..my mother was like..and I was really..I hated the whole obligation of it. I liked to freestyle though when I was able to.

G:Reading music was something that you didn’t want to do?

A:No I didn’t read..follow the script or whatever you call it. My mother would say..you got to practice now..and I’d go yeah yeah sure. She’d come into my room and say I can hear that’s not the actual..

G:What’s on the page.

A:Yeah. But I remember something that’s very interesting..I always wanted to play..Fur Elise but I could only play the intro. I really wanted to know how to play it because I was so impressed by the whole thing and it would be such a cool thing to be able to play. So the whole contiunation of it..I still can’t understand how I did it but it’s something I managed to freestyle..the whole piece..I mean it sound like the piece..there’s some cracks in it..it’s not exact..but it’s something I managed to do when I was ten. I don’t know how I did it. I still don’t. That I enjoyed..I hated going to lessons though because the teacher always made me feel so...it’s very funny now..I’d have these private piano lessons and the teacher would say..I’ll play these chords and you’ll sing it..I was nine and I thought that was the most embarrassing thing you could ever..it was just me and him..you know. But I thought he put me in such an awkward situation and I said..but I don’t want to..and he said..no you got to do it. So I said I would if I could hide behind the piano..because I don’t want you to look at me..it’s awkward..and he was like OooKay if that’s what you’ve got to do so it happens. From then on everytime we had lessons which was twice a week..I’d arrive and say hello and go straight behind the piano so we couldn’t see each other..then he’d shout out..okay we’re going to start now..and he’d strike a chord and this little voice behind the piano would repeat it. Then he started to record the lessons..my piano playing and my voice..and I heard it and thought..hey that sounds good..from there I got interested in the whole recording thing. It made me want to come back and stuff. The piano..I don’t know..when it was forced I didn’t like it..but when it was freestyle it was good.

G:What do you want to do with your music in the future?

A:I want it to be..what do I want to do with it..lets see..put my poems in there in a non restrictive way kind of thing.

G:You’re happy that your music will find it’s audience.

A:I think people can sense when it’s for them.

G:So you don’t have an agressive need for people to like your music..you’re calm?

A:All I know is I just want to make music that I know expresses how I feel inside. Not the typical pattern of a pop song that is radio friendly..I want it to be alive and creative and changing. I want to reach out to other people and say..fuck the rules.

G:Is there a short cut to being able to release music without having any rules involved?

A:Sure there’s youtube..you can release things by yourself. You can put a song out every second if you wanted to. I do believe in doing as much as possible..recording as much as possible..being in the studio all the time..writing..keep on doing it..the more you do it..well some of it’s going to be crap probably but you just throw that away. But doing it..that’s the most essential..I must say.

When I started making music it was so spontaneous and real and raw and the guy I was working with would come over to my mother’s house when I was still living there and we’d set up in the lounge and close the doors. I had no clue about anything and I was like ‘oh let’s see what happens’ and I felt that it was good and I liked it and he liked it. He would play me a track and every one was exactly what I loved and it’s a great shame we never finished the project. We recorded 14 tracks unreleased..god I want to release it one day I don’t care if I’m 80.