Ania Tarnowska, known professionally as I Ya Toyah, is a Chicago, USA musician, singer, composer, producer, performer, and the founder/CEO of Femme Fatale Records label. Her music incorporates elements of multiple genres including

industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

electro-industrial Electro-industrial is a music genre that emerged from industrial music in the early 1980s. While EBM (electronic body music) has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial tends to have a grittier, complex and layered sound wi ...

, goth electro, punk electro, electronic rock, and synthwave. It best fits in the

alternative music Alternative music may refer to the following types of music: *Alternative rock *Alternative pop *Alternative R&B *Neo soul, sometimes known as alternative soul *Alternative reggaeton *Alternative hip hop *Alternative dance *Alternative metal *Chris ...

category. She began releasing her music independently in 2018, with 4 single releases, followed by her self-recorded and self-produced debut album, Code Blue. In 2019, she released 5 singles, participated in many collaborations, became a member of post-industrial supergroup,

The Joy Thieves The Joy Thieves is a musical supergroup, consisting of current, former, and touring members of bands such as Ministry, Stabbing Westward, The Rollins Band, Killing Joke, Pigface, Revolting Cocks, , David Bowie, Machines of Loving Grace, Marilyn M ...

and toured excessively with bands such as Pigface and Zwaremachine. In 2020, she released 2 singles and a double album of remixes titled Code Blue Reloaded plus bonus album Code Blue Revelations. In 2021 Out of Order - a 5 chapters E.P. consisting of five singles and music videos came out in both digital and physical forms. 2022 brought I Ya Toyah on the US East Coast Tour, and marked her first acoustic EP release Ghosts. When spoken out loud in Polish, I Ya Toyah means “It’s Just Me.” Her logo art merges the symbols for

peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

and

anarchy Anarchy is a society without a government. It may also refer to a society or group of people that entirely rejects a set hierarchy. ''Anarchy'' was first used in English in 1539, meaning "an absence of government". Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopted ...

that symbolizes her “rebel psyche.”

History

Born and raised in Lódz, Poland, Ania began her music education as a child, studying classical guitar, piano, vocal performance, and music theory. She moved to the United States as a young adult, and soon became a part of multiple musical projects, performing with

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

, punk rock jazz, and

prog Prog may refer to: Music * Progressive music ** Progressive music (disambiguation) ** Progressive rock, a subgenre of rock music also known as “prog” *** Progressive rock (radio format) * Prog (magazine), a magazine dedicated to progressive ...

rock bands in prominent venues across the US. In 2016, she graduated as the valedictorian from SAE Institute, where she focused on Music Business and Audio Engineering. In 2017, she began working at her home studio on her solo project, I Ya Toyah, and her debut album, Code Blue, was released independently on Oct. 26th, 2018. True to her motto, she spent the majority of 2019 “spreading the disease of music and infecting the human race” by touring. In 2020, she was scheduled to tour the US and Canada as direct support for

Stabbing Westward Stabbing Westward is an American industrial rock band. Christopher Hall and Walter Flakus formed the band in 1985 in Macomb, Illinois. The band released an extended play in 1992, followed by four studio albums: ''Ungod'' (1994), ''Wither Bli ...

, but it was postponed, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown was spent creating new material for her EP, Out Of Order, and collaborating with various artists. In February / March 2022 I Ya Toyah embarked on an East Coast US Tour, promoting her new material in live settings.

Remixes

I Ya Toyah's music has been remixed by artists, including

Skold ''Skold'' is the debut solo album released in 1996 by Tim Skold. The song "Chaos" was used in the video game ''Twisted Metal 4'' and the film '' Universal Soldier: The Return''. The song "Hail Mary" can be found on the ''Disturbing Behavior'' so ...

(

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He came to prominence as the lead singer of the band which shares his name, of which he remains the only constant member since it ...

Shotgun Messiah Shotgun Messiah was a Swedish glam metal band originally from Skövde formed by guitarist Harry Cody, bassist Tim Skold, and drummer Stixx Galore. Cody and Skold were the mainstays of the band, and along with various personnel released three al ...

, KMFDM,

Motionless in White Motionless in White is an American metalcore band from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2004, the band consists of lead vocalist Chris "Motionless" Cerulli, guitarists Ryan Sitkowski and Ricky "Horror" Olson, drummer Vinny Mauro and bassist Ju ...

