Rock-Serwis

Rock-Serwis is a Polish music publishing house, record label, concert promoter and specialist retailer based in Kraków. It was founded in 1983 by Piotr Kosiński, initially as a publisher of music books devoted to rock artists — encyclopedias, biographies, discographies and lyric collections. Translators and authors associated with the imprint have included Jan Skaradziński, Tomasz Beksiński (who translated a biography of The Sisters of Mercy), Katarzyna Malita and Kosiński himself. In 1994 the company added phonographic (record-label) activity and concert promotion to its publishing work. Through Rock-Serwis, Polish audiences saw live performances by a long list of progressive and art-rock acts, among them Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Marillion, Camel, Fish, John Wetton, Peter Hammill, Steve Hackett, Van der Graaf Generator, Pain of Salvation, Anathema, Pure Reason Revolution, Lacrimosa, Blackfield, Colin Bass, The Flower Kings, Oceansize, The Pineapple Thief, Airbag, RPWL, Arena, Ozric Tentacles and Gazpacho. The firm also acts as the official Polish representative and distributor for CDs and music files of a number of independent record companies, and it releases records and provides management for the Polish band Quidam. Rock-Serwis once ran a physical shop in Kraków at ul. Szpitalna 7; it was closed at the end of the 1990s, after which the company sold its releases through its online store and through distributors. The online shop rockserwis.pl has operated since 2001, making it one of the longest-running music e-commerce sites in Poland. It positions itself as a store for demanding record collectors, stocking both widely available titles and rare, hard-to-find items, with frequent promotions and multiple payment options. Its catalogue is heavily oriented toward progressive rock, art rock and related genres, and it also sells vinyl, DVDs and Blu-rays, books, merchandise and concert tickets. Rock-Serwis took part in Record Store Day as the only Polish shop in 2011 and again as one of very few Polish shops in 2012. Kosiński, besides running the publishing house, is a music journalist and progressive-rock advocate; from 2015 he ran the internet radio station rockserwis.fm. Between 1998 and 2015 he hosted the programme Noc Muzycznych Pejzaży on Polish Radio Programme III, and earlier, from 1992, Rock Malowany Fantazją on RMF FM. The business remains a privately held sole proprietorship owned by Kosiński, headquartered in Kraków.

Rock-Serwis was founded in Kraków in 1983 by Piotr Kosiński. In its early years the firm was a publishing house specialising in music books about rock artists: encyclopedias, biographies, discographies and collections of lyrics. Among those who translated or wrote for the imprint were Jan Skaradziński, Tomasz Beksiński (who translated a biography of The Sisters of Mercy), Katarzyna Malita and Kosiński himself. In 1994 Rock-Serwis began parallel activity as a record company and as a concert promoter. Through the label and its promotion work, Polish audiences were able to see live performances by many international progressive and art-rock acts, including Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Marillion, Camel, Fish, John Wetton, Peter Hammill, Steve Hackett, Van der Graaf Generator, Pain of Salvation, Anathema, Pure Reason Revolution, Lacrimosa, Blackfield, Colin Bass, The Flower Kings, Oceansize, The Pineapple Thief, Airbag, RPWL, Arena, Ozric Tentacles and Gazpacho. The company also became the official Polish representative and distributor of CDs and music files for a number of independent record labels, and it releases records and provides management for the Polish band Quidam. For a period the company operated a physical shop in Kraków at ul. Szpitalna 7. That shop was closed at the end of the 1990s, after which Rock-Serwis sold its releases through its online store and through distributors. The online shop rockserwis.pl has been running since 2001, which the company notes makes it one of the longest-functioning music e-shops. It built a reputation as a store for demanding collectors, carrying both popular titles and many unique, hard-to-obtain items. Rock-Serwis participated in Record Store Day as the only shop in Poland on 16 April 2011, and again on 21 April 2012 as one of the very few Polish shops taking part. Kosiński, in addition to running the publishing house, works as a music journalist and promoter of progressive rock. From 2015 he ran the internet radio station rockserwis.fm. Between 1998 and 2015 he hosted the programme Noc Muzycznych Pejzaży on Polish Radio Programme III, and earlier, from 1992, he hosted Rock Malowany Fantazją on RMF FM. The business remains a privately held sole proprietorship owned by Kosiński, based in Kraków, and continues to publish, release, promote and retail music, with its online store offering CDs, vinyl, DVDs and Blu-rays, books, merchandise and concert tickets.

• 2015

  Kosiński begins running internet radio rockserwis.fm.

• 2012

  Rock-Serwis again takes part in Record Store Day as one of very few Polish shops (21 April).

• 2011

  Rock-Serwis is the only Polish shop to take part in Record Store Day (16 April).

• 2001

  Online shop rockserwis.pl launched.

• 1998

  Kosiński begins hosting Noc Muzycznych Pejzaży on Polish Radio Programme III (until 2015).

• 1994

  Company begins parallel record-label and concert-promotion activity.

• 1983

  Rock-Serwis founded in Kraków by Piotr Kosiński as a music book publisher.

Specialist publisher, label and retailer for demanding progressive-rock and art-rock record collectors, offering rare and hard-to-find titles alongside mainstream releases.

• Music books

  Encyclopedias, biographies, discographies and lyric collections about rock artists.

• CDs and vinyl

  Label releases and retail stock, heavily focused on progressive and art rock.

• DVD/Blu-ray

  Music video releases.

• Concert tickets

  Tickets for promoted concerts, e.g. Marillion Weekend and Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks.

• Merchandise

  T-shirts and other gadgets.

1. 1Rock-Serwis official websiterockserwis.pl
2. 2O nas – Rockserwis.plrockserwis.pl
3. 3Rock-Serwis – Wikipedia (Polish)pl.wikipedia.org
4. 4Rock-Serwis – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Marillion Weekend – karnet dwudniowy – Rockserwis.plrockserwis.pl
6. 6Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks – Rockserwis.plrockserwis.pl