Dear Enemy

Professional career

Useless ID (1997–present)

Yotam Ben Horin joined Useless ID as a bassist and backing vocalist, replacing former bassist Adi Alkavatz in 1997. He appeared on the band's first release and first full-length album, Dead's Not Punk which was released in September 1997, through the band's own independent label Falafel Records. He later appeared on the band's second full-length album Get in the Pita Bread Pit in 1999, which was also released through Falafel Records, and Let it Burn, the band's split album with The Ataris, which was released in April 2000 on Kung Fu Records and was the last to feature the band's rhythm guitarist Guy Carmel on lead vocals.

Following the band's split album with The Ataris, the band was offered a record contract in Kung Fu Records, which resulted in guitarist Guy Carmel leaving his position as lead vocalist in the band and staying a backing vocalist only. Ben Horin then took the position of the band's lead vocalist and main songwriter, as well as staying the bassist. He sang on all of the band's international major releases: Bad Story, Happy Ending (2001), No Vacation from the World (2003), Redemption (2005) and The Lost Broken Bones released in October 2008, through their new label – Suburban Home Records. On all of these albums, Ben Horin also wrote the majority of the material.

On January 27, 2011, Useless ID played their last show in support of The Lost Broken Bones at the Barby club in Tel Aviv, Israel, before taking off to record their new album at the Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado. The band entered the Blasting Room on February 2, 2011, to begin recording the new album. Recording was finished on February 17, 2011, and mixing was done on February 22, with mastering taking place in April. Symptoms, the band's seventh full-length album and fifth with Yotam on vocals, was released on February 14, 2012.

Solo career (2008–present)

Around April 2008, Ben-Horin started a solo MySpace page where he started uploading quiet and mellow acoustic songs he wrote, recorded and demoed by himself. In his page he also wrote he will upload more quiet demos he feels are inappropriate for Useless ID and that he demos by himself in his home, with an intention of recording a solo album of such acoustic, folk and indie songs in the future.

In early 2009, Ben Horin announced he will start recording his solo album soon, and started promoting his solo songs with acoustic shows, with a singer-songwriter approach in small venues, especially bars and coffee shops, around Israel.

He then updated on his Facebook page that he was entering Zaza Studios in late April 2009 to start recording his solo album, with an intention to release the album around September 2009, although it is unknown on which label it will be released, or if it will be released internationally.

On May 4, 2009, Ben Horin revealed the track list for his album, as well as a progress update on the recording, commenting that the recording is almost done.

On July 22, 2009, Ben Horin stated on his Myspace page that recording for the solo album will continue in September, followed by mixing and mastering of the album, and that he expects that the album to be released very late 2009, or early 2010.

On February 8, 2010, mixing for the solo album began by A.J. Mogis of Criteria. Mixing was done on March 3, 2010, with Ben-Horin commenting that mastering will be done in April, and he expects the album to be released around mid/late 2010. On April 14, 2010, upon returning from Useless ID's U.S. tour, Ben Horin has confirmed that mastering will begin soon.

On May 17, 2010, Ben-Horin has confirmed on his Facebook that mastering of his solo album has begun, and that it is being mastered by Doug Van Sloun of Focus Mastering. On June 10, 2010, Ben Horin has announced on his Facebook page that mastering is finished and that the album is now finally complete, but it will take some more time until it will be ready for release.

Other projects

Ben Horin has also been active in other bands/projects. In 1999, while touring with Useless ID, Ben Horin founded the hardcore punk band DPA (Dr Pepper Addicts) with guitarist Arik Mon. The two added Yehuda Yace and Ido Blaustein (then Useless ID drummer), and started playing shows, immediately garnering a lot of attention from the Israeli punk scene, later on singer Kasha joined the group. The band released one album, Straight Out of the Basement (also released under the name Dr. Pepper Can), on Useless ID's own label Falafel Records. The band broke up in 2001, after two years of activity in which the band was acclaimed as one of Israel's finest hardcore bands. The band reunited in 2007 for a short tour across Israel.

In late 2002, Ben Horin founded the grunge band Superdrive, together with Ofer Gelder, Moshe Liberman (later session drummer for Useless ID) and Rotem Inbar (later from groove outfit Betzefer). The band's only album, Dear Enemy, was released in 2004. The band broke up later that year, but in late 2005, Ben Horin decided to bring the band back, with new members Guy Shechter and Russel Groos. This incarnation lasted until 2006, only producing a few live shows. Two of the songs Ben-Horin originally wrote for Superdrive – "Isolate Me" and "Shallow End" – made it to Useless ID's 2008 album, The Lost Broken Bones.