), Gopal Metro (the co-founder of the Gothic Rock band, Bella Morte),

Rhys Fulber Nowell Rhys Fulber is a Canadian electronic musician and producer. He is a member of Front Line Assembly and Delerium, along with Bill Leeb. He also records under his own name and under the name Conjure One. Biography Rhys Fulber was born in ...

(

Front Line Assembly Front Line Assembly (FLA) is a Canadian electro-industrial band formed by Bill Leeb in 1986 after leaving Skinny Puppy. FLA has developed its own sound incorporating elements of electronic body music and electro-industrial. The band's members ...

Conjure One Conjure One is a Canadian electronic music project, headed by Rhys Fulber, better known as a member of Front Line Assembly and Delerium. History After performing with Front Line Assembly at the 1996 Roskilde Festival, Fulber left the band to pu ...

), Adoration Destroyed, and

(See full discography below.)

Collaborations

In 2019 I Ya Toyah recorded music with artists such as

Julian Beeston Julian Beeston is an English musician, mainly noted for his time in the electronic groups Nitzer Ebb and Cubanate. He has spent time as a remixing engineer working on artists such as Bob Marley and Billy Idol. More recently, he has worked as a ...

(

Nitzer Ebb Nitzer Ebb () are a British EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Vaughan "Bon" Harris (programming, synthesizers, drums, vocals), Douglas McCarthy (vocals), and David Gooday (drums). History Initial releases (1983–1987) The g ...

Cubanate Cubanate are an English industrial band from London, England, founded in 1992 by Marc Heal and Graham Rayner with Phil Barry and Steve Etheridge. The group became well known for their combination of electro-industrial with distorted heavy met ...

), Max Fox (Zwaremachine), Indign, and Traumabond. That year she also became a member of

, a post-industrial super group that includes current, former, and touring members of bands such as

Ministry Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...

Revolting Cocks Revolting Cocks, also known as RevCo, are an American-Belgian industrial rock band, and sometimes supergroup, that began as a musical side project for Richard23 of Front 242, Luc van Acker, and Al Jourgensen of Ministry. History 1984: Origin ...

, Pigface,

, KMFDM,

My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult (often shortened to Thrill Kill Kult or TKK) is an American electronic industrial rock band originally based in Chicago and founded by Groovie Mann (born Frankie Nardiello) and Buzz McCoy (born Marston Daley). ...

Blue October Blue October is an American rock band originally from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and is currently composed of singer/guitarist Justin Furstenfeld, drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld, multi-instrumentalist Ryan Delahoussaye, bassist M ...

16VOLT 16volt is an American industrial rock band featuring Eric Powell, with other performers added for live shows. History 16volt was formed in Portland, Oregon by composer and vocalist Eric Powell. Powell recruited musicians drummer Joel Bornzin, g ...

, and more. In March 2020, she also started working as a

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

, alongside movie director, Ralph Klisiewicz, creating the score for a short film called The Artifact.

Social awareness and causes

As a suicide loss survivor, I Ya Toyah advocates for the importance of mental wellness, and ending the stigma that surrounds mental illness. During her live performances, she often talks about mental health with her audience, communicating the significance of breaking the stigma. Her ‘Code Blue’ album focuses on mental health and suicide prevention, and 15% of all proceeds go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). In July 2020, she organized an Art Auction for Mental Health During the Times of Pandemic. Artists from across the US created and donated art pieces that were inspired by her lyrical content, and all the proceeds aided the AFSP. In December 2022 I Ya Toyah released a self-funded line of suicide prevention and mental health wristbands promoting 988 Crisis Line, available for free with free shipping across the USA. In April 2019, I Ya Toyah released a single and a video titled Forbidden Bark, which featured her dog, Benek. The release was used as a platform to raise awareness for charity organizations that focus on fighting animal cruelty. Benek was featured again in May 2022 as I Ya Toyah performed a live streamed show during Goths For Sanctuaries Festival raising money for animal sanctuaries around the world. In 2020, her song Funeral for Love was selected to be a part of ESA (Electronic Saviors: Industrial Music to Cure Cancer) compilation released by Metropolis Records/Distortion Productions. This version of the song, featuring Traumabond appeared on this release, alongside bands such as Ego Likeness, The Clay People, Leæther Strip, Angelspit, ,

Die Warzau Die Warzau (originally Die Warzau Synfony) was an American industrial music band formed in 1987 by Jim Marcus and Van Christie. History In the late 80s, Jim Marcus and Van Christie were working individually as performance artists. Christie ha ...

