If you spent any time on dance floors in the early eighties like me, chances are you crossed paths with at least one of their 12-inches.
Back then, I was mainly into Hip-Hop and Electro and while working in a club at 16, I learned the basics of mixing and scratching. It was there that DJ Frank Deibert handed me a copy of the RAP IT compilation album.
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| My Celluloid collection... Really fresh stuff... |
That record turned out to be a treasure trove; It featured tacks like Grandmaster DST Cuts It Up, Smurf for What It's Worth, The Escapades of Futura 2000, and even two versions of Change the Beat.
Yet ironically, most attention went to just a few seconds at the very end of the B-side. That now-iconic vocal snippet “Ahhh… this stuff is really fresh” became one of the most sampled and scratched sounds in DJ culture.The album itself, complete with artwork by Keith Haring, felt ahead of its time in every sense.Behind all this stood Jean Karakos, the founder of Celluloid Records. The label built its reputation on unlikely collaborations and a fearless approach to genre. It wasn’t just influential within Hip-Hop, it left a deep imprint on the broader New York underground club scene from the late ’70s through the ’80s.
" Celluloid’s catalog was as eclectic as it was forward-thinking.Early releases ranged from no wave and avant-garde pop, featuring acts like Métal Urbain, Mathematiques Modernes, James Chance, and Alan Vega, to licensed works by Soft Cell, Cabaret Voltaire, and Tuxedomoon.
Through its connection with ZE Records, co-founded by Michael Zilkha and Michael Esteban, artists such as Was (Not Was), Suicide, and Lydia Lunch moved fluidly between both imprints, sometimes even appearing on dual-branded releases.
With Bill Laswell taking on a central role, Celluloid’s catalogue quickly expanded around 1982 into early hip-hop territory. Projects linked to Afrika Bambaataa (RIP), alongside artists like Fab 5 Freddy and Grand Mixer DST, were often recorded at Martin Bisi’s Brooklyn studio and shaped by Laswell’s group Material.
At the same time, the label kept pushing boundaries with releases like Konk Party, while Laswell balanced outside success, such as his work with Herbie Hancock by ongoing contributions to Celluloid projects, including Material’s One Down, featuring an early appearance by Whitney Houston.
Under Jean Karakos, the label also broadened its scope, connecting with artists like Manu Dibango and Ginger Baker while maintaining a prolific and genre-blurring output throughout the mid-eighties."*
Audio interview with Jean Karakos:
"This hard-to-find Mixcloud episode from 2011 features a deep-dive interview with Jean Karakos (RIP 2017), founder of Celluloid Records, who discusses his experiences navigating the early 1980s music scene and building the label's signature sound. Hosted by Ross Allen, the special highlights the intersection of punk, funk, and early hip-hop, featuring anecdotes about collaborations with figures like Bill Laswell and tracks from artists such as Time Zone and Fab 5 Freddy."And now, since 2025, Celluloid Records is quietly back in motion. No loud announcements, no hype machine....just a legacy resurfacing, waiting to be rediscovered.
I have been following their new path over the last half year, and the new directions does still feel authentic, experimental, intuitive and at times psychedelic. They have been doing a few label parties throughout France and I've seen many interesting things so far. Some beautiful collaborations with female vocalist Orphee and Pleasure Principle, for example, who are all worth following on their social medias.
Today the label had their 2nd official release, "Dissociate" by Honk Gong, the new track has some serious Beta Band vibes, mixed with a deep and dubby sauce... it al sounds very nice and still sounds original...
Celluloid never followed the obvious path before, there’s no reason to expect they will now.
