Hello everybody. We're here with Bart from Patriarkh !

Hello everybody !

So we're here to talk about some recent changes and about this new album. So first of all, the first new thing is your name “Patriarkh”. Why did you choose this one as your new band name?

You know, it's some kind of maybe cynic or something. Because Patriarkh is the highest priest in Orthodox Church. It's like a Pope in the Catholic Church. Patriarkh is some kind of Pope while Batushka is some regular priest and must bow to Patriarkh. But I think the most important thing in this name change is our development. It's maybe not a revolution, but evolution in our music. And this name is also showing that something is changing in our team, in our music, even in our music vision. And I think a Patriarkh is like Batushka upgrade. We like to say this with the team. We're showing something different, still around the Orthodox music and Orthodox culture, but more bombastic, I think.

And you've always had that kind of Orthodox and really religious aspects. Why did you choose this for your music?

I think it fits in my region because I'm living in a specific region in Poland where Orthodox fighters are about 100 % of the population. Another one is a Catholic, but we also have Islamic people and Judaism. So it's a very multicultural place, a very specific place in the Polish map. And why? It's just because I'm growing with these attempts in my region where I'm born. So it's everything. It fits with my heart and then goes for my earth, I think.

And you were talking about changes, about upgrading. I’m sure you're also upgrading some of your visuals in your music videos and on stage too. Can you tell us a little bit more about this?

Yeah, of course. You know, Prophet Ilja, is not only just another release from a random band. Prophet Ilja, is a huge concept. We were working on this concept for a few years. Just composing and recording has taken us two years and the process of recording was five months in the studio. So when we are talking about the Prophet Ilja, it’s a concept, a visual concept, a musical concept, also a theater concept. We're thinking about the theater play, we're thinking about the musical, we're thinking about the visual aspects that we are bringing on the stage. So yes, we are changing, we are developing and we are showing something that, I think, is original. Everything is around the Orthodox music and Orthodox stories, but we are developing and bringing something new. It's an inspiration for us. But we are, you know, building our new world. It's a new universe.

And you seem really excited to show this new universe to your fans.

Yeah, we invite people to come to our universe. We are taking their hands and we're showing a new story with Prophet Ilja. I think it's a very, very interesting story that happened in the region where I was born. It's a well known story in Poland, but it's the guy who built the biggest sect in Europe in the 1340s. So we’re also talking about the big story of our region. I hope that the people enjoy the music and will be searching for some information because we are not giving everything on the plate to our followers. We are giving something and you must find it. We give some questions and they have to find the answers.

So your fans have to search, have to find clues here and there in your music.

Yeah, it's some kind of interaction with our fans because on our shows, we are not involving our fans in our stage performances, but when we are giving something like a release, we want to involve our fans and we want to show something new. And that was our interaction with our listeners and fans.

And how do you feel about this release ? Do you feel that people like it ?

The reception was very good. Not only in the press releases, so absolutely very good. And somehow kind of mind blowing. I didn't expect that the reception would be that good. After all these years of hating and legal disputes and those internet stories that involved the ‘Batushka’ name. So we cut everything to move on and they followed this new way, some kind of new era. So I'm very satisfied with the result of the reception of the album around the world. It's giving us a breath of fresh new air to breathe to go for new challenges. So now we are preparing for live shows and for touring. Live performances are always the good side of our music and so we are changing things on stage and a growing lineup. We have a new vocalist, we have a third guitarist. We'll be playing on the nine string guitars to bring better sound. So I hope all these things will be working all together and the fans will be happy to see us live.

I’m excited to see that !

The first show was taking place on the third January in Poland. We were performing with the symphonic orchestra and the choir. There were almost 16 people on the stage. We're recording everything and we'll be releasing something at the end of this year. It's a full television production. And also the reception of this… This show was mind blowing ! The first show was very impressive and we are excited for the next part of our story.

That's amazing. And you were talking about symphonic music ; you really use different instruments in your music that give that sound that makes us recognize that it's you. Is there one that was particularly challenging to play or record ?

All these folk instruments were challenging to record for live. The idea of using this type of instrument is to bring the sound of our region, to be authentic to the story and to bring some kind of organic sound. When we were recording folk instruments, it was a challenge but so was recording the symphony orchestra. That was a tough time in the studio and five months of hard work but in the end I was very satisfied with the result and the reception of it.

And which one did you prefer to record?

I don't know because I'm the producer of the album. It was hard to bring our vision to the music. It's hard work. I don't like working in the studio. The best for me is live performances. So everything is tough but also very exciting.

[We got interrupted by a cute little puppy]

Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. It's my little puppy. It's going to jail !

It's fine !

[laughing]

Do you have one word to describe this album?

Multi dimensional ! Multi dimensional music with a cinematic touch and ethno elements and with black metal sound.

How would you describe this album to someone who has never listened to your music?

You never know how to describe it, haha. It's some kind of story. It's a concept album. So you must be devoted to the music for 30 minutes to listen to this album. From the first to the last song. Then you can be involved in the story. Because we are taking your hand and we are providing you the oldest story from the start to the end. And if you take some time for our music, you will find the magic in this album.

And in this album you chose to talk about Eliasz Klimowicz?

Yes. It's a personification of the biblical Prophet Ilja. It's also the personification of Jesus Christ and it's a personification of the highest God and John of Kronstadt. It's four people in one piece. In one person. It's tough.

Why did you choose this story in particular?

Everything started when I was 19 and I watched it for the first time on Polish TV, it was a theater play. It was the play of Prophet Ilja and it brought me some kind of mind blowing experience. It’s a story that has happened here in my region. So I started making some research. Everything resonated all these years and about seven or eight years ago, I started the process of building this concept. Then, two years ago, we started composing with some kind of scenario that I wrote first with all the stories. All the lyrics are some parts of the story of Eliasz Klimowicz.

Are you going to talk about a new story on each new album you’re going to make ?

I have another concept album of course but we are focusing now on Prophet Ilja. But of course, I'm thinking about the future and there will be another. Patriarkh will be a concept band and we'll always be bringing something special with the story and the music.

Do you have a message for your fans?

Be open minded, be kind. Listen to our music. We invite you to come to our shows. Listen to all music in the world and like I always say : be open minded and be a good humankind.

That's beautiful. Actually I feel that even in your music you really put your heart out and you're really honest.

You know, I'm not a poser. I'm not producing albums only for cash or something. Of course it's my job but at first, it's my passion. Music is my passion. It’s been 35 years of bringing music around the world and everything is going from my heart and this album is a very special one and I hope that we can see my feelings inside it.