Kult (band)

Kult is a Polish rock band formed in 1982 in Warsaw, originally consisting of Kazik Staszewski (lead vocals, saxophone), Piotr Wieteska (bass), Tadeusz Bagan (guitars) and Dariusz Gierszewski (drums). 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 (saxophones, horn).

Kult
Kult performing live in Warsaw, 2005
Background information
Origin	Warsaw, Poland
Genres	Punk rock, rock, alternative rock, new wave, psychedelic rock, post-punk, jazz, hard rock
Years active	1982–present
Labels	S.P. Records
Members	Kazik Staszewski Jarosław Ważny Wojciech Jabłoński Ireneusz Wereński Janusz Grudziński Janusz Zdunek Piotr Morawiec Tomasz Glazik Tomasz Goehs
Website	kult.art.pl (in Polish)

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. 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".^{[citation needed]} Also in 1987 a second album, the slightly 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 recent post-2000 albums by Kult enjoyed less popularity, Kult remains one of the best-known Polish musical groups. The band released a total of 13 studio albums and two live albums, including the 2010 recording of a MTV Unplugged concert.

History

 

Mirosław Jędras performing with Kult in 2019

Kult was formed in 1982 from Kazik Staszewski's previous band, Novelty Poland.

In July 1982 the band performed at its first concert at the Remont Club in Warsaw.

Although it was not released until July 1987, the first Kult release was recorded in September 1986.

Kult's music has its roots in punk, but now it has some elements of rock, ska, jazz, traditional balladry, reggae, and even poetry. 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.^[1]

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.

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 2008, Kult consists of:

• Tomasz Goehs (1998–present) – drums
• Tomasz Glazik (2003–present) – tenor sax and baritone sax
• Janusz Grudziński (1982–1998; 1999–2023) – keyboards, guitar, cello and vibraphone
• Wojciech Jabłoński (2008–present) – guitar
• Piotr Morawiec (1982–1983; 1987–1988; 1989–present) – guitar
• Kazik Staszewski (1982–present) – vocals, saxophone
• Jarosław Ważny (2008–present) – trombone
• Irek "Jeżyk" Wereński (1986–present) – bass
• Janusz Zdunek (1998–present) – trumpet

Discography

Studio albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Sales	Certifications
		POL ^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]
Kult	Released: May 1987 Label: Polton, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[7]	—
Posłuchaj to do ciebie	Released: October 1987 Label: Klub Płytowy Razem, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[8]	—
Spokojnie	Released: December 1988 Label: Polton, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[9]	—
Kaseta	Released: 1989 Label: Polton, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[10]	—
45-89	Released: February 1991 Label: Arston, Bogdan Studio, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[11]	—
Your Eyes	Released: September 1991 Label: Zic Zac, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[12]	—
Tata Kazika	Released: April 1993 Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[13]	—		POL: Gold^[14]
Muj wydafca	Released: 1 October 1994^[15] Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[16]	—
Tata 2	Released: 1 March 1996^[17] Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[18]	—
Ostateczny krach systemu korporacji	Released: 4 May 1998^[19] Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[20]	—		POL: Gold^[14]
Salon Recreativo	Released: 1 October 2001^[21] Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[22]	1
Poligono Industrial	Released: 5 December 2005^[23] Label: S.P. Records Formats: CD, CD+DVD, digital download^[24]	1	POL: 35,000+^[25]	POL: Gold^[26]
Hurra!	Released: 28 September 2009^[27] Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, digital download^[28]	1	POL: 30,000+^[29]	POL: Platinum^[29]
Prosto	Released: 13 May 2013^[30] Label: S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, digital download^[31]	1	POL: 40,000+^[32]	POL: Platinum^[33]
Wstyd	Released: 14 October 2016 Label: S.P. Records	1^[34]		POL: Platinum^[35]
Wstyd. Suplement 2016	Released: 2 December 2016 Label: S.P. Records	16^[36]
Ostatnia płyta	Released: 28 May 2021 Label: S.P. Records	1^[37]
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions	Sales	Certifications
		POL ^[2]
Tan	Released: 1989 Label: Arston, S.P. Records Formats: LP, CD, CS, digital download^[38]	—
MTV Unplugged	Released: 22 November 2010^[39] Label: S.P. Records Formats: CD, CD+DVD, DVD, LP, Blu-ray	1	POL: 150,000+^[40]	POL: Diamond^[41]
Made in Poland	Released: 8 September 2017^[42] Label: S.P. Records	2^[43]
Made in Poland II	Released: 15 December 2017^[44] Label: S.P. Records	44^[45]
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

1. "Kult Following". Warsaw Voice. 18 October 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2007.
2. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
3. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
4. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
5. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
6. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS – Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
7. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
8. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 4 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
9. "Spokojnie by KULT on iTunes". itunes.apple.com. April 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
10. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
11. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
12. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
13. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 24 August 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
14. "Kult ze złotą płytą i niespodzianką – Aktualności – Muzyka rockowa i metalowa, zespoły, płyty, wywiady – Teraz Rock". terazrock.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
15. "Muj Wydafca – Kult – Muzyka – WP.PL". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
16. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
17. "Tata 2 – Kult – Muzyka – WP.PL". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
18. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
19. "Ostateczny Krach Systemu Korporacji – Kult – Muzyka – WP.PL". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
20. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
21. "Salon Recreativo – Kult – Muzyka – WP.PL". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
22. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
23. "Poligono Industrial – Kult – Muzyka – WP.PL". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
24. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
25. "Aktualności". sprecords.com.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
26. "Kult odebrał złota płytę – Muzyka". muzyka.onet.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
27. "Hurra! - Kult – Muzyka – WP.PL". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
28. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
29. Polska Press Sp. z o.o. (19 February 2010). "Hurra, niech Kult żyje nam!". wiadomosci24.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
30. "Prosto – Kult – Muzyka – WP.PL". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
31. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
32. "Najnowsza płyta Kultu pokryła się platyną – dziennikpolski24.pl". dziennikpolski24.pl. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
33. Redakcja | TopGuitar (12 November 2013). "Kult odebrał Platynową Płytę za album "Prosto" - TopGuitar.pl". topguitar.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
34. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS – Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl (in Polish). 27 October 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
35. "ZPAV :: Bestsellery i wyróżnienia – Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD – Archiwum". bestsellery.zpav.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 12 May 2019.
36. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS – Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl (in Polish). 16 December 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
37. "OLiS – sprzedaż w okresie 28 May 2021 – 3 June 2021". olis.onyx.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 10 June 2021.
38. . iTunes. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
39. "MTV Unplugged – Kult – Muzyka – WP.PL". muzyka.wp.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
40. "Wielki sukces Kultu! - muzyka.interia.pl". muzyka.interia.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
41. "MTV Unplugged Kult diamentową płytą". cgm.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
42. Kokot, Przemysław (17 August 2017). "Kult przedstawia wyjątkowy album: "Made in Poland"". www.wyspa.fm (in Polish). Retrieved 12 May 2019.
43. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS – Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl (in Polish). 21 September 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
44. Pajewski, Dominik (15 December 2017). "Kult – Made In Poland 2: PREMIERA nowej koncertówki zespołu". EskaROCK (in Polish). Retrieved 12 May 2019.
45. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS – Official Retail Sales Chart". olis.onyx.pl (in Polish). 4 January 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2019.

External links

• Official website (in Polish)
• Kult at AllMusic