, Caustic, God Module, Skatenigs, and

Cyanotic Cyanosis is the change of body tissue color to a bluish-purple hue as a result of having decreased amounts of oxygen bound to the hemoglobin in the red blood cells of the capillary bed. Body tissues that show cyanosis are usually in locations ...

. In Spring 2022 I Ya Toyah participated in the recording of a version of the Beatles’ classic Come Together to raise funds for the people of the war-torn country of Ukraine. The project named Lifeline International was arranged and mixed by legendary music producer

John Fryer John Fryer may refer to: *John Fryer (physician) (died 1563), English physician, humanist and early reformer *John Fryer (physician, died 1672), English physician *John Fryer (travel writer) (1650–1733), British travel-writer and doctor *Sir John ...

, who has worked with such seminal bands as

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

, and

Cocteau Twins Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrum ...

. Participants included members of

Faith No More Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/r ...

, Rammstein, Filter, THE HARDKISS,

Agnostic Front Agnostic Front is an American hardcore punk band from New York City. Founded in 1980, the band is considered an important influence on the New York hardcore scene, as well as a pioneer of the crossover thrash genre. History First era (1980–19 ...

Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe. The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London, UK. They first rose to popularity in the underground house scene ...

, and more.

Discography

Singles

* ''Code Blue'' - 2018 * ''Farewell - Mirrors Don’t Lie'' - 2018 * ''Funeral For Love'' - 2018 * ''Glass Eyes'' - 2018 * ''Funeral For Love (remix by Gopal Metro Invasion)'' -2019 * ''Forbidden Bark (feat. Benek the Dog)'' - 2019 * ''Flashback (remix by

)'' - 2019 * ''Puppet (remix by Adoration Destroyed)'' - 2019 * ''Glass Eyes (remix by

)'' - 2019 * ''Motion (remix by

)'' - 2020 * ''It’s No Good (cover of

)'' - 2020 *''Out of Order'' - 2021 *''Concrete'' - 2021 *''Pray'' - 2021 *''Death's Kiss'' - 2021 *''Vast Spaces'' - 2021 *''Pray (remix by

)'' - 2021 *''Vast Spaces (remix by

)'' - 2022 *''Code Blue (acoustic)'' - 2022 *''Pray (acoustic)'' - 2022 *''Time Machine (acoustic)'' - 2022

Albums and EPs

* ''Code Blue'' - 2018 * ''Code Blue Reloaded (remix album)'' - 2020 * ''Code Blue Revelations (bonus remix album)'' - 2020 *''Out of Order'' - 2021 *''Ghosts'' (''acoustic EP'') - 2022

Collaborative releases and compilations

* ''Smile That Killed the Country (with Max Fox of Zwaremachine)'' - 2019 * ''Cities in Dust (with The Joy Thieves)'' - 2019 * ''Autumn Storm (with Indign)'' - 2020 * ''Electronic Saviors: Funeral for Love feat.Traumabond ( Metropolis Records)'' - 2020 *''Tiny Gods Who Walk Beside Us'' - 2020 *''Tear Down The Walls: A Riveting Tribute To Pink Floyd's The Wall (Riveting Music) with The Joy Thieves'' - 2020 *''The Unquiet Grave (

Cleopatra Records Cleopatra Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1992 by Brian Perera. The record label has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, Dea ...

)'' - 2020 *''We The People (Featured by

)'' - 2021 *''Higher Than The Sun'' ''(Featured by

)'' - 2021 *''Crazy Horses'' ''(Featured by Julian Beeston)'' - 2021 *''Broken Hearts & Robot Parts, Volume II (

COP International COP International, also shortened to ''COP Int'l.'', is a music label, based in Oakland, California. Initially, the label was founded in 1991 by Christian Petke (a.k.a. Count Zero of Deathline Int'l.) in Frankfurt, Germany. A few months later, K ...

)'' - 2021 *''Follow The Leaders'' ''(A

Killing Joke Killing Joke are an English rock music, rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass). Their first album, ''Ki ...

Tribute) by Coitus Interruptus Productions - Money is Not Out God with

'' - 2021 *''Come Together'' ''(with Lifeline International)'' - 2022 *''Talkin' Bout The Wolf (with Jonathan/Christian)'' - 2022 *''Love is a Battlefield'' ''(with The Joy Thieves)'' - 2022

External links

References

{{Reflist Living people American musicians Polish emigrants to the United States Year of birth missing (living people)