Alright so this doesn’t have a significant amount of relevance to the dance aspect of the 80s Dance (which you will be attending). The only significant dance single they put out was Pump Up the Volume, which, don’t be mistaken, is actually a great, influential song. Otherwise, 4AD was a haven for brooding stargazing art kids who, as you might imagine, may not place as much emphasis on big beats and the club scene.
So if you don’t know, 4AD in a nutshell is a record label founded pretty much in 1980 and spearheaded pretty much by one Mr. Ivo Watts-Russell. The label was responsible for a good amount of British “alternative” classics in the 80s (The Birthday Party, Bauhaus, Cocteau Twins, personal favorites of mine Dead Can Dance, etc.), and American “alternative” classics in the 90s (Pixies, Red House Painters, The Breeders). These days they bring you “alternative” classics from The National, tUnE-yArDs, St. Vincent, Gang Gang Dance, et al.
But what was special about 4AD in the 80s, at least to me, is that there’s a unique, nebulous bleakness and majesty in 4AD records that resonates with the closet goth in me. It’s not just the music, but the visual artwork and sleeves provided by the team of Vaughn Oliver and Nigel Grierson (collectively known as 23 Envelope) were always perfect representations of the music therein and perfect mood pieces to an era. Personally, I’m partial to the sleeve design for Cocteau Twins’ Treasure if only because it strangely reminds me of a video game I played growing up (Chrono Cross for you wondering minds). Nevertheless, it’s a great design for a great album. Coincidentally, there’s a song titled “Ivo” on Treasure. Check it.
In any case, even if I may not be dancing to a good amount of 4AD stuff, I’ll just as gladly spend a night bawling myself dry (replenishing those tears only with a faithful companion box of wine) with a This Mortal Coil record on.
Thank you, Ivo Watts-Russell.
Thank you.
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