Independent drummer Yael started playing drums in New York City as a teenager while delivering pizzas in High School. By her senior year, Yael joined Meanstreak and 4 days into the band, had her first big gig to a sold out 2,000 capacity L'amour Brooklyn show with Anthrax. It was there that Yael started to really develop her heavier double kick chops as the band performed with Motörhead, Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Overkill etc. "You wanted to play Hard and Fast and Brutal" yet it was always most important for Yael to keep it tight and do the drummers job- "Have a blast!". During Lollapalooza '93, she performed with members of Arrested Development, Alice in Chains, and Fishbone, which took Yael into a funkier, world music direction. While messing around with the "recording tools" and microphones, Yael decided to get her degree in Audio Engineering.
With the introduction to the musicianship she had the pleasure of working with through the Fishbone ("Fish"), Lalapalooza experience, Yael began experimenting with both world music and hip hop artists. During this phase of her musical journey, Yael played with the band 1stborn7. This is where "Pocket" and "Groove" became super important. and 1 kick drum over two for a while. "These guys taught me about Flavor"!
1stborn7 recorded at the famous Powerstation/Avatar Studio in NYC, and the song “One Love” was released on the Italian film "Amorrato". On those sessions, Pino Paladino was the first session player experience she got to work with along with Steve Boyer who produced one of her faves, Peter Gabriel. Ya'el then recorded and worked with experimental projects "Swo Co" and "Drain NYC", which later became "Tung".
The Crossovers had Begun into Buddha Bar vibes, 70's Rock sprinkled with Latin and Middle Eastern touches mixed with Digital influences and underground DJ's. Improvising weekly at the New Yeurican Poets Cafe, along with "after hours" sessions nightly with her kindered spirit life-long friend, songwriting partner and producer, Nik Chinboukas at the Jamaica Music Building, they recorded everything and anything. No Restrictions. Anyone who wanted in was in. Anyone else was out. The hours were ridiculous so you had to love it.
THE LOVE PROJECT Journey, subconsciously had already begun. They were just doing what they loved. And still to this day are those two kids in a room makin' music. Just a little Bigger.
Staying close with Nik over the years and continuing musical projects and hiring each other, the two became three with a West Coast music partner in crime, Yury Anisonyan. Yury became a close friend who also happens to be a kick ass songwriter, Producer/Engineer. He automatically clicked. THE LOVE PROJECT (CD/DW DVD release-Oct.2009) songs were being Written, Filmed and Recorded since 2005. Some bits go back a decade or so but thats a longer story. The Law of Attraction brought some legendary and "top notchers of their field/genre" musicians such as Terry Bozzio, Alex Skolnick, Sasha Lazard, Dave Eggar, and Lucia Micarelli to the project.
Things continued to move in cycles for Yael's drumming career and the love for making music and capturing it all on film started to cross over.
In 2000, Yael packed up her drums and moved to Los Angeles to pursue music on a more serious level. After touring in the UK, Europe, the U.S., Morocco, North Africa, Scotland, Ireland etc. for several years, alongside playing as a session drummer for some of todays Guitar Hero's, she started getting deeper into creating her own project and album with her own team of musicians, producers, animators, graphic artists, editors, photographers and cinematographers and most of all, Friends!.
In 2005, Yael devoted herself to Independent work. Fish from Fishbone called her to audition for the Talib Kweli tour with Res and Jean Grae. She got the gig and during the Miller Concert Series Tour in 2006, she connected immediately with bass player and multiple Grammy winning producer Colin Wolfe. They collaborated and eventually created The Creins. Several tracks were recorded along with engineer and producer, Yury Anisonyan on guitar. the guest players have intertwined over and over in this life. Toni Ridley per example sang back up in 1stborn7 and is featured on the love project track 60/60 alongside Bozzio, Lucia ,Yael, Yariv, Nik and Dave.
There have been constant gigs and albums to keep Yael busy, but these past four years have been devoted diligently to making a Documentary based DW DVD and her first personal CD with her own stories and undeniable musicians that she has developed friendships with since childhood.
DrumAddict LLC is her latest endeavor and company. This DVD and CD is like nothing out in the industry today and hard to put into words, but Yael played drums, worked cameras, edited and recorded non-stop to bring you one of the most innovative products to the drum world, the music world and beyond.
Yael has subbed for Shannon Larkin, Fish Fisher, and other drummers to fill in for tour dates and works continuously recording drums for various projects and bands. She has toured the world and traveled to her native countries, Morocco (1stborn7 performing for the Royal Family 15x ) and Israel (Ugly Kid Joe opening for Guns & Roses) over the years.
During the Pandemic & Quarantine - space & time shifted the career of being a live, touring musician into a parking space but Yael went to 6th gear. No touring or recording sessions for a long stretch had Yael moving out of LA to a pueblo home in Hi Desert California, where she had the ability to record drums and work remotely as soon as everyone else was ready to go.
But no pause buttons for long. Yael created a Desert Dome Studio with a massive, killer sounding, Drum Room.
Drum Tracks, Percussion, Bass, Guitar, Midi, Synths & Full Albums are now being recorded in this mystical environment.
Yael has slowly started doing some sessions in LA again, but recording and engineering is a passion that finally had some of her time. She is enjoying working with her Love Project team of badasses and there are no limits to what music will be coming through the Joshua Trees
Current Projects:
Desert Dome Studio, Hi Desert California, established Oct 2021
The Love Project Journey DVD (ongoing collabs)
2021-2023
Blood Before Pride (feat. Phil Anastasia, Alain Johannes, Yael, Nik Chinboukas, Roy Mayorga, Ray Luzier, Will Hunt, Ra Diaz, Alex Skolnick, M.O.P., Dave Eggar, Lucia Micarelli, Doyle, etc.)
Beneath The Underdog
Dror Mohar Level 3 Sessions at Blakeslee
Lumare Lumen Installation (2022-2024)
Star Child PreProduction (2022)
Kail Baxley
Yariv Vaknin
Meanstreak Reunion Recordings (2022)
Dimebash
Preacherman ( Spin Studio NYC) 2021
Senza Peso short film
She proudly endorses DW Drums, Sabian cymbals, Remo Drumheads, and Vic Firth Drumsticks.
"Remo heads have survived every show since I was that pizza delivery kid to every festival or big stage I ever played with adrenaline and emotion at the forefront. Play from your HeART. Drums have always been the centerpiece for my creative flow and The Love Project was a way to feature the art of collaboration encompassing "world music vibes" , the heartbeat of the band and pure joy of live music. Music for Music's sake. Drummers Groove and Pocket is Key. You cannot have a good record with a bad drummer..." Remo has always been my go to Drumhead. Reliable and punchy AF" Studio or Live - Try the vintage Emps, the black suedes and of course the PS3's and those Hazy's! Thank me later." -Yael
