Kult is a Polish rock band formed in 1982 in Warsaw.
Kult's early works were strongly influenced by alternative, progressive and punk rock, as well as the British new wave, but the band gradually incorporated more diverse and innovative styles in their music. The music of the band is primarily associated with strong lyrics by Staszewski and distinct wind section. From the start, the group has had an instantly recognizable sound and is distinguished by the voice and provocative lyrics of the lead singer, Kazik Staszewski.
Kult became famous for the atmosphere they created at their concerts and the unorthodox message in their songs. Kult's songs attack 'the system', understood as a conglomerate of the communist state apparatus, the Catholic Church, and others. In the nineties Kult took on the 'new system', which was seen as founded on pseudo-democratic leaders, the clergy and corporations.
History
Before forming the band, all members of the original quartet had been playing together in either Poland or Novelty Poland, two bands led by Staszewski between 1979 and 1981. In July 1982 the band performed at its first concert at the Remont Club in Warsaw. The first concert of the new band in July 1982 sold only 14 tickets. However, in 1986 the band recorded its first album (named eponymously "Kult"; released the following year), which attracted much attention and included early punk-inspired hits "Krew Boga", "O Ani" and "Wspaniała nowina". Initially the censorship office did not allow for release of many songs by Staszewski, clearly aimed against "the system". Also in 1987 a second album, the slightly more psychedelic "Posłuchaj to do Ciebie" was released. Since then the band gained much popularity in Poland, with songs such as "Do Ani", "Arahja" and "Krew Boga" reaching #1 on Polish Radio 3 chart (LP3).
After 1989 and the end of Communist rule in Poland Kult enjoyed great success, with each of a series of albums bringing new hits to the tops of the radio charts. The "Generał Ferreira / Rząd oficjalny" from the 1991 album "Your Eyes" reached No. 1 on LP3 and stayed in the Top20 for 33 consecutive weeks. "Dziewczyna bez zęba na przedzie", "Komu bije dzwon", "Gdy nie ma dzieci" and "Lewy czerwcowy" (from the 1998 album "Ostateczny krach systemu korporacji") all reached No. 1 and stayed in the Top20 for 37, 38, 30 and 23 weeks, respectively. In addition, "Gdy nie ma dzieci" spent 9 weeks at #1, a former record among Polish artists, surpassed by Artur Rojek's "Syreny" in 2014.
Although the post-2000 albums by Kult enjoyed less popularity, Kult remains one of the best-known Polish musical groups. The band released a total of 17 studio albums and five live albums, including the 2010 recording of a MTV Unplugged concert.
Members The original members of Kult were:
Tadeusz Bagan (1982) – guitar Dariusz "Misiek" Gierszewski (1982) – drums Kazik Staszewski (1982–present) – vocals, saxophone Piotr Wieteska (1982–1986) – bass
The band's lineup changed over the years. As of 2025, Kult consists of:
Tomasz Goehs (1998–present) – drums Wojciech Jabłoński (2008–present) – guitar Kazik Staszewski (1982–present) – vocals, saxophone Jarosław Ważny (2008–present) – trombone Irek "Jeżyk" Wereński (1986–present) – bass Janusz Zdunek (1998–present) – trumpet Mariusz Godzina (2020–present) – saxophone Konrad Wantrych (2020–present) – keyboards The other former members are:
Janusz Grudziński (1982–1998; 1999–2023) – keyboards, guitar, cello and vibraphone Piotr Morawiec (1982–1983; 1987–1988; 1989–2024) – guitar Tomasz Glazik (2003–2020) – tenor and baritone saxophone Rafał Kwaśniewski (1988–1989) – guitar Krzysztof Banasik (1988–2008) – french horn, trumpet, guitar, keyboards, squeezebox and sitar
(List is not complete)
Discography
Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales CertificationsPOLKult Released: May 1987 Label: Polton, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download —Posłuchaj to do ciebie Released: October 1987 Label: Klub Płytowy Razem, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download —Spokojnie Released: December 1988 Label: Polton, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download —Kaseta Released: 1989 Label: Polton, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download —45-89 Released: February 1991 Label: Arston, Bogdan Studio, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download —Your Eyes Released: September 1991 Label: Zic Zac, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download —Tata Kazika Released: April 1993 Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download — POL: GoldMuj wydafca Released: 1 October 1994 Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download —Tata 2 Released: 1 March 1996 Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download —Ostateczny krach systemu korporacji Released: 4 May 1998 Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download — POL: GoldSalon Recreativo Released: 1 October 2001 Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download 1Poligono Industrial Released: 5 December 2005 Label: S.P. Records Formats: CD, CD+DVD, digital download 1 POL: 35,000+ POL: GoldHurra! Released: 28 September 2009 Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, digital download 1 POL: 30,000+ POL: PlatinumProsto Released: 13 May 2013 Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, digital download 1 POL: 40,000+ POL: PlatinumWstydReleased: 14 October 2016 Label: S.P. Records1 POL: PlatinumWstyd. Suplement 2016Released: 2 December 2016 Label: S.P. Records16Ostatnia płytaReleased: 28 May 2021 Label: S.P. Records1 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Live albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales CertificationsPOLTan Released: 1989 Label: Arston, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download —MTV Unplugged Released: 22 November 2010 Label: S.P. Records Formats: CD, CD+DVD, DVD, LP, Blu-ray 1 POL: 150,000+ POL: DiamondMade in PolandReleased: 8 September 2017 Label: S.P. Records2Made in Poland IIReleased: 15 December 2017 Label: S.P. Records44Live Pol’and’Rock Festival 2019 Released: 6 November 2020 Label: S.P. Records1 POL: Platinum "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
References
External links Official website (in Polish)