Elektryczne Gitary is a Polish rock band formed in 1989 by , , and . Their primary goal is to perform original songs with a rock sound, with most of the band's repertoire written by Sienkiewicz. The band's logo, featuring an "electric cat", was designed by artist .

The band gained popularity quickly and by 2009 had sold over 1.5 million original albums. Known for their distinctive sense of humor and self-deprecating irony, the band developed a reputation for not taking the rock genre too seriously. Sienkiewicz has stated that during their performances, he aims to exaggerate and caricature their music. Guitar phrases are intentionally played to sound self-mocking, and many of their concerts resemble happenings rather than traditional rock shows.

History

Beginnings and the 1990s In 1977, and founded the acoustic band Młode Matki, and later, they formed Zuch Kozioł with . After the dissolution of both projects, they didn't collaborate for some time. During this period, Łojek and arranged big-beat versions of songs written by Sienkiewicz, and soon, with drummer Sławomir Wiechecki, they began rehearsing and recording together.

Their first concert took place at the . On 10 May 1990, they performed at the in Warsaw with new drummer Marek Kanclerz. From the beginning, they played songs by Kuba Sienkiewicz but also drew from the works of artists such as Stanisław Staszewski, , Rafał Wojaczek, and Jan Krzysztof Kelus. Part of their repertoire was also composed by Piotr Łojek.

In 1991, they signed a contract with the label and released their debut studio album Wielka radość in 1992. The album included hits like Jestem z miasta, Włosy, Przewróciło się, and Koniec. Two tracks, Będę szedł and Wszystko ch., featured saxophone by , who officially joined the band in 1995. Just before recording the debut album, Marek Kanclerz left the band; he can only be heard on the song Włosy, recorded during a 1990 rehearsal session. From then on, Robert Wrona served as the band's concert drummer until 2003. During the album's recording, bassist joined the group.

By mid-1991, their popularity in Poland grew significantly, thanks to airplay on local radio stations, followed by broadcasts on Polskie Radio Program III, and eventually, other nationwide stations. They began to tour larger venues, and crowds of several thousand people attended their performances. They solidified their place on the Polish music scene by performing alongside Dżem and at in Warsaw.

In 1994, Robert Wrona left the band and was replaced by Jarosław Kopeć. At times, second drummer Robert Szambelan performed with the group. The band rearranged several songs, which appeared in more elaborate versions during concerts, such as Włosy and Koniec. At the beginning of 1995, they released a blues-inspired album, Huśtawki, featuring Marymoncki Dżon with lyrics by Krzysztof Bień, and a Polish adaptation of Paul McCartney's Heart of the Country, titled Serce jak pies. Although the album initially sold only 80,000 copies – less than their first two – it still achieved gold record status by 1997.

In mid-1995, Aleksander Korecki joined the band. In 1996, the band signed with PolyGram Polska and released a live album, Chałtury, featuring recordings from two Warsaw concerts (2 September 1995 at Krasiński Square and 7 January 1996 at the Riviera Club). Alongside Elektryczne Gitary and Kuba Sienkiewicz's hits, the album included covers like Jestem o(d)padem atomowym by and Celina by Stanisław Staszewski. The album, featuring Korecki on saxophone, was promoted with a video for Jestem o(d)padem atomowym and a tour.

In 1997, they released Na krzywy ryj, featuring the hit Co ty tutaj robisz. After the album's release, Jarosław Kopeć left, replaced by Leon Paduch. This lineup has remained unchanged. The album revitalized the band's popularity, earning a platinum certification and sparking a well-received tour. That year, they also created the soundtrack for Juliusz Machulski's film Kiler, featuring hits like Kiler, written in five minutes. The soundtrack became the best-selling in Polish film history.

The collaboration with Machulski continued in 1999 with the soundtrack for Kiler-ów 2-óch, highlighted by Co powie Ryba. During this time, the band performed open-air concerts and joined tours organized by commercial radio stations.

In 2000, Elektryczne Gitary celebrated their 10th anniversary with the two-disc album Słodka maska. The first disc contained studio recordings, including two lesser-known songs by , while the second featured concert recordings from Poznań (27 May 2000) and Szczecin (10 June 2000). The album was promoted with Nowa gwiazda, which mocked the absurdity of Polish elections. The state broadcaster, TVP, declined to air the video, negatively impacting the album's promotion.

21st century In 2002, Elektryczne Gitary recorded the soundtrack for Jacek Bromski's comedy Career of Nikos Dyzma, promoting it with the song Doktor Dyzma. The band rearranged their earlier songs for the soundtrack while also creating new material. In 2003, they worked on new original compositions and performed numerous concerts across Poland. Despite having extensive demo recordings, the label Universal hesitated to release a new album, leading to the band terminating their contract. During this time, they recorded the song Jogurtowy twist for a yogurt advertisement.

