Rubin Steiner

In 1989, Frédérick Landier (Rubin Steiner) was to be found hard at work hand-recording home tapes of the Dead Kennedys, Rapeman, Cult Hero, Mule, The Pixies, Nirvana, Stereolab and Fugazi for his schoolmates. Rubin’s passion for hardcore, uncompromising, unexpected genres naturally won him airtime on the local radio station (Radio Béton), where he presented a light-hearted, serious programme called Nuisances Sonores (Sound Nuisances).

Then it was just a kick flip from mic to pen, when he rose to the challenge of editing the most brilliant, offbeat fanzine of the 90s Le Stéréophile. He then produced Lo-fi Nu jazz (UHS, 1998), a compact, self-produced, inventive, innovatory record that bore the seeds of Rubin’s skill and talent. A small-scale experiment that sounded like a masterpiece.

His album for Disorient, Drum Major, is a subtle anthology of genres and styles, not completely jazz, rock or hip-hop, or even bossa or retro. In 2003, certain tracks (Guitarlandia) entrusted to the cream of remixers, Ninja Tune, confirmed his international status and consolidated his reputation in France, giving the lie to the old saw about a prophet in his own country.

Drum Major required a new, radical stage set-up in the shape of the Neue Band, a collective of talented jokers in tight formation: Rubin (sampler, laptop, guitar and vocals), Boogers (drums, toy synthesizer), Oliv’yeah Claveau (trombone) and Sylvestre Perrusson (who has swapped his double bass for a bass guitar). The line-up gives an incandescent, impassioned, unstoppably danceable twist to the new numbers.


Above: Rubin Steiner "Your Life Is Like A Tony Conrad Concert" official video