4AD Records
Located: London
Founded: 1980
Genres: Post-Punk, Dream Pop, Indie Rock
Parent Company: Beggars Group
Status: Active
Send demos to: demos@4ad.com
Martin Mills opened a record shop called Beggars Banquet in 1973. It wouldn't be long until the D.I.Y. spirit of punk rock gripped the British capital thanks in no small part to bands such as The Sex Pistols and The Damned. The prevailing attitude of the time was that if you want something done you should do it yourself. Permission was for wimps.
Mills became inspired and launched Beggars Banquet Records in '77. As it turns out, inspiration is infectious and two of Mills employees started a subsidiary label in '79. That label would be 4AD Records and are responsible for catapulting bands such as Pixies, Cocteau Twins, Beirut, Nick Cave and Big Thief into the big time. The initial idea was that artists would be signed to 4AD for a trial run and promoted to the parent label after a year ... only things didn't work out that way.
4AD was off and running, and when a horse has bolted it's hard to bring it back to stable. 4AD, which stands for forward, was an apt choice of name for a fledgling label eager to find its way.
Albums
| Release | Genre |
|---|---|
1980 |
|
| B.C. Gilbert & G. Lewis - R34 | Industrial |
| Bauhaus - In the Flat Field | Gothic Rock |
1981 |
|
| Matt Johnson - Burning Blue Soul | Post Punk |
| Modern English - Mesh & Lace | Post Punk |
| Mass - Labour of Love | Post Punk |
| Colin Newman - Provisionally Entitled the Singing Fish | Post Punk |
| The Birthday Party [Nick Cave] - Prayers on Fire | Post Punk |
1982 |
|
| Modern English - After the Snow | Post Punk |
| Colin Newman - Not To | Post Punk |
| The Birthday Party [Nick Cave] - Drunk on the Pope's Blood | Post Punk |
| The Birthday Party [Nick Cave] - Junkyard | Post Punk |
| Cocteau Twins - Garlands | Gothic Rock |
| The Happy Family - The Man On Your Street | Post Punk |
1983 |
|
| Xmal Deutschland - Fetisch | Gothic Rock |
| The Wolfgang Press - The Burden of Mules | Post Punk |
| Cocteau Twins - Head Over Heels | Ethereal Wave |
1984 |
|
| Xmal Deutschland - Tocsin | Gothic Rock |
| This Mortal Coil - It'll End in Tears | Ethereal Wave |
| Cocteau Twins - Treaure | Dream Pop |
| Dead Can Dance - Dead Can Dance | Gothic Rock |
| Modern English - Ricochet Days | New Wave |
1985 |
|
| Colourbox - Colourbox | Alternative Dance |
| Dead Can Dance - Spleen and Ideal | Darkwave |
| Clan of Xymox - Clan of Xymox | Darkwave |
| Dif Juz - Extractions | Dream Pop |
1986 |
|
| The Cocteau Twins - Victorialand | Dream Pop |
| Throwing Muses - Throwing Muses | Post Punk |
| Cocteau Twins - The Moon and the Melodies | Dream Pop |
| The Wolfgang Press - Standing Up Straight | Post Punk |
| This Mortal Coil - Filigree & Shadow | Ethereal Wave |
| Clan of Xymox - Medusa | Darkwave |
1987 |
|
| Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun | Darkwave |
| Pixies - Come on Pilgrim EP | Indie Rock |
1988 |
|
| Pixies - Surfer Rosa | Indie Rock |
| Cocteau Twins - Blue Bell Knoll | Dream Pop |
| Dead Can Dance - The Serpents Egg | Darkwave |
| Ultra Vivid Scene - Ultra Vivid Scene | Indie Rock |
| The Wolfgang Press - Bird Wood Cage | Post Punk |
| Throwing Muses - House Tornado | Indie Rock |
1989 |
|
| Pixies - Doolittle | Indie Rock |
| Throwing Muses - Hunkpapa | Indie Rock |
1990 |
|
| Pixies - Bossanova | Indie Rock |
| Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas | Dream Pop |
| Dead Can Dance - Aion | Darkwave |
| The Breeders - Pod | Alternative Rock |
| His Name Is Alive - Livonia | Dream Pop |
| Pale Saints - The Comfort of Madness | Dream Pop |
| Ultra Vivid Scene - Joy 1967-1990 | Dream Pop |
1991 |
|
| Pixies - Tromple le monde | Alternative Rock |
| Throwing Muses - The Real Ramona | Alternative Rock |
