Penned as a “record label made with love” by The Guardian, 4AD was established in 1980 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent as a groundbreaking independent phenomenon, operating as a wide scale, artist-focused behemoth that was born and bred in the heart of London. With a storied longevity, cultural impact and legacy that outstretches many, 4AD have long been a bastion for top-tier indie music, reading as a who’s who of past, present and future stars across alternative rock, folk, post-punk, hip hop, pop, electronica and R&B. From their humble beginnings, the influential imprint drove the rise of the likes of Cocteau Twins, Pixies, Watts-Russell’s own collective This Mortal Coil, Bauhaus and Modern English. More recently, 4AD have released essential cuts from Bon Iver, Future Islands and The National, whilst also expanding to new electronica and hip hop-focused ground, signing Purity Ring, Tkay Maidza, Grimes, Spencer and Gang Gang Dance.
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