4AD is a British

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

owned by

Beggars Group Beggars Group is a British record company that owns or distributes several other labels, including 4AD, Rough Trade Records, Matador Records, XL Recordings and Young. History The companies’ roots stem from the Beggars Banquet record shops, whi ...

. It was founded in London under the name "Axis" (after the Hendrix album) by

Ivo Watts-Russell Ivo Watts-Russell (born 1954) is a British music producer and record label executive. He was joint-founder with Peter Kent of the indie record label 4AD. He has produced several records, although he prefers to use the term "musical director". Ea ...

and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of

Beggars Banquet Records Beggars Banquet Records is a British independent record label. Beggars Banquet started as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin and is part of the Beggars Group of labels. History In 1977, spurred by the prevailing ...

. The name was changed to 4AD after the release of the label's first four singles. Later that year, Watts-Russell and Kent purchased the label from Beggars Banquet to become an independent record label, and Kent sold his share to Watts-Russell a year later. The label gained prominence in the 1980s for releasing albums from

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...

, gothic rock, and

dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such as ...

artists, such as

Bauhaus The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 20 ...

, Cocteau Twins, Modern English,

Dead Can Dance Dead Can Dance are an Australian music duo first established in Melbourne. Currently composed of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, the group formed in 1981. They relocated to London the following year. Australian music historian Ian McFarlane des ...

Clan of Xymox Clan of Xymox, also known as simply Xymox, are a Dutch rock band from Nijmegen formed in 1981 best known as pioneers of darkwave music. Clan of Xymox featured a trio of singers and songwriters – Ronny Moorings, Anka Wolbert, and Pieter Noot ...

Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas aro ...

Throwing Muses Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originall ...

Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, cen ...

and Watts-Russell's own musical project

This Mortal Coil This Mortal Coil were a British music collective led by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD. Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer were the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotati ...

. In 1987, the label scored an international hit with the

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded da ...

single " Pump Up the Volume" by the one-off project

MARRS MARRS (stylised M, A, R, R, S) were a 1987 recording collective formed by the groups A.R. Kane and Colourbox, which only released one commercial disc. It became "a one-hit wonder of rare influence" because of their international hit " Pump Up t ...

. 4AD continued to have success in the 1990s and 2000s, with releases from

The Breeders The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherso ...

, Lush, Red House Painters,

Camera Obscura A camera obscura (; ) is a darkened room with a small hole or lens at one side through which an image is projected onto a wall or table opposite the hole. ''Camera obscura'' can also refer to analogous constructions such as a box or tent in w ...

TV on the Radio TV on the Radio (TVOTR) is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2001. The band consists of Tunde Adebimpe (vocals, loops), David Andrew Sitek (guitars, keyboards, loops), Kyp Malone (vocals, guitars, bass, loops), and ...

, St. Vincent, and

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, ''For Emma, Forever Ago,'' independently in July 2007. The majority of the album was recorded while Vernon ...

. , the label's current roster includes acts such as

Dry Cleaning Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a solvent other than water. Dry cleaning still involves liquid, but clothes are instead soaked in a water-free liquid solvent. Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), known i ...

, The National,

Daughter A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between group ...

, Deerhunter, Big Thief, Aldous Harding, U.S. Girls,

Erika de Casier Erika de Casier is a Portuguese-born Danish singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her career performing as half of the R&B duo Saint Cava. After the duo disbanded, she independently released her debut studio album, ''Essentials'', ...

, and

Future Islands Future Islands is an American synth-pop band based in Baltimore, Maryland, comprising Gerrit Welmers (keyboards and programming), William Cashion (bass, acoustic and electric guitars), Samuel T. Herring (lyrics and vocals), and Michael Lowry (p ...

. In 1999, Watts-Russell sold 4AD back to the Beggars Group. The label's history was detailed by Martin Aston in the book ''Facing The Other Way'', released in 2013.

