4AD

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This article is about the record label 4AD. For the year, see 4.
4AD
Parent company Beggars Group
Founded 1979
Founder Ivo Watts-Russell
Peter Kent
Distributing label Beggars Group
Genre Alternative rock
Country of origin United Kingdom
Location London
Official website http://www.4ad.com

4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today.[1] It now forms part of the Beggars Group, along with Matador Records, Rough Trade Records and XL Recordings, and 4AD has the likes of Beirut, Blonde Redhead, Bon Iver, The Breeders, Stereolab, TV on the Radio and Scott Walker on their roster.

Contents

[edit] History

4AD was originally formed as Axis Records, but this was changed when it became apparent that the name Axis was already being used by another music company. The solution to this problem came from a promotional flyer that they had printed up to call attention to the new releases. The flyer's designer had added some typography which played on both the new year and the idea of progress:

1980 FORWARD
1980 FWD
1984 AD
4AD

Quickly scrambling for a new name, Ivo glanced at the flyer and suggested "4AD". Peter Kent agreed, and, with that split-second decision, 4AD was born.

Shortly afterwards, Kent left the company to start another label (also funded by Beggars Banquet): Situation Two Records. Watts-Russell invited the graphic designer Vaughan Oliver to create sleeve art for the label and as a result 4AD quickly acquired a visually distinctive identity. Its artists like the Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance developed substantial cult followings in the mid-1980s, but 4AD continued to evolve, and, after signing Throwing Muses and Pixies, the label increasingly concentrated on underground American rock music. In 1987, 4AD had a UK Number One hit with the collaged "Pump Up The Volume" by M/A/R/R/S.

In the 1990s, 4AD established an office in Los Angeles and enjoyed success with bands such as The Breeders, Red House Painters, Unrest, and His Name Is Alive. In 1999, Watts-Russell sold his share in 4AD back to the Beggars Group (as it had by then become), but the label continued to release music and add new artists to its roster. [2]

[edit] Current artists

[edit] Alumni

[edit] Noteworthy releases

[edit] 1980

  1. Bauhaus Dark Entries (AD3); the only AXIS single to be re-issued under the 4AD name
  2. Rema-Rema Wheel in the Roses (BAD5); the first release bearing the 4AD logo
  3. Bauhaus In the Flat Field (CAD13); the first full-length LP on 4AD
  4. Modern English Gathering Dust (AD15); later the inspiration for This Mortal Coil's first record

[edit] 1981

  1. The Birthday Party Prayers on Fire (CAD105); debut full-length from classic post-punk band
  2. Dif Juz Huremics (BAD109); debut EP from classic proto-"post rock" outfit
  3. Natures Mortes (Still Lives) (CAD117); definitive summary of the label's post-punk years, originally only available in Japan

[edit] 1982

  1. Colin Newman Not To (CAD201); Third solo LP from Wire frontman, featuring several previously unreleased Wire tracks
  2. Modern English After the Snow (CAD206); LP contains 4AD's first mainstream hit, the New Wave classic "I Melt With You."
  3. Cocteau Twins Garlands (CAD211); debut LP from band who would come to define the label's aesthetic

[edit] 1983

  1. The Wolfgang Press The Burden of Mules (CAD308); debut LP from long-time 4AD mainstay, including former Rema-Rema members
  2. This Mortal Coil Sixteen Days-Gathering Dust (BAD310); debut EP from Ivo's house band, including popular cover of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren"
  3. Cocteau Twins Head over Heels (CAD 313); the band's second LP begins to define the band and label's sound

[edit] 1985

  1. Clan of Xymox Clan of Xymox (CAD503); debut LP from classic goth band
  2. Dif Juz Extractions (CAD505); only full-length from the band, which is very much in-line with the classic 4AD sound
  3. Colourbox Colourbox (CAD508); debut LP from pop-collage artists, considered classic today
  4. Dead Can Dance Spleen and Ideal (CAD 512); second LP that advanced the band's sound considerably
  5. Cocteau Twins The Pink Opaque (CAD513CD); compilation of 1982-1985 material intended for US release; released only on CD in the UK, the label's first release on the medium

[edit] 1986

  1. Throwing Muses Throwing Muses (CAD607); debut LP from the first American band signed to 4AD
  2. This Mortal Coil Filigree & Shadow (DAD609); second album from Ivo's project is the label's first double album

[edit] 1987

  1. MARRS Pump Up The Volume (AD707); generally regarded as a significant milestone in the development of British house music and music sampling
  2. Lonely Is an Eyesore (CAD703); compilation album released in many formats, showcasing the label's diverse lineup
  3. Dead Can Dance Within the Realm of a Dying Sun (CAD705); another classic LP typical of the label's output of the era
  4. Pixies Come on Pilgrim (MAD709); debut mini-album culled from the band's demo tape
  5. Pieter Nooten/Michael Brook Sleeps with the Fishes (CAD710); atmospheric album from former Clan of Xymox member Nooten and noted guitarist/producer Brook

