Whipcrack is the brainchild of the singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Herman Hemlock. Operating out of a cramped 5 by 15 feet container studio in east Berlin, Hemlock writes seductive black-eyeliner disco that harks back to the sleazy dance-rock and electroclash of the early 2000s, as well as gothic electro of the likes of Depeche Mode and NIN. 

For Hemlock, true creativity thrives in isolation. Inspired by one-man-bands such as Prince, Whipcrack is a solitary endeavor in the studio guided by Hemlock’s singular vision, where the twitchy physicality of dance rhythms collides with the themes of sex, faith and excess. On stage, this vision expands with the help of a live band: Mark Gritsenko (Siamese Youth, Marakesh) on bass, and Kian Riesling (Lolita Terrorist Sounds) on drums. 

Born in the year 2000, Hemlock grew up immersed in offbeat funk from bands like A Certain Ratio and ESG, as well as the early electronic pioneers like Kraftwerk and Suicide, which caused Hemlock to develop a deep passion for both synthesized sounds and guitar-driven music. Having first started as a classical pianist, Hemlock’s fascination with electronic music made him transition to the world of music production. After years of privately creating music without ever sharing it, Whipcrack became the outlet for Hemlock’s unrestrained creative expression. 

Hemlock’s onstage theatrics and punk-meets-Commedia dell’arte fashion earned him a reputation of a modern-day dandy enfant-terrible, which is confirmed by his literary interest in the French symbolism of Baudelaire, Rimbaud. Following their example, Hemlock is determined to engage in an unpolished manner with the present times in his writing, seeking beauty in the places where few dare to look. 

With the self-titled debut album set to come out in mid 2026, Whipcrack launches the project with its first single, “This Strange Disease”, out December 5, 2025 via Digital Downshifting