History

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 run by the two of them. After the first four Axis singles in early 1980, it became apparent that the name Axis was already being used by another music company and the name was changed to 4AD, an abbreviation of the word forward. Other names which they had considered included 1980AD, 4WD and 1984. 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

, who were signed to Beggars Banquet in late 1980, before Watts-Russell and Kent purchased the label outright. The two were the sole owners for about a year. Kent sold his share to Watts-Russell at the end of 1981, and started a new Beggars Banquet subsidiary, Situation Two Records. Watts-Russell would maintain ownership of the label, and act as its president, until the late 1990s. Watts-Russell invited the graphic designer

Vaughan Oliver Vaughan Oliver (12 September 1957 – 29 December 2019) was a British graphic designer based in Epsom, Surrey. Oliver was best known for his work with graphic design studios 23 Envelope and v23. Both studios maintained a close relationship with ...

and the photographer Nigel Grierson to create sleeve art for the label, and as a result, 4AD acquired a visually distinctive identity. Its artists, such as Cocteau Twins and

, developed cult followings in the mid-1980s, but 4AD continued to evolve, and, after signing

and

, the label increasingly concentrated on underground American rock music. In 1983, 4AD had a minor hit in America with the Modern English single "

I Melt With You "I Melt with You" is a song by the British new wave band Modern English. The song, produced by Hugh Jones, was the second single from their 1982 album '' After the Snow''. It became the band's most successful single, largely in the United ...

". In 1987, 4AD had a UK number-one hit with the collaged " Pump up the Volume" by

(licensed to 4th & B'Way/Island Records in the US). In the 1990s, 4AD established an office in Los Angeles and had success with bands such as

, Red House Painters, Unrest and

His Name Is Alive His Name Is Alive is an American experimental rock band/project from Livonia, Michigan. After several self-released cassettes, they debuted on 4AD Records in 1990, starting a long run at the label. Throughout the band's long history, leader Warre ...

, as well as solo material by

Frank Black Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. F ...

and

Kristin Hersh Kristin may refer to: * Kristin (name), a Scandinavian form of Christine * ''Kristin'' (TV series), a 2001 American sitcom * Kristin Peak, Antarctica * Kristin School Kristin School is a private co-educational composite school located in Alb ...

. The label's deal with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

in the United States in 1992 would start the beginning of a new phase in 4AD history. New signings that year included American underground acts

Kendra Smith Kendra Smith (born March 14, 1960)Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, is an American musician who was a founding member of The Dream Syndicate, a member of Opal, and later recorded as a solo artist. Biography Afte ...

, Tarnation,

Air Miami Air Miami was an American indie rock band from Washington, D.C. that was active from 1994 to 1996. The band was formed by Mark Robinson and Bridget Cross, both former members of Unrest, a few months later they became a quartet with the additio ...

and The Amps. The following year Watts-Russell started a sub-label, Guernica, who would release records by Unrest,

That Dog That Dog (styled as that dog.) is a Los Angeles-based rock band that formed in 1992 and dissolved in 1997, reuniting in 2011. The band originally consisted of Anna Waronker on lead vocals and guitar, Rachel Haden on bass guitar and vocals, her s ...

, and

Bettie Serveert Bettie Serveert is a Dutch indie rock band. The name translates to "Bettie Serves", or "Service to Bettie", which is the title of a book written by Dutch tennis player Betty Stöve, who made it to the Wimbledon Ladies Singles final in 1977. ...

. 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. Simon Halliday took control of the label at the end of 2007. Immediate successes were

's critically lauded debut ''

For Emma, Forever Ago ''For Emma, Forever Ago'' is the debut studio album by American indie folk band Bon Iver. It was first self-released in July 2007, and later saw wide release on the Jagjaguwar label in February 2008. The album is principally the work of singer-son ...

'' (CAD 2809) and ''

Dear Science ''Dear Science'' is the third studio album by the band TV on the Radio. It was released on September 16, 2008, digitally through Touch and Go Records, with the physical release coming a week later through Interscope Records and DGC Records in Nor ...

