THE ESCAPADES OF FUTURA 2000 by THE CLASH & FUTURA 2000

Celluloid records is back!. As a precursor to some Jean-Karakos-powered new Celluloid releases, we first dip into the vast, varied and voluptuous Celluloid back catalog for a series of vinyl represses. First stop is New York City, 1984. Jean and In-house producer Bill Laswell have moulded Celluloid records into an independent-label tour de force, an genre-less and boundless melting pot of No-wave, Hip-Hop, Rock, World and more. New York is much wilder place than today, Ed Koch is in control and the streets are mean. Powered by the forces of the street Art and Music are combining in ways they never have done before.Futura 2000 (aka Leonard McGurr) has been painting illegally on the New York Subway since the early 70's. His abstract approach to Grafitti is unique and soon he rises to the top. Along with the cream of New York new art wave of Keith Haring, Richard Hambleton and Futura 2000s best friend Jean-Michel Basquiat their work is shown in Patti Astors Fun Gallery. In 1981 legitimacy beckons and Futura joins the Clash on their "Combat Rock" tours, adding live painted backgrounds during the concerts. He also features on the track "Overpowered By Funk" track by the Clash. Its now 1984 and Mick Jones and Futura 2000 team up to record the "Escapades Of Futura 2000". As an visual artist Futura is unparalleled, but it turns out he is a pretty good rapper aswell. Name checking his friends, old haunts and scenes the rap enfolds. Mick Jones takes care of beats and bass guitar. It's a record of its time that still sounds fresh today. A record that could probably only have come out on the unique set of people, circumstances and timing that surrounded Celluloid Records.