Comments on: The Essential… 4AD

By: Frederik Blieck

Frederik Blieck — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:42:00 +0000

I totally agree that the current is an embarrassment to the legacy of the label. Allthough I’m still following music closely I can’t find anything worth ifollowing on the roster. The people at 4AD better take some new inspiration from labels that actually matter : Captured tracks, Forest Family, Mexican Summer, etc.

By: Matthew McKinnon

Matthew McKinnon — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:23:00 +0000

Totally agree re: The Wolfgang Press – I’d have to put their ‘Legendary WGP And Other Tall Stories’ compilation in, for sure.

Disagree on TMC – I think the first album is more varied and has a raw beauty, but ‘Song To The Siren’ unfairly overshadows everything else Ivo did, and ‘Filigree…’ is a better reflection of his contributions. ‘A Heart Of Glass’ is stunning.Colourbox album was a cracker – I still listen to it and revel in it’s enduring unfashionableness, then and now – but not really representative of the label, so much?BTW: are you Martyn Young from Colourbox, then?

By: Pepe Garcia Camil

Pepe Garcia Camil — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:19:00 +0000

Have to disagree with some here. Yes, after HNIA were kicked out, 4AD went totally into hibernation with pointless releases (Cuba?) but the past 2, 3 years they have awakened with truly great artists… independent if they are american or not. The good music is still there. Is it as avant-garde as it was in the 80′s… deffo not,

By: Martyn Young

Martyn Young — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:02:00 +0000

I’d certainly disagree with your description of Dif Juz’s music as ‘unrelenting politeness’ which is fairly lazy really unless you’ve heard the rest of their albeit limited output, for instance the ‘From The Trees’ EP on said label. You also failed to mention anything by the great Wolfgang Press, and put up ‘Filigree And Shadow’ by This Mortal Coil, which is inferior in scope to the first TMC LP, featuring as it does, the milestone ‘Song To The Siren’. You could have also mentioned the Colourbox LP ‘proper’ with tracks like ‘Manic 2′ and ‘Edit The Dragon’ which were probably more froward looking than the M.A.R.R.S project although which was, I admit, highly influential.

By: Matthew McKinnon

Matthew McKinnon — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:17:00 +0000

I really enjoyed reading that. It’s nice to see that first DCD album, and ‘Sleeps With The Fishes’ [which I've loved since 1988!] and Rema-Rema. Please buy them, more people.

I’d say that the EPs compilation is a better starting point for the Cocteau Twins, and that the Dif Juz ‘HuReMics’ compilation is better [less 'polite'].

Still, cheers. That was nice.

By: CrowleyHead

CrowleyHead — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:51:00 +0000

I don’t see AR Kane anywhere other than comments. Fact, you be fucking up.

By: T Peberdy

T Peberdy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:42:00 +0000

Not a bad effort of summarising the best years of 4ad. But describing Clan of Xymox as forgettable (having made 2 of the labels best albums!!!) and completely missing X Mal Deutscland, Modern English & Bauhaus? How sad it was to see the start of the demise of the best label ever with the signing of the American altenative? groups (Pixies and Throwing Muses, I’m not saying they are rubbish, but they weren’t a patch on what had gone before them). If you’re interested in the great bands who were on 4ad, it’s also worth checking out the American label Projekt who have had loads of outstanding groups on their label http://www.projekt.com/ A very similar label to the days of when 4ad released many of the best ever records. Personally I rate Treasure as the best Cocteaus Twins album, actually the best album ever, full stop.

By: Tbgoodwillie

Tbgoodwillie — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Actually, Lynch origianally hired Badalamenti to knock off the TMC cover of REMA REMA’s Fond Affections post-rebuff.

By: OPR8R

OPR8R — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

^ the definition of a music hoarder. you’re not really listening, you’re just consuming because you have unlimited access.

By: Daniel Dodecahedron

Daniel Dodecahedron — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:01:00 +0000

haha you dumbass