In 2006, they signed with Warner Music Poland and released the album Atomistyka on September 25, featuring the single Czasy średnie. The album's promotional efforts included a live concert at Warsaw's Podzamcze and a video featuring interviews and footage of the performance. By 2008, Jacek Wąsowski joined as a guitarist, first as a temporary replacement and then as a permanent member.

Following the extensive spring-summer tour, the band organized four unique concerts in November and December 2008 at various radio stations: , , , and Polskie Radio Program I. These performances included several newly created songs, which were recorded and released on the live album Antena on 5 June 2009. This release commemorated the band's 20-year history. On 2 November 2010, Elektryczne Gitary issued the album Historia, offering their distinctive musical take on various events from Polish history.

In 2012, the album Nic mnie nie rusza was released, with the title track accompanied by a music video. That summer, the band performed at Przystanek Woodstock, releasing a DVD of the performance in December. In June 2014, they celebrated their 25th anniversary with Stare Jak Nowe. 25 przebojów na 25-lecie, featuring refreshed versions of their hits.

Discography

Studio albums YearAlbumRelease datePublisherChart position (OLiS)Certification1992Wielka radośćMid-1992–2× platinum1993A ty co2 November 1993Zic Zac–Platinum1995HuśtawkiJanuary 1995Zic Zac–Gold1997Na krzywy ryj23 March 1997PolyGram Polska–Platinum2000Słodka maska28 September 2000Universal Music Polska30–2006Atomistyka25 September 2006Warner Music Poland24–2010Historia2 November 2010EMI Music Poland49–2012Nic mnie nie rusza20 March 2012EMI Music Poland37–2016Czasowniki13 June 2016MTJ––2020202030 April 2020–– "–" indicates that the album was not charted.

Compilations YearAlbumRelease datePublisherChart position (OLiS)Certification1997Nie jestem z miasta – the best of1997Zic Zac / BMG Poland––1998Sława – de best 21998Zic Zac / BMG Poland––2000Gold17 July 2000––2001Niepokonani28 September 2001Universal Music Polska––2007Gwiazdy XX Wieku. Elektryczne Gitary – Największe przeboje2007Sony BMG––2014Stare jak nowe. 25 przebojów na 25-lecie3 June 2014Warner Music Poland28Gold

Live albums YearAlbumRelease datePublisher1996Chałtury21 April 1996PolyGram Polska2009Antena5 June 2009

Soundtracks YearAlbumRelease datePublisherCertification1997Kiler10 February 1997PolyGram PolskaPlatinum1999Kiler-ów 2-óch11 January 1999PolyGram Polska–2002Kariera Nikosia Dyzmy28 February 2002Universal Music Polska–

DVDs YearAlbumRelease datePublisher2012Elektryczne Gitary – XVIII Przystanek Woodstock, 4 sierpnia 201230 November 2012Złoty Melon

Singles YearTitleChart position (LP3)Album1991Jestem z miasta18Wielka radość1991Włosy201992Koniec–1993Dzieci3A ty co1993Dylematy–1994Serce jak pies8Huśtawki1994Marymoncki Dżon–1996Jestem o(d)padem atomowym–Chałtury1996Idę do pracy–1996Jestem z miasta–1997Co ty tutaj robisz1Na krzywy ryj1997Na krzywy ryj111997Ja jestem nowy rok311997Goń swego pawia–1997Kiler1Kiler1998Co powie Ryba9Kiler-ów 2-óch1999Nie jestem sobą381999Ja mam szczęście–1999Zostań tu (cover of Only You by The Platters)––2000Nowa gwiazda–Słodka maska2000Napady242001Słodka laska – biała śmierć–2002Doktor Dyzma–Kariera Nikosia Dyzmy2005O słoneczku––2006Nie urosnę–Atomistyka2006Czasy średnie62006Kiedy mówisz człowiek–2009Dwudziestolatka–Historia2009Ucieczka 5:55–2010Był NZS–2010Dywizjon 303132019Najwyższa pora2920202020Ósmy trzeci–2020Podróżnicze sny–

Members

Current members

Kuba Sienkiewicz (1990–present): Guitar, vocals Piotr Łojek (1990–present): Keyboards, guitars Tomasz Grochowalski (1992–present): Bass guitar Aleksander Korecki (1995–present): Saxophone, flute, percussion Leon Paduch (1997–present): Drums Jacek Wąsowski (2008–present): Lead guitar

Former members

Rafał Kwaśniewski (1990–1992): Lead guitar Marek Kanclerz (1990–1991): Drums Robert Wrona (1991–1994): Drums Jarosław Kopeć (1994–1997): Drums

References

Bibliography