[edit] 1988

  1. Throwing Muses House Tornado (CAD802); the band's second LP is their first to be released in the USA
  2. Pixies Surfer Rosa (CAD803); Steve Albini-produced album that proved to be massively influential on nearly all alternative rock to follow
  3. Cocteau Twins Blue Bell Knoll (CAD807); the band's most successful LP to date received major-label distribution in the USA by Capitol Records

[edit] 1989

  1. Pixies Doolittle (CAD809); another extremely influential LP that now routinely ranks high in lists of all-time best albums
  2. Lush Scar (JAD911); debut EP by the English quartet, an early shoegaze release

[edit] 1990

  1. The Breeders Pod (CAD0006); debut of Pixie Kim Deal's side project that eventually became her main band
  2. His Name Is Alive Livonia (CAD008); American band begins a long run at 4AD with a debut that carries on in the tradition of the label's 1980s heyday
  3. Cocteau Twins Heaven or Las Vegas (CAD0012); the band's final album on 4AD was said by Ivo to be “the best record 4AD ever released.”

[edit] 1991-1995

Although fans will greatly debate the exact year the "classic 4AD" period ends, a popular theory places the end with the release of the final Cocteau Twins 4AD album in 1990. Still, 1991 saw the final Throwing Muses album with Tanya Donelly (The Real Ramona, CAD1002), the final This Mortal Coil album (Blood, DAD1005), His Name Is Alive's Home Is in Your Head (CAD1013), and the Pixies' Trompe le Monde (CAD1014), all of which are generally considered to be "classic 4AD."

Even in 1992, new signings like Belly and the Red House Painters produced records which are also considered amongst the classic era of 4AD. However, the label's deal with Warner Bros. in the United States in 1992 would start the beginning of a truly new phase in 4AD history. By 1995, whatever remnants of the "classic era" that were left were dying out, as evidenced by the final 4AD release for Red House Painters, and the last albums and break-ups of Belly and The Wolfgang Press. New signings that year included American underground acts Kendra Smith, Tarnation, Air Miami and The Amps.

[edit] 1998

  1. Thievery Corporation Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi (CAD8006); An unlikely and short-lived foray into the electronic, downtempo world for 4AD.

[edit] 2002

  1. The Breeders Title TK (CAD2205); Strangely intimate, feminine garage rock and an admirably honest portrait of the band.

[edit] 2004

  1. Blonde Redhead Misery Is A Butterfly (CAD2409); A creative leap forward for one of the most interesting band to emerge from the USA underground in the 1990s.
  2. TV On The Radio Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes (CAD2420); Other worldly debut album from feted Brooklyn band.

[edit] 2005

  1. Cocteau Twins Lullabies to Violaine (CTBOX 2); Compilation of all Cocteau Twins EPs, singles and b-sides spread over four compact discs. Remastered by Robin Guthrie and released to coincide with the label's 25th anniversary.
  2. TV On The Radio Dry Drunk Emperor (n/a); A free download track, never formally released, gifted to fans and to remember those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

[edit] 2006

  1. TV On The Radio Return To Cookie Mountain (CAD2607); The album of 2006 according to many critics end of year lists. A stone cold classic.
  2. Scott Walker The Drift (CAD2603); The first album from the infamously reclusive Scott Walker for over a decade. Not for the faint hearted!
  3. Beirut Gulag Orkestar (CAD2619); An incredibly accomplished debut album from the then 19-year old Zach Condon.
  4. Plague Songs (CAD2616); An album of songs, by various artists (including Rufus Wainwright, Brian Eno & Robert Wyatt and Scott Walker), about the ten Plagues of Egypt as described in the book of Exodus.

[edit] 2007

  1. Blonde Redhead 23 (CAD2717); Second album for 4AD from the New York trio.
  2. Scott Walker And Who Shall Go To The Ball? And What Shall Go To The Ball? (CAD2731 CD); Original score for a modern dance performance by CandoCo. Limited to just 2,500 copies.
  3. Beirut The Flying Club Cup (CAD2732); Zach Condon's second album was adjudged to "rock, in (an) extremely geeky way." by Spin Magazine

[edit] 2008

  1. The Breeders Mountain Battles (CAD2803); Kim Deal's other band released their first new material for nearly six years.
  2. Atlas Sound Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (CAD2811 CD); Expanded version of exceptional debut album by Bradford Cox.
  3. Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago (CAD2809); Justin Vernon's stunning debut album, which he recorded in a log cabin in Winconsin.
  4. Stereolab Chemical Chords (CAD2715); First 4AD release from Stereolab, to be released in August 2008.


