Blackout Problems

Blackout Problems

Blackout Problems is a rock group from Germany. The band is based in Munich and its line-up includes Mario Radetzky, with Marcus and Michael also named in the group’s early history. Its music sits between hardcore and pop influences, and it is described as combining elements of alternative rock, rock and indie-oriented songwriting.

Career

The band’s debut album, Life, is released on My Redemption Records, with distribution through CARGO and publishing through Two Louder/BMG. It contains 14 songs and focuses on the lives of young adults in an urban environment, with lyrics addressing themes of growing up in modern society. The album reaches the top of the online readers’ chart at VISIONS. The group also builds a following through video releases and touring, with its YouTube channel passing 65,000 plays.

Among the band’s early releases is the single “Empty Hands”, for which a video appears in June 2012. The video includes members of Emil Bulls and refers to an upcoming tour with that band. Before that tour, Blackout Problems completes its first headlining run, which takes it to Russia and Ukraine, followed by support shows for Emil Bulls in larger venues.

Releases and recording

After touring, Blackout Problems records Twentyfourseven, its first acoustic EP. The release contains unplugged versions of recent songs from Life along with two new tracks. The EP is made entirely by the band without a label and is presented as a fully DIY project, from recording to assembling the physical copies. A documentary documents the process. Another single, “Home”, gains radio and television rotation, including FM4, VIVA and GoTV.

Style and themes

The group’s songs are described as serious in tone and concerned with the experiences of young adults in cities. Its live reputation is built on contrasting performance contexts: it plays loudly at indie shows and more softly at hardcore concerts, while aiming to connect directly with audiences through its performances.