In 2004 Ben Horin joined Israeli singer Shy Nobleman as a live bass player, and also played on Nobelman's second album, Beautiful Life. Ben-Horin has also played live bass for Danny Sanderson, one of Israel's most successful pop rock musicians. As a favor, Sanderson also joined to play two songs with Useless ID on their release concert for their latest album The Lost Broken Bones, on October 18, 2008. During his performance with the band, they also performed one classic song in Hebrew, "Ha'galshan Sheli" ("My Surfboard"), a song by Sanderson himself.

Ben Horin also worked as a producer for various Israeli punk rock bands. In 2008, he produced the second album by young pop punk band Beat 69, Banot Ohavot Banim Hazakim (Girls Like Tough Boys). Later in 2008, he produced a Various Artists compilation of Israeli punk bands, titled punkrock.co.il for the new Israeli punk website and magazine. The compilation featured two previously unreleased tracks by Useless ID and DPA, as well as songs by Beat 69, Kill The Drive and Got No Shame.

Ben Horin has produced pop punk band Kill the Drive's second studio album, A Postcard from Hell which was released in Japan in May 2009 through Radtone. He has also produced the song "City Lights" and all of the vocals on Got No Shame's debut full-length album Hometown Underground. Most recently, he has produced post-hardcore act This Means You's debut album The Act.

Musical influences

In his MySpace, Ben Horin states his influences as John Lennon, Brian Wilson, Black Francis, Kurt Cobain, Ken Andrews, Blake Schwarzenbach, Nick Drake, Henry Rollins and Elliott Smith.

Ben Horin also enjoys listening to such artists as AC/DC, Nirvana, The Clash, ABBA, Autolux, Black Flag, Foo Fighters, Blonde Redhead, Blondie, The All-American Rejects, Man Alive, My Bloody Valentine, Kiss, ALL, Pink Floyd, Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, The Police, Queen, Weezer, Sonic Youth, Sean Lennon, Minor Threat, David Bowie, Dinosaur Jr., The Get Up Kids, Jimmy Eat World, Depeche Mode, Green Day, Fugazi, Dead Kennedys and more.

Solo band members

Yotam Ben Horin – lead vocals, guitar (2010–present)

Jamie Hilsden – guitar, vocals (2010–2011, 2013–present)

Amir "Jango" Rusiano – bass, vocals (2011–2012)

Ran Shimoni – drums, percussion (2013–present)

Former members

Or Edry – bass, vocals (2011–2012)

Aviv Cohen – drums, percussion (2011–2012)

Zoe Polanski – bass, vocals (2010–2011)

Guy Fleisher – drums, percussion (2010–2011)

Corey Swift – drums, percussion (2010)

Discography

With Useless ID

Dead's Not Punk (1997)

Get in the Pita Bread Pit (1999)

Bad Story, Happy Ending (2001)

No Vacation From The World (2003)

Redemption (2005)

The Lost Broken Bones (2008)

Symptoms (2012)

State Is Burning (2016)

With DPA

Straight Out of the Basement (2001)

With Superdrive

Dear Enemy (2004)

With Shy Nobleman

Beautiful Life (2005)

Yomi Hu Halom (יומי הוא חלום, My Day is a Dream) (2013)

With Danny Sanderson

Lo Yafrid Davar (לא יפריד דבר, Nothing Will Separate) (2009)

Solo

Home Recordings (2011)

Distant Lover (2012)

Yotam Ben Horin / Dan Cribb Acoustic Split EP (2015) (Split with Dan Cribb)

Between the Lines (2015) (Split with Mike Noegraf and Phil Park)

California Sounds (2015)

Yotam Ben Horin One Week Records (2017)

Young Forever (2022)

Production credits

Beat 69 – Banot Ohavot Banim Hazakim (2008)

Various Artists – punkrock.co.il (2008)

Kill The Drive – A Postcard from Hell (2009)

Got No Shame – Hometown Underground (2009)

This Means You – The Act (2010)

Kitat Omanut - Hafla Ashkenazit (2013)

Kitat Omanut - Rock Israeli (2015)

Stay Awake - Portraits - Production consultant (2021)