ZE Records was a New York–based record label, started in 1978 by Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban, and closed in 1984.
It was reestablished by Esteban in 2003; its website was last updated in 2019.
History Michael Zilkha (born 1954) is a British-born Oxford graduate of Iraqi descent, the son of Selim Zilkha, former owner of Mothercare, a major UK retail company, and the stepson of Cabinet member Lord Lever. In the mid-1970s, Zilkha worked in the New York publishing industry and was a contributor to the Village Voice.
Michel Esteban (b. 1951) studied art in Paris and at the School of Visual Arts in New York, before returning to Paris in 1975 and opening the shop Harry Cover (a pun on "haricots verts"), which specialised in current rock music merchandise from the US and UK. The basement shop quickly became the rehearsal place for Parisian new wave bands. Between 1975 and 1976, Esteban published Rock News, which covered the birth of the punk rock movement in London, New York and Paris. In 1977 he published Patti Smith's books Witt and The Night, and Lizzy Mercier Descloux's first book Desiderata.
In 1977, Esteban signed French new wave band Marie et les Garçons, and asked John Cale—whom he had met through Patti Smith—to produce them. Cale produced the single "Re Bop" in New York, and when he decided to start a record label with Jane Friedman he asked Esteban to help. Cale later introduced Esteban to Zilkha, and they first established SPY Records to release singles produced by Cale, including records by Harry Toledo, the Necessaries, Lester Bangs, Model Citizens, and Bob Neuwirth.
ZE Records Zilkha and Esteban then left to set up their own label, ZE Records, a name taken from the initials of their surnames, to record the new music emerging in New York and elsewhere from a fusion of punk, disco and new wave music. Much of the music produced by the company later became categorised as either "Mutant Disco" – a title used for one of ZE's early compilation albums – or "No Wave". Chris Blackwell – a friend of Esteban's then-girlfriend, fashion editor Anna Wintour – gave ZE worldwide exposure through the label's licensing deal with Island Records.
Within a short time, ZE Records became one of the more hip labels of its time, signing up such new talent as James White and the Blacks, Was (Not Was), Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Lydia Lunch, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Cristina, The Waitresses, Bill Laswell's Material and Richard Strange, together with more established performers including John Cale and Suicide. Many of its releases were first played at the Paradise Garage club in New York, starting point of Garage music.
ZE developed an independent and surrealist aesthetic identity. It was described by John Peel in Melody Maker in 1980 as "the best independent record label in the world", and by Paul Tickell in The Face in 1982 as "the world's most fashionable label". According to writer Andy Kellman:[ Andy Kellman, Review of Mutant Disco, Allmusic.com]"At their most inspired, the artists on ZE found some middle ground between immensely accessible disco-pop and the avant-garde, without ever falling down the middle of the road. Music that appealed to Highlights-reading six year olds as well as their Village Voice-reading parents wasn't particularly common back then (surely there are no modern-day parallels); and it's just one of the voids that the ZE label filled, fostered by a very direct collision between the novelty of pop and the possibilities of artful experimentation."
The label's success and influence peaked around 1981-82. Esteban left New York in 1982, and ZE Records closed down in 1984.
Esteban continued to work with Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and with Lio, as well as other artists. He restarted the ZE label in 2003 in France to record new artists, including Glasgow band Michael Dracula, as well as to reissue old material. As of 2015, he lived in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.