'' by Brooklyn's

(CAD 2821). In 2008, the Beggars Group re-aligned itself so that several labels, including Beggars Banquet itself, were folded up on to the 4AD label. Bands including The National were moved to 4AD as a part of this merger. In 2009, the label released, amongst others, St. Vincent's second record ''

Actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

'' (CAD 2919) and

's ''

My Maudlin Career ''My Maudlin Career'' is the fourth studio album by the Scottish indie pop band Camera Obscura. The album was made available for streaming on 14 April 2009, before being released on 20 April via 4AD. Like its predecessor, the album was produced ...

.'' The following year, 4AD saw the release of The National's '' High Violet'' and acclaimed albums from

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi aesthetic and home-recorded alb ...

Blonde Redhead Blonde Redhead is an American alternative rock band composed of Kazu Makino (vocals, keys/rhythm guitar) and twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace (drums/keys and lead guitar/bass/keys/vocals, respectively) that formed in New York City in 1993. ...

and Deerhunter. In the next three years, 4AD oversaw new releases from Scott Walker,

, Iron & Wine, and

Tune-Yards Tune-Yards (stylized as tUnE-yArDs) is the American, Oakland, California–based music project of Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner. Garbus's music draws from an eclectic variety of sources and utilizes elements such as loop pedals, ukulele, voca ...

, whilst also expanded its roster with a number of beats and electronic acts in the shape of acts including

Purity Ring Purity rings (also known as promise rings, abstinence rings, or chastity rings) are rings worn as a sign of chastity. Since the 1990s, in the United States, Christian organizations, especially Catholic and evangelical Christian groups, promoting ...

and Grimes, with the latter releasing one of the best received albums of 2012. Additional signings to the label include bEEdEEgEE, of

Gang Gang Dance Gang Gang Dance is an American band based in Manhattan, New York City. They are known for their distinctive sound which blends elements of psych-rock, ambient electronics, hip-hop, and Eastern music influences with the vocals of singer Lizzi ...

, Lo-Fang, and British producer SOHN. At the start of 2014, the label also announced the additions of

and Merchandise, followed by D.D Dumbo. In 2015, the label released critically lauded albums by Deerhunter and Grimes, amongst others. The following year, the label and The National landed their first UK No. 1 record with '' Sleep Well Beast''. Latest signings to the roster include Aldous Harding and British band Dry Cleaning. In April 2021, the label released '' Bills & Aches & Blues'', a compilation album featuring bands from 4AD covering songs the label had released over its 40 years.

Distribution

While 4AD did not handle any distribution outside the United Kingdom for many years, it had many willing distributors in many countries;

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), Tom Newman. It ...

for France, Nippon Columbia distributed much of the label in Japan, while PolyGram subsidiary

Vertigo Records Vertigo Records is a record company with United Kingdom origins. It was a subsidiary of the Philips/Phonogram record label, launched in 1969 to specialise in progressive rock and other non-mainstream musical styles. Today, it is operated by Uni ...

released many of the label's records in Canada. The USA had always been a tough market for 4AD, even though its records sold well there as imports. Only a few of the label's acts had deals to license their recordings in the US, among various labels. In 1992, Watts-Russell signed a five-year distribution deal with

so that nearly all 4AD releases would be released in the United States. When the deal ended, he offered to sell the label back to Beggars Banquet. Dead Can Dance's output, however, stayed with Warner Bros. until the sale back to Beggars Group. The deal with Beggars Banquet 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 catalogue, like getting back American distribution rights for

and Cocteau Twins.

Artists

Current

* Adrianne Lenker * Aldous Harding * Anjimile * Atlas Sound *

Bartees Strange Bartees Leon Cox Jr., (born January 30, 1989) known by his stage name Bartees Strange, is an English-born American musician. Cox was born in Ipswich, England, raised in Mustang, Oklahoma, and is now based in Washington D.C. Early life Cox was bo ...

