The prolific and ever-reliable Strut bring you the first, definitive overview of one of the most revered, open-minded and influential labels of the 1980s: Celluloid Records!
Although formed in Paris in the 70s, the label really came of age in the early 80s New York scene when bass player Bill Laswell came along with his full spectrum of creativity, from loft jazz to post-punk to dance experimentalism, and label founder Jean Karakos became involved in NY's nascent hip-hop scene. What followed was a cornucopua of diverse, fresh sounds, from the seminal b-boy classic 'Wildstyle' by Timezone to Bill Laswell's own productions with Material and a host of electro/afro collorations with Manu Dibango, Sapho and Mandingo.
Not content with this explosion of new music, Celluloid also joined forces with Alan Douglas in order to re-issue seminal recordings by The Last Poets and continued to support new wave, electronic and cold wave artists from France such as Ferdinand and Nini Raviolette. Indeed, on many levels, from 1983-1986, Celluloid really were the label!
All formats feature rare photos from the Celluloid Records archive and extended interviews with label owner Jean Karakos, Bill Laswell, Afrika Bambaataa, John Lydon, Rusty Egan (Timezone) and more. The digital version of the album features five extra tracks not featured on the physical formats.