List of ZE recording artists
Alan Vega James Chance Optimo/Twitch Arto Lindsay James White & the Blacks Pill Factory Aural Exciters John Cale Richard Strange Breakfast Club Junie Morrison Ron Rogers Bill Laswell Kid Creole & the Coconuts Rosa Yemen Caroline Loeb Lio Snuky Tate Casino Music Lisi Suicide Coati Mundi Lizzy Mercier Descloux Suicide Romeo Cristina Los Portos Sweet Pea Atkinson Daisy Chain Lydia Lunch Sympho State (Bob Blank) Davitt Sigerson Marie & les Garçons Teenage Jesus and the Jerks Don Armando's 2nd Av. Rhumba Band Mars The Waitresses Garçons Material & Nona Hendryx Was (Not Was) Gichy Dan's Beachwood #9 Michael Dracula Miss OD/Ophélie Doll Helena Noguerra Octobre
Discography
1978Singles Artists Formats Titles The Reasons (7") Hard Day At The Office / Baby Bright Eyes Cristina (12") Disco Clone (Produced by John Cale) Cristina (12") Disco Clone (Produced by Cristina/Zilkha/Blank) Marie et Les Garçons (12") ReBop / Attitudes Rosa Yemen (12") Rosa Yemen Arto / Neto (12") Pini, Pini / Malu James Chance (12") That's When Your Heartaches Begin James White & The Blacks (12") Contort Yourself / - (Tropical) Heatwave Sympho-State (Bob Blank) (12") Fever Mars (12") 3 E / 11,000 Volts (Pre) Teenage Jesus And The Jerks (12") Less of Me 7/ My Eyes / The Closet The Contortions (12") Designed to Kill / Throw Me Away Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band (12") I'm An Indian, Too / Deputy Of Love
1979Singles Artists Formats Titles Lizzy Mercier Descloux (7") Fire / Mission Impossible Mars (7") 3 E / 11,000 Volts Cristina (7") Disco Clone / Disco O Casino Music (7") Faites Le Proton / Amour Sauvage Nazis Against Fascism (7") Sid Did It Snuky Tate (7") He's The Groove Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band (7") Deputy Of Love / I'm An Indian, Too Marie et Les Garçons (7") ReBop / Attitudes Garçons (7") ReBop Electronique Aural Exciters (7") Spooks In Space Suicide (7") Dream Baby Dream / Radiation Garçons (7") French Boy / French Boy Reprise Aural Exciters (12") Spooks In Space / Marathon Runner Aural Exciters (12") My Boy Lollipop / Paradise Last Men (12") Jimmy Igo / The Word Garçons (12") French Boy / French Boy Reprise Lizzy Mercier Descloux (12") Fire / Mission Impossible Albums
Artists Formats Titles Lizzy Mercier Descloux (LP) Press Color James White & The Blacks (LP) Off White Casino Music (LP) Amour Sauvage Casino Music (LP) Jungle Love The Contortions (LP) Buy Aural Exciters (LP) Spooks In Space Garçons (LP) Divorce Gichy Dan's (LP) Beachwood # 9 Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band (LP) Deputy Of Love
1980Singles Artists Formats Titles Coati Mundi (7") Que Passa / Me No Pop I Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") There But For The Grace Of God Go I Suicide Romeo (7") Suicide Roméo / Moderne Romance Cristina (7") Baby You Can Drive My Car Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") Maladie D'amour Alan Vega (7") Juke Box Baby / Lonely Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") Darrio / Lili Marlene Cristina (7") La Poupée Qui Fait Non / Drive My Car Cristina (12") La Poupée Qui Fait Non / Blame It On Disco Alan Vega / Richard Strange (12") Juke Box Baby / International Language Coati Mundi (12") Que Passa / Me No Pop I Albums
Artists Formats Titles Kid Creole & The Coconuts (LP) Off The Coast Of Me Suicide Alan Vega / Martin Rev (LP) Second Album Suicide Romeo (LP) Pictures Lydia Lunch (LP) Queen Of Siam Davitt Sigerson (LP) Davitt Sigerson Marie et Les Garçons (LP) Marie et Les Garçons Richard Strange (LP) The Live Rise Of Alan Vega (LP) Alan Vega