* Becky and the Birds * Big Thief * Bing & Ruth *

* Deerhunter *

* Ex:Re *

* HAWA *

Helado Negro Roberto Carlos Lange (born 1980), better known by his stage name Helado Negro, is an American musician. In 2019 he was awarded a United States Artists Fellow in Music and also the recipient of a 2019 Grants to Artists award in Music from the Fo ...

* Holly Herndon * Jenny Hval * Lucinda Chua * Maria Somerville * The Golden Dregs * The National * SOHN *

Tkay Maidza Takudzwa Victoria Rosa "Tkay" Maidza ( ; born 17 December 1995) is a Zimbabwean-born Australian singer-songwriter and rapper. Biography Maidza was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. Her parents are metallurgists. In 2001, her family moved to Australi ...

* U.S. Girls *

Velvet Negroni 4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name "Axis" (after the Hendrix album) by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD af ...

Former

(disbanded) * The Amps (disbanded) *

Anni Rossi Anni Rossi is an American singer, songwriter and producer from Minnesota, currently living in Brooklyn, New York. She is notable for playing an electric-viola that was handcrafted from a tree branch by former Swans percussionist Thor Harris. Ros ...

(active) * A.R. Kane (disbanded) *

Ariel Pink Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi aesthetic and home-recorded alb ...

(active) * Tom Baril (photographer published by 4AD) *

(reformed) * Bearz (still active as a David Gunstone project c. 2019) *

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

(active) *

(active 2018) *

Heidi Berry Heidi Berry (born December 8, 1958) is an American musician. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she recorded and released four critically acclaimed solo albums on the British independent record labels Creation Records and 4AD. Career Her earlie ...

(inactive; currently a teacher) *

(active) *

The Big Pink The Big Pink are an English electronic rock band from London, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Robertson "Robbie" Furze, Akiko Matsuura and Charlie Barker. Initially a duo, they signed to independent record label 4AD in 2009 and won the ...

(active) * The Birthday Party (disbanded) *

(active) *

(active) * Broken Records (active) *

Michael Brook Michael Brook (born 1951) is a Canadian guitarist, inventor, music producer, and film music composer. He plays in many genres, including rock, electronica, world music, minimalism and film scores. His collaborations with musicians around the worl ...

(active) * The Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir (active) *

(active) * Celebration (active) *

(active) * Gene Clark (deceased) * Cocteau Twins (disbanded) *

Colourbox Colourbox were an English electronic musical group on the 4AD label, releasing a number of records between 1982 and 1987. The band was formed by brothers Martyn and Steve Young, Ian Robbins, and vocalist Debbion Currie. Currie and Robbins left ...

(dissolved) *

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

(a.k.a. Air Cuba) (disbanded) * Cupol (one-off collaboration) * C.V.O. (disbanded) * D.D Dumbo (active) * Dance Chapter (disbanded) *

(active) *

Department of Eagles Department of Eagles is an American duo formed in New York in 2000, consisting of Daniel Rossen and Fred Nicolaus. History The band was formed in 2000 by Rossen and Nicolaus, who were friends and New York University (NYU) roommates. They create ...

(active) * Diana Gordon (active) *

Dif Juz Dif Juz were an English instrumental post-punk band, formed in London in 1980 and remaining active until 1986. The band comprised Dave Curtis (guitar), Alan Curtis (guitar), Gary Bromley (bass guitar) and Richard Thomas (percussion and saxopho ...

(disbanded) *

Tanya Donelly Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966) is an American Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England who co-founded Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the alternative rock band ...

(active) * Efterklang * EL VY * Electricity in Our Homes (active) * The Fast Set (disbanded) * Frazier Chorus (dissolved) *

(active) *

Future of the Left Future of the Left are a Welsh alternative rock band based in Cardiff. The group consists of former Mclusky members Andrew Falkous (vocals, guitar) and Jack Egglestone (drums) and former Million Dead bassist Julia Ruzicka. History Beginnings F ...

