4AD research

When 4AD actually first emerged in the 1980s, 4AD felt like one of the most enigmatic music labels. 4AD were accounted as that  sort of label that you wanted to collect, that brought a sense of "brand loyalty" way before it occurred to anyone to talk about music in such crass terms.4AD were illustrated as a very unique brand Credit for its identity must go to original label boss Ivo Watts-Russell who signed Cocteau Twins, Xmal Deutschland and the Wolfgang Press in the 80s, and then followed with Pixies, Throwing Muses, Ultra Vivid Scene and Lushinto the 90s. Arguably just as important to the label's cohesion was designer Vaughan Oliver and photographer Nigel Grierson whose covers gave 4AD its distinct, haunted, painterly quality. It felt like you were peeking into a carnival full of beautiful freaks who didn't want to be seen.

While 4AD did not handle any distribution outside the United Kingdom for many years, it had many willing distributors in many countries: Virgin Records for France, Nippon Columbia distributed much of the label in Japan, while PolyGram subsidiary Vertigo Records released many of the label's records in Canada. The United States 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 USA, among various labels.

Founded as the last sparks of punk dwindled, the label was home to revered indie bands such as the Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance and the Pixies and it quickly became a beacon for adventurous musicians. 4AD was also hailed for its strong visual sense, with album covers regarded as design classics. "You could always spot a 4AD sleeve and there was a real quality not just to the music but to the artefact itself," recalled Smith.

• "Robust... melodically rich and instantly warm" - The New York Times
• "A set of songs that seep, creep, and grow in strength." - NME
• "The rare indie rock act that embraces emotionality-in themselves and their audience" - GQ