[edit] Catalog numbering scheme

For the most part, 4AD's official UK releases follow a standard scheme for designating catalog numbers. Although there have been some variations over the years, some general rules can be devised to easily determine the format (LP, CD, etc.) and year of release by looking at a 4AD catalog number.

[edit] Prefix

The first part of a catalog number is a prefix that contains a variation of "AD," based on the 4AD name. Some standards are:

  • AD = single
  • BAD = EP
  • CAD = Full length LP
  • DAD = Double LP

Some other "AD" variations have been used less frequently over the years, including (but not limited to):

  • EAD = Electronic download
  • GAD = reissue (usually mid-priced)
  • HAD = remastered or significantly altered reissue (usually with some combination of bonus tracks, re-mastering, or new artwork)
  • JAD and MAD = "mini album" that is longer than an EP but shorter than an LP
  • TAD = temporary release

[edit] Numerical designation

The second part of the catalog number is a number that represents the year of release (via the number of years since 1980, following the '1980 Forward' theme), and the order of release in the particular year. For example, This Mortal Coil's LP It'll End in Tears is CAD411. The "CAD" represents that the release is an LP, the "4" in 411 represents 1984, and 11 marks the 11th release that year. This is the vinyl LP release; cassette versions have "C" added to the prefix (CADC411 in this example); CD versions have "CD" added at the end (CAD411CD).

A side effect of this scheme is that it made it seem like 4AD had hundreds of releases early on. Once again using CAD411 as an example, a causal observer might assume this was the 411th release in the label's catalog, when 4AD actually had less than 100 total releases in their catalog at the time. In the 1990s, 4AD changed the first part of the number from "100s" to "1000s," temporarily making the number not correspond with the number of years since 1980. Releases in 1990 used "00" directly after the prefix (e.g., the Pixies' Bossanova, CAD0010, released in the fall of 1990); 1991 used "10" directly after the prefix (e.g., This Mortal Coil's Blood, DAD1005, released early in 1991), 1992 used "20," and so on for the rest of the 1990s.

Wanting to return to numbering with the years since 1980, 4AD had to provide a workaround for releases in the year 2000. Since the "20" numerical designation had been used in 1992, all releases in 2000 used "2K" (e.g., Mojave 3's Excuses For Travelers, released in early 2000 is CAD2K05). Since 2001, the catalog numbering scheme has finally been able to return to the original format with the first part of the number representing the years since 1980. Things haven't been too consistent since, and there have been several gaps. Also, the year 2010 will pose a problem, as it is 30 years since 1980, but the "30" designations were already used in 1993.

[edit] Ownership of the label

Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, employees of the Beggars Banquet record store and label, founded Axis Records in late 1979 as a property of Beggars Banquet that was ran by the two. After the first four Axis singles in early 1980, the name was changed to 4AD. An initial idea for the label was that it would be a "testing ground" for Beggars Banquet; successful acts would graduate up to Beggars Banquet after a year at 4AD. The only band to follow this path would be Bauhaus, who were signed to Beggars Banquet in late 1980 right before Ivo and Peter purchased the label outright.

The two were the sole owners for about a year. Peter sold his share to Ivo at the end of 1981, and started a new Beggars Banquet subsidiary, Situation Two Records. Ivo would maintain ownership of the label, and act as its president, until the late 1990s.

While 4AD didn't handle any distribution outside the United Kingdom for many years, it had many willing distributors in many countries: Columbia distributed much of the label in Japan, while Polygram subsidiary Vertigo released many of the label's records in Canada. The United States had always been a tough market for 4AD, even though their records sold well there as imports. Only a few of the label's acts had deals to license their recordings in the USA, among various labels.

In 1992, Ivo signed a five-year distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records so that nearly all 4AD releases would see release in the United States. While this seemed to be a simple licensing deal, in reality executives from Warner Bros. took a lot of control during this period, as 4AD shifted focus to the US market, signing more American bands. While still president, it is clear that Ivo ceded some control during this period, and once the deal ended, he offered to sell the label back to Beggars Banquet.

The deal with Beggars was completed by early 1999, and since then it has owned 4AD and its distribution worldwide. This led to many negotiations for the label's back catalog--like getting back US distribution rights for the Pixies and the Cocteau Twins.

In 2008, the Beggars Group recognized that 4AD was its most prestigious and successful label, and re-aligned itself so that several labels (including Beggars Banquet itself) were folded up on to the 4AD label. [2] Bands like Stereolab and Calla now find themselves signed to 4AD as a part of this merger. A basic rundown of the label's history now shows that it started as a Beggars Banquet offshoot, then left the Beggars Group, only to be later re-acquired by Beggars, but now 4AD more or less is what was formerly known as Beggars Banquet.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ 4AD: 1980
  2. ^ [1]