(active) *

Lisa Germano Lisa Ruth Germano (born June 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Indiana. Her album '' Geek the Girl'' (1994) was chosen as a top album of the 1990s by ''Spin'' magazine. She began her career as a violinist ...

(active) *

Lisa Gerrard Lisa Germaine Gerrard (; born 12 April 1961) is an Australian musician, singer and composer who rose to prominence as part of the music group Dead Can Dance with music partner Brendan Perry. She is known for her unique singing style technique ( ...

(active) *

Pieter Bourke Pieter Bourke is an Australian musician, composer, producer and audio engineer. From 1995 he has recorded several projects with Dead Can Dance founder Lisa Gerrard, and was a touring member of Dead Can Dance's 1996 Spiritchaser Tour. On 14 April ...

* B. C. Gilbert & G. Lewis *

The Glee Club The Glee Club is a chain of independent live stand-up comedy and live music venues in the UK. The first Glee Club was opened by Mark Tughan in Birmingham's Chinese Quarter in 1994,

(disbanded) *

Rachel Goswell Rachel Ann Goswell (born 16 May 1971) is an English singer-songwriter and musician who rose to prominence as vocalist and guitarist of the shoegaze band Slowdive, which formed in 1989. Goswell, along with Neil Halstead, Ian McCutcheon and fo ...

(active) *

Gianna Kondor Gianna is a female Italian given name, a diminutive form of Giovanna. In English, it is translated as Joann, Joanne or Joanna. These names mean "God is gracious". See also "John" for the origin. Variations *Feminine: Giana, Gia, Giovanna *Mascu ...

(active) * Grimes (active) *

GusGus GusGus is an electronic music band from Reykjavík, Iceland. Although initially a film and acting collective, the group is mostly known for its electronic music. The group's discography consists of eleven studio albums. History GusGus was ...

(active) * Rene Halkett & David J *

Neil Halstead Neil Halstead (born 7 October 1970) is an English musician, widely known as singer, primary lyricist, and guitarist of shoegaze band Slowdive. He has been hailed by AllMusic as "one of Britain's most respected songwriters", and '' Time Out'' as ...

(active) * The Happy Family (disbanded) * Tim Hecker (active) *

(active) *

The Hope Blister The Hope Blister were an ambient band that were active from 1997 to 1999. History The band was directed by 4AD Records founder Ivo Watts-Russell, with the music played by singer Louise Rutkowski, bass player Laurence O'Keefe and string arran ...

(disbanded) * Rowland S. Howard (deceased) &

Lydia Lunch Lydia Lunch (born Lydia Anne Koch; June 2, 1959)Martin Charles Strong. ''The Great Indie Discography''. 2003, page 85 is an American singer, poet, writer, actress and self-empowerment speaker. Her career began during the 1970s New York City no ...

In Camera ''In camera'' (; Latin: "in a chamber"). is a legal term that means ''in private''. The same meaning is sometimes expressed in the English equivalent: ''in chambers''. Generally, ''in-camera'' describes court cases, parts of it, or process wh ...

(disbanded) * Inc. (active) * Indians (active) * Insides (active) * Iron & Wine (active) * It Hugs Back (active) *

Jóhann Jóhannsson Jóhann Gunnar Jóhannsson (; 19 September 1969 – 9 February 2018) was an Icelandic composer who wrote music for a wide array of media including theatre, dance, television, and film. His work is stylised by its blending of traditional orchest ...

(deceased) * Matt Johnson (The The founder; released a

solo album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

in 1981 that was reissued in 1993 through 4AD as a The The album) * Joker (active) * Søren Juul (active) *

Lakuna Lakuna was an electronic instrumental project begun by drummer David Narcizo after Throwing Muses first split up following their 1996 ''Limbo'' album. Lakuna first released a 12-inch called ''So Happy'' and then a 1999 full-length album called ''Ca ...

