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 and 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 NuisancesThen it was just a kick flip from mike to pen, when he rose to the challenge of editing the most brilliant, offbeat fanzine of the 90s: Le StéréophileHe 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 (charleston, etc.)..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 synthesiser), Oliv’yeah Claveau (trombone) and Sylvestre Perrusson (who has swapped his double bass for a bass guitar). The line-up gives an incandescent (punk-rock effect), impassioned (jazz-exotica effect), unstoppably danceable (electronic hip-hop counter-effect) twist to the new numbers.