Blackbox Lullabies (2026)

1985 – 2004: beginnings

Yannic was born in 1985 in Rheda-Wiedenbrück (Germany) and grew up in his hometown Detmold. He got his first drum lessons at the age of five and in addition to songwriting and arranging he later learned to play guitar, piano/keys and bass mostly autodidactically. From 1998 he formed his first bands and - based on musical influences of the 1960s and 1970s – he started to record his first songs nearly day and night in his little studio in the cellar of his parent's house.

As always he played every instrument by himself and mixed his musical roots (Beatles, Rolling Stones, Supertramp) with contemporary sounds and arrangements (e.g. Robbie Williams/Guy Chambers, Oasis).

 

2005-2006: Fool's Garden / "Supernova"

2005 Yannic was discovered by the german band Fool's Garden (“Lemon Tree“). His first EP „Supernova“ (re-released as “Nowhere“ 2021) was produced by Volker Hinkel, guitarist and producer of the band. Live Yannic often performed as a duo with the female guitarist Yvi Wylde.

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2007-2011: music studies und "Yes, Please!“

After having passed the high-school graduation (Abitur) and the community service Yannic participated in the “Popkurs“ at the “Hochschule für Musik und Theater“ Hamburg. From 2007 to 2011 he studied popular music and drums at the “Institut für Musik der Hochschule Osnabrück“. With some classmates he formed the band “Yes, Please!“, recorded two EPs and as their frontman he played numerous gigs f.i. supporting Pohlmann and Gabriella Cilmi. At this time his songwriting was coloured by alternative pop-rock and the band Jimmy Eat World which still has an impact on some of his current songs (“Changes“ / “Break Back Free“)

 

2011-2013: session drummer, master's degree and electropop

From 2011 to 2013 Yannic mainly played as a session drummer for e.g. already popular artists. Besides he founded an indietronic band with his brother. In the context of his master studies at the “Musikhochschule der Universität Münster“ he developed a new kind of instrument - an electronic equipped acoustic drumset on which he could compose and arrange music and simulate a whole band just while he was playing. Furthermore he delved into sound design and the production of electronic music.

 

2013-2016: "On My Way Back Home"

Soon after Yannic had released the dreampop song “S.M.I².L.E“ he moved to Bielefeld, continued to work on further electronic songs but then decided to return to his musical roots. He stopped touring as a drummer and turned his back on electropop.

2013 and 2014 he experimented around with acoustic guitars, percussion instruments, music therapy and spiritual approaches and wrote several new songs. In addition to his britpop and pop-rock style he changed direction into filigree folkmusic. 2015 he played some solo-gigs and accompanied his voice with acoustic guitar and framedrum. 2016 he released the album “On My Way Back Home“ which contained some demos of the previous years. Afterwards he wrote some classic and harmonious beatlesque songs. (e.g. „With You“ und „Hello Sun“).

 

2017: "In The Wall / Off The Wall"

Early 2017 Yannic developed an individual style of improvisation based on the previously explored spiritual and music therapy approaches. He created a synaesthetic symbiosis containing filigree haptic, wood, scent of wood, rhythm and harmonics while drumming, strumming and using a lot “hammer-on“ and “pull-off“ techniques on guitar - which got him into an emotional flow and made him “receive“ complete songs at the first attempt. This genuine strategy - which also improved his emotional style of singing – was later integrated into scattered and bluesy band arrangements with a live-feel which brought a touch of imperfection and rawness into his music.

 

2018: "Serenade"

In the summer of 2018 Yannic played some concerts. Since he didn't want to perform his older songs he wrote lots of new more joyful folk and britpop songs within a few weeks. A small selection of these songs which were directly recorded during the writing sessions is released on the EP “Serenade“.

 

2019-2021: "Moving On"

Since 2019 a number of optimistic “break-up/new-beginning-songs“ slowly emerged.Trying to find new artistic ways Yannic experimented with new arrangements.

While his former lyrics mostly rose from his subconscious mind he now focused on “re-writing“ his initial “moaning” expressions in order to consciously transform them into confident and motivating “anti-blues” lyrics. He turned away from his former emotional and spontaneous period and concentrated on preserving a distanced and sober kind of creativity. This gave more atmosphere, room and depth to his music. He was now primarily inspired by bands like “Fleetwood Mac“ and popmusic of the 1980s and early 1990s and slightly moved into a more electronic direction again.

 

2021 he produced and released the album “Moving On“ which contains these “break-up/new beginning-songs“ as well as some older recycled material.