Fred Lanier, aka Ruben Steiner is one of the new millennium's electro-jazz wizards. Hailing from France, Steiner has been wowing European audiences with his eclectic mix of dance, jazz and electronic music since the late 1990s. His debut album, Lo-Fi Nu Jazz, Vol. 2 was released to critical acclaim in 2000. For a kid who discovered the likes of Black Flag, Fugazi and De La Soul during his teenage years, finding a place in the abstract jazz-dance scene was greatly impressive. He spent seven years showcasing experimental and free jazz music on Radio Beton in Tours; in 2000 he formed the Ruben Steiner Quartet with bassist Sylvestre Perrusson, brass man Benoit Louette, and mixer Francois Purault. Gigs across France catapulted Steiner's star power into the mainstream and America took notice. Steiner scored a deal with RCA Victor in early 2002. Wunderbar 3 marked his proper major label debut later that fall. ~ MacKenzie Wilson