09.06.2020

BATUSHKA interview: «It’s better to stay home than force people to hear my music»

Krzysztof ‘Derph’ Drabikowski from BATUSHKA was caught by the pandemic 2020: he and his son got coronavirus in March. But were lucky to recover. So if Bart?omiej Krysiuk had high anticipations… it’s not his time once again!

My congratulations with recovering from coronavirus. Interesting enough, your illness got BATUSHKA in Polish media, everyone noticed that you’re a guitar player in a black metal band. There’s so much panic about this virus these days, were you afraid when you knew you’ve got it?

Thank you. Yes, I was afraid but not from the beginning. I started being afraid when I realized that it had made some changes in my lungs because I didn’t feel that something was going bad there. Just a cough and that’s all. I had tomography and it turned out that I had fluid and infection in my lungs. It was a reason why I had to stay at the hospital. For a long time my body didn’t produce antibodies so I started to worry a little. But on the other hand, I had a lot of time to think what is important in my life, what is just a waste of time.

How’s general situation in Poland these days, is there a lot of people around getting ill? Do you think your country’s doing enough to protect the people?

Hard to tell because I don’t follow that type of information, I don’t watch TV at all.

It’s a difficult question. I don’t think people should rely on the country, that the country should do something. People have their own minds to think what to do, to decide. If somebody wants to work and risk to be ill and die, why would anyone stop them? I’m 0/1 guy, so if they want to close anything then they should close all, not just a few spots. The same with unfreezing: hairdressers can work, tattooers can’t? Ridiculous. I donated plasma 3 times, so my plasma can help 9 people, but doctors haven’t used it yet. So I don’t know if it’s worth caring about anymore.

What’s the current situation with BATUSHKA dispute? What are the next steps for you?

Nothing has changed, my next step is waiting few years to finish the lawsuit.

Do you think you will be able to prevent «the other» BATUSHKA from playing gigs and releasing music?

Do I have to prevent? I think he did enough to do that himself by showing who he really is, so it’s already done, we both saw how he «played» his 3 large tours as a headliner. All was cancelled because noone wanted to hear that. He lost his deals with his management, bookers because of his lies. He played those festivals in 2019 because he cheated the promoters that there will play the real version, not the cheap counterfeit.

By the way, did you listen to their latest album?

I haven’t heard that album, just one song and a half, it’s enough for me, I don’t want more. I have better things to do in my life.

Are you happy with the reaction to your Панихида album? Is there a follower on the way?

Yes, I am. It is very nice and uplifting.. When I was releasing it I didn’t expect anything because of all that shit. About the follower I won’t say anything new, the same as I did after Litourgiya, I’m recording some music, who knows what it will be.

You’re known as a person who never really liked to play live, tour, etc. More a studio work guy. Do you plan to tour in future a lot?

Not a lot, just a few shows, fests, maybe some tour or two. Right now it’s impossible to tell what will happen in the future, I have a few shows booked but most of them are postponed because of Covid-19. I just don’t like to play in places where noone is interested to hear my music. So if someone invites me and I’m able to play, then I can’t say no. But I’m not looking for opportunities. I don’t like it and all the more I would never pay to play with any of my bands. It’s better to stay home than force people to hear my music.

There’re bands now called BABOOSHKA, MATUSHKA and even a Russian band BATYUSHKA. Don’t you think it went too far, the whole idea is somehow spoiled?

I don’t care, I haven’t heard them. But all those bands are probably better than that fake BATUSHKA, because it was made for fun, not for money.

After your inner split within BATUSHKA, do you feel something has changed in the attitude towards both of you within Polish metal scene? Friends and musicians taking sides, you always need to prove something… isn’t the situation too toxic to continue?

I wouldn’t call it split, because it was my project from the beginning and he was just a session musician and manager. I don’t need to prove anymore, I already did it. My friends stayed with me. I have never been a part of any scene, so I don’t know too much. I just heard that a lot of people who worked with him in the past didn’t like him earlier, long before Batushka. Probably he deserved that, it did not come from anywhere.

Do you know how many merch items were sold since BATUSHKA became famous? On Brutal Assault last year it seemed to be the most popular logo on t-shirts.

I will know the truth around 2028 as the court said.

By the way, what happened to HERMH? Why and when did the band disband?

I don’t know, probably the same history as with Hospodi. I just know that Krysiuk was kicked out after Angeldemon album, then he found new musicians and used the same name. I unfortunately took part in it unconsciously. Luckily not for too long.

What are your plans for the remainder of this year?

I don’t like to plan, and don’t like to tell about my plans, because people could take it as a promise, so time will tell. It’s safer for me. I’m just enjoying my life and keep on doing my stuff.

(Russian interview version here)