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Introducing: Jean Nipon

Posted 11/6/2008 8:17 AM by Institubes

Tags: rap, techno, dance, video

I don’t expect you to know who Jean Nipon is because, frankly, neither do we. And yet, he’s one of the Institubes originals, he was behind our third record ever, under the name Teamtendo. And yet, he is a fixture of the Paris club scene, building bridges between all the various, dysfunctional crews. He’s even roommates with one of us, but let me tell you: snoring patterns, however entertaining and quirky, say very little of the heart of a man. Nipon is a fractious, peculiar creature. He agrees to no rules and no higher power, and under the veil of unassailable coolness, remains an enigma for us all.

Jean Nipon started out as a drummer in Hardcore bands and started to play out as a DJ circa 97. At first it was a cheap ploy to get more in touch with his fellow humans (read: get girls). Then it became something of an art form, and many a reveler remembers his seven-hour sets at Paris Paris where, as a resident, he would play the latest bangers in custom-edited form, plus Prince, Minor Threat, Aphex Twin and the Beastie Boys, Dinosaur Jr and Lio, Pink Floyd and Shellac, My Bloody Valentine and KRS One. We’ve also seen him funcrush a couple of yuppie parties that didn’t deserve to dance: he’s a man of principles. Let’s go back: hardcore drummer, DJ, designer, lives in Japan for a year, designs a Coca Cola bottle, sells records for two years in Paris at Katapult where he meets DJ Wet with whom he starts I.Y.M. (a 12” released by Wwwilco) and Teamtendo. Teamtendo was a duo of giant plushies who played 8-bit-gabber-electro on tricked-out Gameboys (a 12” through Institubes and one via Deco). Did some remixes for TTC, Ark, Micronauts, Cosmo Vitelli, Lesbians On Ecstasy, Adam Kesher, David Rubato. Directed three volumes of the DJ-oriented “Eurogirls” vinyl project for Arcade Mode.

Now Jean Nipon is stepping up on his own as a member of the Institubes family, with full privileges. He brings with him a precious knowledge of the obscure and the mainstream, of the rare and the common, and that’s what makes him so definitely necessary. We have a video for you today, directed by JeanMi & Tony. And check back in a few, we'll have a track for you to download.

-- JR

PS: Well done, America. We all needed that break.

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