Nouveau son 🎤 et nouvelle tournée 🍻 pour 2026 !
The group Svinkels has made a name for itself in the French rap scene thanks to its humor and musical style, which blends punk-inspired rock with electronic music. Formed in 1994 by Parisian Gérard Baste and Nicolas Tissier, aka Nikus Pocus, the duo—which takes its name from a brand of beer—expanded with the addition of DJ Do Bass (Frédéric Lansac) on the turntables, followed by Mr. Xavier (Xavier Vindard), both of whom came from the duo Les Professionnels. After a critically acclaimed eight-track debut EP, Juste Fais Là ! (1998), the album Tapis Rouge reached a wider audience in 1999, largely due to its rap infused with schoolboy humor—sometimes political—and its instrumental tracks. In 2001, DJ Do Bass was replaced by DJ Pone (Thomas Parent), the reigning French turntable champion of the DMC competition, which he won four times between 1999 and 2002. His contribution is notable on the album Bons pour l'Asile (2003) and the compilation DJ Pone Réveille le Svink ! (2005), released on the independent label Atmosphériques. As part of the Qhuit collective—which brought together several rap groups—Svinkels teamed up with rock musicians and a new DJ, Dr. Crunkenstein (the future film composer Ludovic Bource), who replaced DJ Pone on their third album Dirty Centre (2008), which was influenced by American crunk rap. The group participated in several collaborative projects with acts such as Parabellum, Enhancer, TTC, Le Peuple de l’Herbe, and Triptik, before disbanding in 2009. After returning to the stage in 2018 and releasing the previously unreleased track “Mon Spot” in 2020, Svinkels released a new album titled Rechute (2021), with music videos produced for each track. While the band was preparing for its comeback, Nikus Pocus died of a heart attack on May 10, 2024, at the age of 51.
