Maciej Malenczuk was born in the early 1960?s in the Polish town of Wojciesz?w near Zotoryja. As he says himself, ?I was a very good boy, but then suddenly, I became bad, like most teenagers?. He grew up on the street, according to his own words. He changed schools many times and before discovering music, he poured much of his youthful energy into sports. He actually became quite an accomplished athlete and gained recognition as a brilliant hurdler. This particular event has proved metaphorical in Malenczuk?s life, because still to this day he attempts to jump every hurdle he faces (real or imagined).

After his sports career came to a finish, the first metaphorical hurdle he set his sights on was a little thing called the Polish Army. Under Communist rule in Poland, military service was obligatory. He refused to enlist however because of firmly held political beliefs. Like many other dissidents, he believed that serving in the army in a country under socialist rule was tantamount to supporting the authority of the Regime. Well, unfortunately for Malenczuk, the Regime agreed with him, and he was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison. He ended up spending three and a half in ?gulag-like conditions?.

Malenczuk?s civil disobedience earned him nationwide recognition and he became somewhat of a populist hero for the heavily repressed Polish nation. Young people on the streets shouted slogans such as ?free Malenczuk? and ?would Christ accept the call to the army?? Malenczuk however refused to be martyred and shirked the Christ comparisons. In fact, in spite of the miserable conditions, he actually managed quite well. While incarcerated, he gained his locksmith/welding degree, which ironically enough is what led him to music. To pass the time, he began singing the blues to the rhythm of the hydraulic press he was stationed at. This experience left such an indelible mark on his being that to this very day he claims to still be searching for that ?f**king deep and low sound that started it all."

After his release from prison he began playing guitar on the streets of Krakow. He spent seven years on the streets and become somewhat of a local legend. His voice and charisma made him immediately recognizable. During this time he mingled freely with Krakow?s artistic underground. This eventually led him to the band Pudelsi (originally known as Dupa) In 1986 he replaced the band?s original lead singer, Piotr Marek who tragically committed suicide. Pudelsi with Malenczuk played in Jarocin, which was a legendary Polish music festival. The group than recorded an album entitled ?Bela pupa?, however Maciek sang on only two songs.

In 1990, after a long and storied career as Krakow?s preeminent busker, he finally retired his change-cup and formed his own band. This band became known as Homo Twist. Their first LP, ?Caly ten seks? (All of this Sex), became a big hit in Polish alternative circles and Malenczuk finally began to be recognized outside of Krakow. As Malenczuk?s star steadily rose, he became progressively more in tune with the fact that he had a lot of music inside of him and needed different groups and mediums through which to let it all out. Therefore in 1995, Malenczuk decided to reunite with Pudelsi. In quick succession they recorded two LP?s ? ?Viribus Unitis? and ?Narodziny Zbigniewa?. These LPs connected Piotr Marek and Dupa?s compositions with new Pudelsi material. These records officially put Pudelsi?s Dupa period to a rest.

Never to be tied down by one project, Maciek recorded the second and third Homo Twist albums entitled respectively, ?Homo Twist?, and ?Moniti Revan? both in 1996. By this point the group had firmly established a trademark style and was beginning to carve a recognizable image for themselves. Well, actually, for all intents and purposes, the group was more or less Malenczuk himself. For each of the albums Maciek hired a new band and promptly fired them once the LP was completed. This is a tactic that he has become somewhat notorious for.

In 1997 Maciek married a graphic designer, Ewa Mildner. They have a daughter Irma, and Maciek also has two other children outside of his marriage. In 1998, Malenczuk issued his first solo LP with the songs from his ?street period". This was quite a symbolic moment in his career as he had traveled a long way from the streets of Krakow to studios of Warsaw. In 1999 Pudelsi recorded ?Psychopop?, a twisted LP that mixed many genres of music, some previously unknown to the human race. After ?Psychopop?, Malenczuk decided to leave Pudelsi. Pudelsi searched for a new lead singer, but no one was able to replace Malenczuk. They did find an ersatz lead singer, but when the seemingly fickle Maciek decided to get back with the band, Pudelsi fired the new singer and welcomed Malenczuk back with open arms.

In 2000 Homo Twist played their farewell tour and dissolved. The group then issued a post-mortem live LP ? ?Live After Death?. Next, like every erstwhile musician, Maciek began to experiment with computers and samples and this exploration eventually leads to him recording his second solo LP. The album sounds like the devil learning how to play Atari.

In 2003, with the prodigal Malenzuk back at the helm, Pudelsi issued ?Wolnosc Slowa? (or Free Words) and it received much critical and commercial acclaim. At this point Malenczuk?s star shone its brightest. He then started to appear on the nationally syndicated TV show ?Idol? based on ?American Idol?. For this move, some of his fans claimed to lose their respect for him. In due course, the irreverent Malenczuk claimed to lose respect for these fans. Eventually, though, Malenczuk admitted that participating in ?Idol? was a mistake: ?The money from it is long gone, and I?m still on my knees. It is time to get up however and start kicking some asses with some good old f**king blues?.

In 2005 he issues his third solo LP called ?Proste Historie? or ?Straight Story?, consisting mostly of rearranged songs known from his first LP. After that he quit Pudelsi again, ?this time forever?. Then he reactivated Homo Twist, again, in spite of his previous declaration that Homo Twist was dead. Most recently, Homo Twist has released their new album, which is called ?Demonologic?. The LP is heavier than any of their previous albums in part because the new lineup includes Titus from the thrash metal group Acid Drinkers on bass. The group is currently touring around Poland in support of their new album and yes, the enigmatic, hurdling Malenczuk is most certainly at the helm. And, perhaps if the planets align correctly, this could just be the group with whom Malenczuk finally rediscovers this ?f**king deep and low sound that started it all?.

Ziemowit Szczerek and T. M. Chase