Biography
Born in 1953 in Wroclaw, Poland, Lech Janerka worked as a vocalist, bassist, composer, lyricist, and photographer at a local geodesy office. His earliest performances took place with his wife Bozena Janerka at student festivals toward the close of the 1970s. In 1979 he formed the new wave/punk rock band Klaus Mitffoch alongside guitarists Krzysztof Pociecha and Wieslaw Mrozik, drummer Kazimierz Sycz—who was later succeeded by Marek Puchala—and released the group’s sole album, the self-titled Klaus Mitffoch, in 1984; the record quickly gained recognition as one of the most significant releases in Polish rock history, after which the band dissolved that same year.
Teaming once more with Bozena Janerka, now on cello, together with pianist Wojtek Konikiewicz, drummer Janusz Rolt, and guitarist Krzysztof Pociecha, Janerka issued his debut solo effort, Historia Podwodna, extending the new-wave approach established with Klaus Mitffoch while venturing into sonic experimentation. In 1987, following the drug-overdose death of Rolt, he recorded Piosenki without the drummer; censorship issues kept the album unreleased until 1989. An electronic, nearly industrial album recorded with Ur appeared in 1991. Two years later Janerka delivered the acoustic set Bez Pradu together with the career-spanning compilation Co Lepsze Kawalki.
The 1994 release Bruhaha, his fourth official album, featured guitarist Wojciech Seweryn and drummer Artur Dominik, while Dobranoc followed in 1997. Fiu Fiu, issued in 2002, returned to a new-wave sound and was realized with assistance from members of Aural Planet and Wroclaw performer Andrzej Dudek-Dürer. Janerka also contributed the song “Nadzieja o Wroclawiu” in support of Wroclaw’s bid for the EXPO 2010 fair. After Seweryn’s death in 2004, Janerka reconfigured his backing band in 2005 by bringing in guitarist Damian Pielka and drummer Michal Mioduszewski; the resulting album Plagiaty juxtaposed compositions written during his student years with freshly penned lyrics.
Teaming once more with Bozena Janerka, now on cello, together with pianist Wojtek Konikiewicz, drummer Janusz Rolt, and guitarist Krzysztof Pociecha, Janerka issued his debut solo effort, Historia Podwodna, extending the new-wave approach established with Klaus Mitffoch while venturing into sonic experimentation. In 1987, following the drug-overdose death of Rolt, he recorded Piosenki without the drummer; censorship issues kept the album unreleased until 1989. An electronic, nearly industrial album recorded with Ur appeared in 1991. Two years later Janerka delivered the acoustic set Bez Pradu together with the career-spanning compilation Co Lepsze Kawalki.
The 1994 release Bruhaha, his fourth official album, featured guitarist Wojciech Seweryn and drummer Artur Dominik, while Dobranoc followed in 1997. Fiu Fiu, issued in 2002, returned to a new-wave sound and was realized with assistance from members of Aural Planet and Wroclaw performer Andrzej Dudek-Dürer. Janerka also contributed the song “Nadzieja o Wroclawiu” in support of Wroclaw’s bid for the EXPO 2010 fair. After Seweryn’s death in 2004, Janerka reconfigured his backing band in 2005 by bringing in guitarist Damian Pielka and drummer Michal Mioduszewski; the resulting album Plagiaty juxtaposed compositions written during his student years with freshly penned lyrics.
Albums
Singles
