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4AD Records: A Passage In Time

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There was definitely an awesome foundation on which 4AD bands now build on. But Jamie Gambino along with the majority of the With Guitars crew, he can’t help ‘counting backwards’ to what still remains that wonderful Alma Road label’s most golden of times. Sit back and enjoy The Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance, Throwing Muses, The Pixies, Lush, The Breeders…

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The British Independent Record label began in 1980. Founded by Ivo Watts Russell and Peter Kent in late 1979, the initial idea was for 4AD to be a testing ground for Beggars Banquet where successful acts would “graduate” onto Beggars after a year on 4AD. 4AD was originally the antithesis of Punk – Gothy, sonic soundscapes. Floaty and Ethereal. Then largely thanks to American signings Throwing Muses and the Pixies it morphed into something dirtier. 4AD became an Indie quality control, and teamed with the exquisite cover art by Vaughan Oliver’s Graphic Design company V23 you could guarantee that albums by 4AD bands would find their way to the front of your collection or adorn your walls. Here 31 years later, we take a brief look at some of the labels defining artists;

 

Pearly Dew Drops Drop by Cocteau Twins. A classic in any era

Cocteau Twins

Arguably 4AD’s most recognisable signing and probably the band that gives the label it’s defining sound. Cocteau Twins were Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde (who replaced Will Heggie on Bass in the bands early days). Hailing from Scotland and formed in the post punk, new wave era, the music of the Cocteau Twins wasn’t easy to categorise but tends to be regarded as ‘dream pop’ or ‘shoegazing’. Their debut album for 4ad ‘Garlands’ released in 1982 was an instant success and led to their involvement in Ivo Watts Russell’s supergroup ‘This Mortal Coil’, it was as TMC that Guthrie & Fraser recorded the beautiful Tim Buckley cover ‘Song To The Siren’. Subsequent Cocteau Twins recordings include the albums Treasure, Victorialand, and Bluebell Knoll. Their final album for 4ad was Heaven Or Las Vegas in 1990 which became the bands biggest chart success. The Cocteau Twins remain popular to this date with several bands citing them as an influence, with many bands recording or performing cover versions as a tribute. The Deftones are one such band who covered Wax And Wane from the Treasure album.

 

Song To The Siren by This Mortal Coil


Dead Can Dance

Formed in Melbourne, Australia. Dead Can Dance (primarily Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry) signed to 4ad when they moved to London in 1982. The bands self titled debut album was described by one critic at the time “as Goth as it gets”. Later releases saw the band branch out in a wider ranger of styles including acoustic and ‘world music’ influences. Spleen And Ideal the bands second album soared to number 2 in the UK Indie charts and by the time they released their 6th studio album ‘Into The Labyrinth in 1993 they had become 4ad’s highest selling act.

Frontier by Dead Can Dance
Bright Yellow Gun by Throwing Muses. Kristen Hersh at her usual best.

Throwing Muses

Founded by stepsisters Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, Throwing Muses were the first American signing to the 4ad label, after Ivo Watts Russell changed his rule upon hearing the bands demos. Releasing their eponymous debut in 1986, Throwing Muses became successful pioneers on the alternative rock scene. Renowned for the shifting tempos, dynamic guitar chord progressions and the often deconstructed lyrics of Kristin Hersh. The bands success in Europe paved the way for fellow Americans the Pixies onto the label, as well as the offshoots of both bands (Belly and The Breeders). Throwing Muses had a prolific career releasing 8 original studio albums between 1986 and 2003, with The Real Ramona, Red Heaven and University all making the UK top 30. 4ad are about to give the band a deluxe two disc Anthology (released September 5th) and a new album has been funded entirely by Kristin’s ‘Strange Angels’ – subscribers to her Cash Music site.

 

Bone Machine by Pixies

Pixies

Boston’s the Pixies: Black Francis, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering were signed to 4ad despite initial concerns by Ivo that the band were “too Rock n Roll” Often put together with fellow Americans Throwing Muses for concert tours, the band found larger success in Europe than they did back home. The band released 4 studio albums Surfer Rosa, Doolittle, Bossanova, Trompe Le Monde – in just 4 years before disbanding under acrimonious circumstances. The Pixies would later become hugely influential with Kurt Cobain, Radiohead, PJ Harvey and Blur all acknowledging the bands legacy.

The band reformed in 2004 and tickets for their initial tour dates sold out within minutes. That year also saw a greatest hits compilation Wave Of Mutilation released. Pixies continue to tour but haven’t recorded a new album, instead they play greatest hits sets, and have since the 20th anniversary of it’s release played their album Doolittle in it’s entirety.

Best single release of the year in my book

Lush

Originally called The Baby Machines, Lush took shape when Miki Berenyi, Emma Anderson, Chris Acland and then bassist Steve Rippon jettisoned singer Muriel Barham from the band. A demo tape of the revitalised band found it’s way to the Cocteau Twins Robin Guthrie, leading to them releasing Scar a 6 track mini album on 4ad in 1989. Music press darlings thanks to flame heard front woman Miki Berenyi, Miki had a stage persona more resembling Babes In Toyland’s Kat Bjelland than Lush’s often dreamy music would suggest. The EP Mad Love and single Sweetness And Light were collated along with Scar into an album Gala aimed at the American Market.

Labelled as part of the Shoegaze movement Lush became unlikely additions to the US Lollapalooza tour after the success of the album Spooky in 1992.

The bands third album Split moved away from the guitars swathed in effects sound and spawned two different singles both released on the same day, Hypocrite and Desire Lines. Neither the Split album or the two singles entered the UK top 40. Chart success came in 1996 with new album Lovelife that borrowed the trendy Brit Pop sound and even featured Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker on a duet (Ciao), the album saw three hit singles Single Girl, Ladykillers, and 500 (shake baby shake).

Sadly Lush disbanded after the tragic death of drummer Chris Acland, recent mentions of a reunion have been dismissed by guitarist Emma Anderson as “financially unfeasible”

The Breeders

Regarded as one of the last great bands of the classic 4ad era – along with Belly – the Breeders were originally an extra outlet for the songwriting talents of Pixies bassist Kim Deal and Throwing Muses guitarist Tanya Donelly. Pod their Steve Albini produced debut album was critically if not commercially successful, with Kurt Cobain placing it in his top ten albums of all time. For the bands second release the EP Safari, Kim recruited her twin sister Kelley on guitar and backing vocals. Prior to recording second album, the platinum selling Last Splash, Donelly left to form her own pop group Belly. Last Splash provided the band with a huge hit in the form of Cannonball.

A long hiatus after that album saw Kim release an album as The Amps after Kelley was involved in a drugs bust. Upon leaving rehab Kelley formed The Kelley Deal 6000 or TKD6K and released two albums. A third Breeders album Title Tk came in 2001 and was again produced by Steve Albini. Success of a 4th album Mountain Battles in 2008 Saw the band picked to curate the following years All Tomorrows Parties Festival in the UK, recruiting fellow label mates Throwing Muses alongside new 4ad acts like DeerHunter and Bon Iver onto the line up. The self released Fate To Fatal EP was released the same year.

Cannonball by The Breeders – single of the year in my book
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