Music selected by ammel. This project asks the artists who created it to select books for ammel.
The fourth release is by Olga Anna Markowska ( ), a multi-instrumentalist from Poland who released her debut full-length album ISKRA on MIASMAH in 2025, following Thrills released on Kanu Kanu Recordings last year. Olga Anna Markowska.
Olga was born in Poland, a country with four distinct seasons just like Japan. She explores themes such as identity, memory of place, and the connection between people and nature. The book she chose for us was the Polish folk tale "BASNIE POLSKIE."
Unfortunately, the memorable story of hers that was included in the book she selected this time is no longer available in print or in circulation in either Japanese or English. However, she sent me an English translation of the story (!), so please read the Japanese translation here .
”Polish Tales holds a special place in my heart, not only for its literary value but also for the deep personal sentiment I have attached to it. I discovered my copy in the attic of my grandparents' allotment, and inside the cover was a dedication to my mother, gifted to her in recognition of her academic achievements. As I delved into this collection, vivid images formed in my mind, allowing me to clearly picture the characters and settings of each story.
One story, in particular, left a lasting impression on me—Bolesław Prus’ tale About a Dormant Maiden and Enchanted Treasures at the Bottom of the Stream. The story is haunting and doesn’t offer a happy ending. It significantly shaped my visual and musical sensibilities later in life.
The tale conveys two intertwined morals. It emphasizes the importance of courage and inner strength in overcoming fear, as the protagonist's hesitation leads to tragic failure, ending in eternal pain. At the same time, it explores the conflict between bravery and empathy, as his fear stems from a pure heart and concern for potentially harming another person. The story warns that while compassion is noble, it can sometimes hinder decisive action when the moment calls for it.”
-The story of "The Sleeping Maiden and the Magical Treasure at the Bottom of the Stream" that you told me about has made me think and imagine the world in my head many times. I personally feel that your music creates a worldview that is warm, strange, fantastical, and has a message even without lyrics. Do books like Polish Tales, which are fantastical, have a message, and teach a lesson, directly influence your compositions?
”Polish Fairy Tales, they are so deeply ingrained in me that they inevitably find their way into my music—though in an ethereal, non-literal way.
The fairy tale I mentioned to you has been etched in my mind and heart since childhood, and it will stay with me forever. Even as an adult, I still reflect on the emotions of the blacksmith—the moment he pulled the pin from the girl’s forehead and saw her terror. I think about how paralyzing it must have been for him, realizing that he had unintentionally harmed her. That act led to his downfall, but it also revealed the kindness in his heart.
When I compose music, everything begins in my mind—it’s a fusion of emotions, experiences, and places that blur together in memory. Music becomes the catalyst for all the stories I’ve lived and the emotions I’ve left unspoken. I also find myself creating new narratives, stepping into different characters’ shoes, imagining their feelings, and translating those emotions into sound.”
-This ISKRA was a bright red record. The book you chose as a memorable book, "Polish Tales," probably the one you found in the attic back then, also had a bright red cover. Does red have a special meaning for the Polish people?
”As for the color of the vinyl, I was thinking of red—the color of blood. Blood is an ambivalent fluid, symbolizing both fragility, wounding, and weakness, yet also the essence of life itself—something without which existence would not be possible.
For me, it’s an absolute, uncompromising color. I also find it to be the perfect choice for the cover of these tales—completely coincidental, yet such an extraordinary coincidence!”
If you see a book wrapped in glassine paper in a storefront, with the shadows of the letters faintly reflected,
Please feel free to pick up a copy and ask who selected the books.
Music created by people who treasure that book or whose lives were influenced by it.
It is available at ammel.