(one-off project) *

Mark Lanegan Band Mark William Lanegan (November 25, 1964 – February 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet. First becoming prominent as the lead singer for the early grunge band Screaming Trees, he was also known as a member of Queens of the S ...

* Last Dance (disbanded) * The Late Cord (one-off collaboration) *

The Lemon Twigs The Lemon Twigs are an American rock music, rock band from Long Island, New York, fronted by brothers Brian (b. March 21, 1997) and Michael D'Addario (b. March 3, 1999). Both brothers are vocalists, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists. Hist ...

(active) * Liima (active) * Liquorice (one-off collaboration) * Lo-Fang (active) * LNZNDRF (one-off collaboration) *

(active) * Lush (disbanded; reformed 2015–2016) *

(disbanded) * Magnetophone (active) *

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

(disbanded) * Merchandise (active) * Methyl Ethel (active) * Vinny Miller (active) *

Minotaur Shock Minotaur Shock is the stage name of David Edwards, a Bristol-based electronica musician. His 2005 album ''Maritime (album), Maritime'' was his first album released through 4AD Records, having previously released work via Manchester based Melod ...

(active) * Modern English (active) *

Mojave 3 Mojave 3 were a British rock band consisting of former Slowdive members Neil Halstead (vocals, guitar), Rachel Goswell (vocals, guitar) and Ian McCutcheon (drums) alongside keyboardist Alan Forrester and former Chapterhouse guitarist Simon Ro ...

(disbanded) * John Moreland (active) * The Mountain Goats (active) * My Captains (disbanded) *

Colin Newman Colin John Newman (born 16 September 1954) is an English musician, record producer and record label owner. He is best known as the primary vocalist and songwriter for the post-punk band Wire. Early life Newman was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire ...

(active) *

Pieter Nooten Pieter Nooten (born 22 January 1961 in Oss) is a Dutch musician and composer best known for his work with Clan of Xymox. Music career Nooten's musical career began in the late 1970s. Starting out as the drummer in a local symphonic rock band, ...

* The Paladins (on hiatus) *

Pale Saints Pale Saints were an English alternative rock/shoegazing band formed in 1987 in Leeds by singer-bassist Ian Masters, guitarist Graeme Naysmith and drummer Chris Cooper.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 907 ...

(disbanded) * The Past 7 Days (disbanded) *

Brendan Perry Brendan Michael Perry (born 30 June 1959) is a British singer and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work as half of the duo Dead Can Dance with Lisa Gerrard. Early life Perry was born in Whitechapel, London, England, UK, in 1959 to a mot ...

(active) *

Piano Magic Piano Magic was a musical collective formed in the summer of 1996 by Glen Johnson, Dominic Chennell, and Dick Rance in London, England. Their sound has been described as ambient pop, post-rock, indietronica, dark wave, "arty baroque pop" and " ...

(disbanded) *

(active) * Pixx (active) *

Emma Pollock Emma Pollock (born 20 December 1972) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, musician, and a founding member of the bands the Delgados and the Burns Unit. She is also one of the founders of The Fruit Tree Foundation project and a regular contributor ...

(active) * Psychotik Tanks (disbanded) *

(active) *

Ra Ra Riot Ra Ra Riot is an American indie rock band consisting of vocalist Wes Miles, bassist Mathieu Santos, guitarist Milo Bonacci, violinist Rebecca Zeller and drummer Kenny Bernard. History Ra Ra Riot formed in January 2006, playing at houses and ven ...

(one-off split single with Stornoway) * Red Atkins (deceased) * Red House Painters (disbanded) *

Rema-Rema Rema-Rema was a short-lived English music group, consisting of Gary Asquith (guitar/vocals), Marco Pirroni (guitar), Mick Allen (bass/vocals), Mark Cox (keyboards) and Dorothy Max Prior (drums, generally known only as "Max"). History Asquith ...

