Strut present the story of one of the most influential and revered labels emerging from New York in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, Ze Records. After the late ‘70s punk and new wave explosion in New York, Ze became a by-word for the anything-goes culture clashes that typified the Big Apple during the early ‘80s. Formed by French art student Michel Esteban and British journalist Michael Zilkha, Ze quickly created its own unique independent universe, signing artists as varied as Alan Vega’s electronic post-punk pioneers Suicide, trash disco queen Cristina and maverick producer August Darnell a …
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Strut present the story of one of the most influential and revered labels emerging from New York in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, Ze Records. After the late ‘70s punk and new wave explosion in New York, Ze became a by-word for the anything-goes culture clashes that typified the Big Apple during the early ‘80s. Formed by French art student Michel Esteban and British journalist Michael Zilkha, Ze quickly created its own unique independent universe, signing artists as varied as Alan Vega’s electronic post-punk pioneers Suicide, trash disco queen Cristina and maverick producer August Darnell a.k.a. Kid Creole. With Esteban’s sharp graphic eye leading the label’s visual identity, Ze hit the New York zeitgeist head on and became supremely hip - in 1982, The Face magazine nominated it “the most fashionable label in the world.” The label’s early success led to a deal with Chris Blackwell’s Island Records, which gave Ze’s releases worldwide exposure and brought worldwide fame to Kid Creole, Was (Not Was) and more.
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