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Reviewed for The Dwarf

There have been some legendary record labels in recent music history. Sub Pop, Flying Nun, Rough Trade, Postcard and Soul Jazz are examples of labels that have carved out a niche for themselves based either on a genre of music or a reputation of quality releases that are always on the money.

ZE Records is worthy of being listed amongst the seminal labels even though it generally flown under the radar and largely operated in the mixed worlds of post punk and disco funk that emerged in New York in the late 70s and early 80s. Reissue label Strut have taken a moment to look back at some of the highlights of the 30 years of Ze Records with a glorious mixed bag of sounds, the common factor being a kind of dirty funk both conventional and abstract that filters through all the acts.

Cristina’s ‘Things Fall Apart’ is a raunchy guitar driven pout fest that initially comes across cheesy but is ultimately strangely enjoyable. Lizzy Mercier Descioux continues the sexual approach with ‘Hard-Boiled Babe’, a curious mix of electronic, harmonica and a bossa nova shuffle.

Alan Vega makes two appearances, firstly as himself on Jukebox Babe and then with Suicide on the terrifyingly beautiful ‘Dream Baby Dream’. Both tracks show how much Sigue Sigue Sputnik would rip off their sound and briefly make a bucket of cash. ‘Dream Baby Dream’ is a stone cold classic that still sounds haunting and desolate, a song everyone should own.

James White & The Blacks was one of the forerunners of the New York’s No Wave scene and combined white funk (hence the referencing name) with schizo post-punk skronk and posturing. It still sounds fresh and invigorating and is a sound that can be heard in contemporary acts like LCD Soundsystem and Tussle.

Kid Creole & The Coconuts were most famous for ‘Stool Pigeon’ but few outside of mainstream pop delved deeper into their sound that mixed latin, funk and dance grooves to great effect. Here, ‘There’s Something Wrong In Paradise’ is remixed by Larry Levan and it takes on a Talking Heads style pop vibe. Brilliantly clever pop music.

Lesser known acts like Garcon impress with a sound that would later be appropriated by Happy Mondays on French Boys and as a french electronic pop version of Suicide when they duet with Marie on ‘Re Bop Electronic’.

ZE 30 is an essential listening for anyone who wants to delve deeper than Talking Heads, Donna Summer and The Slits; this is a fantastic collection of music that was truly innovative and futuristic sounding at the time of its release and is still making itself heard in much of the dark pop and electro that is being made in the 21st century.