1981Singles Artists Formats Titles Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") Latin Music / Musica Americana Was (Not Was) (7") Out Come The Freaks The Waitresses (7") I Know What Boys Like / No Guilt Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") There But For The Grace Of God Go I ('Live') Material + Nona Hendryx (7") Bustin' Out / Over & Over Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") I Am / Schweinerei Various Artists : Télépop (7")Marie & Les Garcons : Amicalement Votre / Les Globetrotters - Casino Music : Max La MenaceLizzy Mercier Descloux : Mission Impossible - Suicide Romeo : Interlude / La Séquence Du Spectateur Cristina (7") Is That All There Is? / Jungle Love Cristina (7") Baby You Can Drive My Car / Don't Be Greedy Cristina (7") Baby You Can Drive My Car / The Ballad of Immoral Manufacture Cristina (7") Things Fall Apart / Disco Clone The Waitresses / Charlelie Couture (7") Christmas Wrapping / Christmas Fever Gichy Dan (12") Cowboys & Gangsters / Action Man Alan Vega & Martin Rev's Suicide (12") Dream Baby Dream / Radiation Kid Creole & The Coconuts (12") Don't Take My Coconuts Material + Nona Hendryx / Cristina (12") It's A Holiday / Things Fall Apart Kid Creole & The Coconuts (12") Going Places Was (Not Was) (12") Out Come The Freaks Coati Mundi (12") Me No Pop I / Que Pasa Kid Creole & The Coconuts (12") Latin Music Cristina (12") Is That All There Is? / Jungle Love Cristina (12") Baby You Can Drive My Car / The Ballad of Immoral Manufacture Various Artists (Box 3x12") Mutant Disco : A Subtle Discolation Of The Norm Was (Not Was) (12") Tell Me That I'm Dreaming Material + Nona Hendryx (12") Bustin' Out / Over & Over Cristina (12") Things Fall Apart / What a Girl To Do Albums
Artists Formats Titles Was (Not Was) (LP) Was (Not Was) Kid Creole & The Coconuts (LP) Fresh Fruit In Foreign Places Various Artists (LP) A Christmas Record 1981 Cristina (LP) Cristina Various Artists (LP) Mutant Disco : A Subtle Discolation Of The Norm Lizzy Mercier Descloux (LP) Mambo Nassau Alan Vega (LP) Collision Drive
1982Singles
Artists Formats Titles Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") Stool Pigeon / I'm A Wonderful Thing, Baby John Cale (7") I Keep A Close Watch Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") Annie (No Soy Tu Padre) Kid Creole & The Coconuts (2x7") Stool Pigeon / In The Jungle /There But for the Grace of God Go I (Live) / He's Not Such a Bad Guy After All (Live) Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") Christmas In B'Dilli Bay Was (Not Was) (7") Tell Me That I'm Dreaming Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy The Waitresses (7") I Know What Boys Like / No Guilt Kid Creole & The Coconuts (12") I'm A Wonderful Thing, Baby Was (Not Was) (12") Tell Me That I'm Dreaming / Out Come The Freaks (Dub) Kid Creole & The Coconuts (12") Stool Pigeon Sweet Pea Atkinson (12") Don't Walk Away / Dance Or Die Sweet Pea Atkinson (12") Dance Or Die / Should I Wait Kid Creole & The Coconuts (12") I'm A Wonderful Thing, Baby Alan Vega (12") Outlaw / Magdalena 84 Albums
Artists Formats Titles Sweet Pea Atkinson (LP) Don't Walk Away Kid Creole & The Coconuts (LP) Tropical Gangsters / Wise Guy (US Version) John Cale (LP) Music For A New Society Various Artists (LP) A Christmas Record 1982 The Waitresses (LP) I Could Rule The World If I Could Get The Parts
1983Singles Artists Formats Titles John Cale (7") Hungry For Love Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") There's Something Wrong In Paradise Kid Creole & The Coconuts (7") Don't Take My Coconuts The Waitresses (12") Christmas Wrapping / Hangover 1/1/83 Kid Creole & The Coconuts (12") The Lifeboat Party Was (Not Was) (12") Professor Night / Shake Your Head / Bow Wow Wow Wow Albums
Artists Formats Titles Ron Rogers (LP) Don't Play With My Emotions James White's (LP) Flaming Demonics Was (Not Was) (LP) Born To Laugh At Tornadoes The Waitresses (LP) Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? Caroline Loeb (LP) Piranana Alan Vega (LP) Saturn Strip
1984Singles Artists Formats Titles Junie Morrison (7") Tease Me John Cale (7") Ooh La La Daisy Chain (12") No Time To Stop Believing In Love / Time Version Breakfast Club (12") Rico Mambo Junie Morrison (12") Tease Me Was (Not Was) (12") (Return To The Valley Of) Out Come The Freaks (Remixed Version) Cristina (12") Ticket To The Tropics / What a Girl To Do Albums
Artists Formats Titles Davitt Sigerson (LP) Falling In Love Again John Cale (LP) Caribbean Sunset Was (Not Was) (LP) (The Woodwork) Squeaks Kid Creole & The Coconuts (LP) Cre Olé The Best Of John Cale (LP) Comes Alive Junie Morrison (LP) Evacuate Your Seats
1989Albums