Rubin Steiner - Drum Major

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.

The album 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.

12'' sampler also available

Tracklist

1. Rubin Steiner - Could You Spell It? listen
2. Rubin Steiner - Your Life Is Like A Tony Conrad Concert listen
3. Rubin Steiner - Schlaffenwagonnet listen
4. Rubin Steiner - Murderation listen
5. Rubin Steiner - Ten Drummers Back listen
6. Rubin Steiner - An Introduction To Sweet Music listen
7. Rubin Steiner - Que Bonita Es La Vida listen
8. Rubin Steiner - My Own Style listen
9. Rubin Steiner - Universe listen
10. Rubin Steiner - Put Your Horn In Your Ass And Pull Off listen
11. Rubin Steiner - Don't Try To Copy Your Heroes listen
12. Rubin Steiner - Nylon listen