Formed by Jean Georgakarakos in Paris during the late ‚70s after a decade co-running French record shops and the spiritual jazz label BYG, the label gathered steam following Karakos’ fateful early ‚80s trips to New York. After a chance meeting Bill Laswell who had himself landed fresh in the Big Apple from Michigan, Karakos began releasing the full spectrum of Laswell’s early work, from the avant-rock cacophony of Massacre to
his fluid, dance / post-punk production outfit, Material. During the early ‘80s, Karakos became involved in the nascent hip hop scene In New York, releasing Timezone’s breakers favourite, ‚Wildstyle’, produced by UK DJ Rusty
Egan and featuring Afrika Bambaataa and French MC B Side. In ‚83, both he and Laswell worked with Herbie Hancock on his electro smash, ‚Rockit’, Spotting a keyboard riff that had been played towards the end of the original demo, Karakos suggested that this form the main hook of the track. From the resultant publishing income, Karakos and Laswell continued to explore early hip hop culture and a slew of classics followed: successful 12’s by Hancock’s scratch DJ, Grandmixer D.ST, Fab 5 Freddy’s groundbreaking French / English slo mo rap, ‚Change The Beat’ and graf artist Futura 2000 on the cult single ‚Escapades Of Futura 2000’ backed by The Clash. Time Zone would also re-surface with Bambaataa and collaborator John Lydon (PiL / Sex Pistols) with the apocalyptic chart smash ‚World Destruction’.