(disbanded) * Richenel (deceased) * Scheer (disbanded) * Serena-Maneesh (active) * Shox (disbanded) *

(active c.2017–2018) * Sort Sol (active) *

SpaceGhostPurrp Markese Money Rolle (born April 1, 1991), known professionally as SpaceGhostPurrp, is an American rapper and record producer from Miami, Florida. He was the founder of the American hip hop group Raider Klan and Black Money Boys. Famous Raider ...

(active) * Spasmodic Caress (disbanded) * Spencer. * Spirea X (disbanded) * Spoonfed Hybrid (disbanded) * Starry Smooth Hound (the original alias of Vinny Miller) *

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(active) * Stornoway (disbanded) * St. Vincent (active) *

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Releases

Catalog numbering scheme

In 2013, the music historian Martin Aston wrote in ''Facing the Other Way: The Story of 4AD'': 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.

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 * MAD =

mini-LP A mini-LP or mini-album is a short vinyl record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A ...

Special editions of releases had an extra "D" added to the prefix: * CAD D = special edition of a full-length LP * DAD D = special edition of a 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 * SAD =

Super Audio CD Super Audio CD (SACD) is an optical disc format for audio storage introduced in 1999. It was developed jointly by Sony and Philips Electronics and intended to be the successor to the Compact Disc (CD) format. The SACD format allows multiple a ...

release (as in the

2008 remastered reissues) * TAD = temporary/limited release 4AD only released one LP on DAT format, Cocteau Twins' ''

Blue Bell Knoll ''Blue Bell Knoll'' is the fifth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 19 September 1988 by 4AD. This was the band's first album to receive major-label distribution in the United States, as it was originally ...

'', which was designated CADT 807.

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,

's LP ''

It'll End in Tears ''It'll End in Tears'' is the first album released by 4AD collective This Mortal Coil, an umbrella title for a loose grouping of guest musicians and vocalists brought together by label boss Ivo Watts-Russell. The album was released on 1 Octob ...

'' is CAD 411. The "CAD" represents that the release is an LP, the "4" in 411 represents 1984, and 11 marks the 11th release of that year. This is the vinyl LP release; cassette versions have "C" added to the prefix (CADC 411 in this example); CD versions have "CD" added at the end (CAD 411CD). A side effect of this scheme is that it made it seem like 4AD had hundreds of releases early on. 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

' '' Bossanova'', CAD0010, released in the fall of 1990); 1991 used "10" directly after the prefix (e.g., This Mortal Coil's ''

Blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the cir ...

'', DAD 1005, 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.,

's ''

Excuses for Travellers ''Excuses for Travellers'' is the third album by Mojave 3, released by 4AD on 15 May 2000 in the UK and 5 September 2000 in the US. It features the singles "In Love with a View," "Any Day Will Be Fine," and "Return to Sender." The album was re ...

'', CAD 2K05, released in early 2000). Between 2001 and 2009, the catalog numbering scheme returned to the original format, with the first two digits of the number representing the years since 1980 (e.g.,

's '' 23'', CAD 2717, released in 2007 – the 27th year since 1980). Things have not been too consistent since, and there have been several gaps. 2010 releases feature the numerical designation 3X, as "30" had already been used in 1993. This process appears to have come to an end with the few ''x''AD37''nn'' releases of the early months of 2017. The catalogue numbers of all releases since April 2017 (beginning with ''The Far Field'' by

, 4AD0001CD/4AD0001LP) have begun with 4AD00''nn'' and ended with letters indicating the release format. No indication of release year is given.

4AD Sessions

The 4AD Sessions are an ongoing series of video recordings with various acts from the label's roster. Following on from the Deerhunter session at the Studio Plateaux on Platts Eyott island in 2008, the recordings see 4AD artists performing back-catalogue covers and alternative versions of their own material. They are housed on the label's website.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Beggars Group Warner Records Alternative rock record labels British independent record labels Dream pop Electronic music record labels Indie rock record labels New wave record labels Post-punk record labels Record labels established in 1979