| Origin: | Warsaw, Poland |
| Genre: | rock and roll, pop rock, comedy rock, alternative rock |
| Years Active: | 1989–present |
| Label: | , PolyGram Polska, Universal Music Polska, Warner Music Poland, Polskie Radio, |
| Current Members: | ,,,, Leon Paduch, Jacek Wąsowski |
| Past Members: | , Marek Kanclerz, Robert Wrona, Jarosław Kopeć |
Elektryczne Gitary is a Polish rock band formed in 1989[1] 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.[2]
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.[3] 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.
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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]
| Year | Album | Release date | Publisher | Chart position (OLiS) | Certification | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Wielka radość | Mid-1992 | – | 2× platinum[7] | ||
| 1993 | A ty co | 2 November 1993[8] | Zic Zac | – | Platinum[9] | |
| 1995 | Huśtawki | January 1995 | Zic Zac | – | Gold[10] | |
| 1997 | Na krzywy ryj | 23 March 1997[11] | PolyGram Polska | – | Platinum | |
| 2000 | Słodka maska | 28 September 2000[12] | Universal Music Polska | 30[13] | – | |
| 2006 | Atomistyka | 25 September 2006 | Warner Music Poland | 24[14] | – | |
| 2010 | Historia | 2 November 2010 | EMI Music Poland | 49[15] | – | |
| 2012 | Nic mnie nie rusza | 20 March 2012 | EMI Music Poland | 37[16] | – | |
| 2016 | Czasowniki | 13 June 2016[17] | MTJ | – | – | |
| 2020 | 2020 | 30 April 2020[18] | – | – |
| Year | Album | Release date | Publisher | Chart position (OLiS) | Certification | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Nie jestem z miasta – the best of | 1997 | Zic Zac / BMG Poland | – | – | |
| 1998 | Sława – de best 2 | 1998 | Zic Zac / BMG Poland | – | – | |
| 2000 | Gold | 17 July 2000[19] | – | – | ||
| 2001 | Niepokonani | 28 September 2001[20] | Universal Music Polska | – | – | |
| 2007 | Gwiazdy XX Wieku. Elektryczne Gitary – Największe przeboje | 2007 | Sony BMG | – | – | |
| 2014 | Stare jak nowe. 25 przebojów na 25-lecie | 3 June 2014 | Warner Music Poland | 28[21] | Gold[22] |
| Year | Album | Release date | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Chałtury | 21 April 1996[23] | PolyGram Polska | |
| 2009 | Antena | 5 June 2009 |
| Year | Album | Release date | Publisher | Certification | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Kiler | 10 February 1997 | PolyGram Polska | Platinum[24] | |
| 1999 | Kiler-ów 2-óch | 11 January 1999[25] | PolyGram Polska | – | |
| 2002 | Kariera Nikosia Dyzmy | 28 February 2002[26] | Universal Music Polska | – |
| Year | Title | Chart position (LP3)[27] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Jestem z miasta | 18 | Wielka radość |
| 1991 | Włosy | 20 | |
| 1992 | Koniec | – | |
| 1993 | Dzieci | 3 | A ty co |
| 1993 | Dylematy | – | |
| 1994 | Serce jak pies | 8 | Huśtawki |
| 1994 | Marymoncki Dżon | – | |
| 1996 | Jestem o(d)padem atomowym | – | Chałtury |
| 1996 | Idę do pracy | – | |
| 1996 | Jestem z miasta | – | |
| 1997 | Co ty tutaj robisz | 1 | Na krzywy ryj |
| 1997 | Na krzywy ryj | 11 | |
| 1997 | Ja jestem nowy rok | 31 | |
| 1997 | Goń swego pawia | – | |
| 1997 | Kiler | 1 | Kiler |
| 1998 | Co powie Ryba | 9 | Kiler-ów 2-óch |
| 1999 | Nie jestem sobą | 38 | |
| 1999 | Ja mam szczęście | – | |
| 1999 | Zostań tu (cover of Only You by The Platters) | – | – |
| 2000 | Nowa gwiazda | – | Słodka maska |
| 2000 | Napady | 24 | |
| 2001 | Słodka laska – biała śmierć | – | |
| 2002 | Doktor Dyzma | – | Kariera Nikosia Dyzmy |
| 2005 | O słoneczku | – | – |
| 2006 | Nie urosnę | – | Atomistyka |
| 2006 | Czasy średnie | 6 | |
| 2006 | Kiedy mówisz człowiek | – | |
| 2009 | Dwudziestolatka | – | Historia |
| 2009 | Ucieczka 5:55 | – | |
| 2010 | Był NZS | – | |
| 2010 | Dywizjon 303 | 13 | |
| 2019 | Najwyższa pora | 29 | 2020 |
| 2020 | Ósmy trzeci | – | |
| 2020 | Podróżnicze sny | – |