Edit summary: added pic ((Image:Mutantdisco.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Cover of ''Mutant Disco'' compilation album)) '''ZE Records''' (originally always written with two capital letters) was a ((New York))-based ((record label)), started in ((1978)) by ((Michael Zilkha)) and ((Michel Esteban)). Michael Zilkha (b. 1954) was a British-born Oxford graduate of Lebanese descent, the son of the owner of ((Mothercare)), a major UK retail company, and the stepson of ((Harold Lever, Baron Lever of Manchester|Lord Lever)). In the mid-1970s he was working in the New York publishing industry. Michel Esteban was the French owner of the Paris punk shop Harry Cover (a pun on "haricots verts") and the magazine ''Rock News'', and, with his partner ((Lizzy Mercier Descloux)), had moved to New York to become part of the punk and emerging ((post-punk)) music scene. In 1977, Zilkha and Esteban were introduced to each other by ((John Cale)). The music which they were listening to was a mixture of the ((New Wave music|New Wave)) of ((Talking Heads)) and ((Television (band)|Television)), together with the disco-funk music being played in the New York clubs, at a point at which music, art, cinema, literature, and fashion were closely integrated. The pair decided to set up ZE Records, a name taken from the initials of their surnames, to record the new music emerging. The genre later became known generically as ((No Wave)) – the title of one of the company’s first compilation albums. Within a short time, ZE Records became the hippest record label in the world, signing up such new talent as ((Was (Not Was))), ((Kid Creole and the Coconuts)), ((Material (band)|Bill Laswell’s Material)), and ((James Chance|James White and the Blacks)), together with more established performers including John Cale and ((Suicide (band)|Suicide)). Many of its releases were first played at the ((Paradise Garage)) club in New York, starting point of ((Garage (dance music)|Garage)) music. Although essentially an independent label, ZE had a long-running partnership with ((Island Records)), leading to their records being released via Island, Ariola, and other labels worldwide. The label’s success peaked around 1981-82, and it closed down in 1986. Esteban restarted the label in ((2002)) in ((France)) to reissue old material. Meanwhile, the Zilkha family moved into the energy business, and Michael Zilkha is currently co-owner of a major renewable energy company based in Texas. ==Notable artists== * ((Suicide (band)|Suicide)) * ((Kid Creole and the Coconuts)) * ((James Chance)) * ((Cristina (singer)|Cristina)) * ((John Cale)) * ((Was (Not Was))) * ((The Waitresses)) * ((Alan Vega)) * ((Davitt Sigerson)) * ((Lizzy Mercier Descloux)) * ((Lydia Lunch)) * ((James Chance|James White and the Blacks)) * ((James Chance and the Contortions|The Contortions)) * ((Material (band)|Material)) == See also == * ((List of record labels)) ==External links== * (http://www.zerecords.com/ Official site) * (http://www.factmagazine.co.uk/da/16043 2003 interview with Michel Esteban) * (http://www.net3-tv.net/~woo-ze/news.html Japanese fan site) * (http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/256 Dusted magazine review of reissues) ((Category:American record labels)) ((Category:Companies established in 1978))