| Heidi Berry - Love | Folk Pop |
| His Name Is Alive - Home Is In Your Head | Dream Pop |
| This Mortal Coil - Blood | Ethereal Wave |
| This Wolfgang Press - Queer | Alternative Dance |
| Spirea X - Fireblade Skies | Neo-Psychedelia |
1992 |
|
| Lush - Spooky | Dream Pop |
| Frank Black [Pixies] - Frank Black | Alternative Rock |
| Red House Painters [Sun Kil Moon] - Down Colorful Hill | Slowcore |
| Pale Saints - In Ribbons | Shoegaze |
| Michael Brook - Cobalt Blue | Ambient |
| Swallow - Blow | Dream Pop |
| Throwing Muses - Red Heaven | Indie Rock |
| Ultra Vivid Scene - Rev | Indie Rock |
1993 |
|
| Unrest - Perfect Teeth | Indie Rock |
| Insides - Euphoria | Indietronica |
| The Breeders - Last Splash | Alternative Rock |
| Red House Painters - Red House Painters [Rollercoaster] | Slowcore |
| Dead Can Dance - Into the Labyrinth | Darkwave |
| Heidi Berry - Heidi Berry | Folk Pop |
| Lisa Germano - Happiness | Singer-Songwriter |
| His Name Is Alive - Mouth by Mouth | Dream Pop |
| Belly - Star | Alternative Rock |
1994 |
|
| Kristin Hersh - Hips and Makers | Singer-Songwriter |
| Frank Black [Pixies] - Teenager of the Year | Alternative Rock |
| Lush - Split | Dream Pop |
| Lisa Germano - Geek the Girl | Slowcore |
| Pale Saints - Slow Buildings | Dream Pop |
| The Glee Club - Mine | Alternative Rock |
1995 |
|
| Red House Painters - Ocean Beach | Slowcore |
| Lisa Gerrard - The Mirror Pool | Darkwave |
| The Amps [The Breeders] - Pace | Indie Rock |
| Kendra Smith - Five Ways of Disappearing | Dream Pop |
| Air Miami - Me, Me, Me | Indie Pop |
| The Wolfgang Press - Funky Little Demons | Alternative Dance |
| Tarnation - Gentle Creatures | Alt-Country |
| Mojave 3 [slowdive]- Ask Me Tomorrow | Dream Pop |
| Throwing Muses - University | Alternative Rock |
| Belly - King | Indie Rock |
| Liquorice - Listening Cap | Indie Rock |
1996 |
|
| Dead Can Dance - Spiritchaser | Ambient |
| Lush - Love Life | Indie Rock |
| Scheer - Infliction | Indie Rock |
| His Name Is Alive - Stars on E.S.P. | Indie Rock |
| Heidi Berry - Miracle | Folk Pop |
| Throwing Muses - Limbo | Indie Rock |
| Lisa Germano - Excerpts From a Love Circus | Dream Pop |
1987 |
|
| Tanya Donnelly - Lovesongs for Underdogs | Power Pop |
| GusGus - Polydistortion | Trip Hop |
| Tarnation - Mirador | Alt-Country |
| Thievery Corporation - Sounds From the Thievery Hi-Fi | Downtempo |
1998 |
|
| The Hope Blister - Smiles OK | Dream Pop |
| Kristin Hersh - Strange Angels | Indie Folk |
| Mojave 3 [slowdive] - Out of Pop | Alt-Country |
| Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke - Duality | Darkwave |
| Lisa Germano - Slide | Dream Pop |
| Kristin Hersh - Murder, Misery and Then Goodnight | Indie Folk |
| His Name Is Alive - Ft. Lake | Indie Pop |
1999 |
|
| Kristin Hersh - Strange Angels | Indie Folk |
| GusGus - This Is Normal | Trip Hop |
| Brendan Perry - Eye of the Hunter | Gothic Folk |
2000 |
|
| Mojave 3 - Excuses for Travellers | Alt-Country |
| Thievery Corporation - The Mirror Conspiracy | Downtempo |
| Magnetophone - I Guess Sometimess ... | IDM |
2001 |
|
| Kristin Hersh - Sunny Border Blue | Indie Folk |
| His Name Is Alive - Someday My Blues Will Cover the Earth | Pop |
2002 |
|
| Neil Halstead [slowdive] - Sleeping on Roads | Singer-Songwriter |
| Tanya Donnelly - Beautysleep | Dream Pop |
| The Breeders - Title TK | Indie Rock |
| Piano Magic - Writers Without Homes | Post-Rock |
| The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee | Indie Folk |
| His Name Is Alive - Last Night | Alternative Rock |
2003 |
|
| Mojave 3 [slowdive]- Spoon and Rafter | Dream Pop |
| Throwing Muses - Throwing Muses | Alternative Rock |
| Kristin Hersh - The Grotto | Indie Folk |
| Cass McCombs - A | Folk |
2004 |
|
| Blonde Redhead - Misery Is a Butterfly | Chamber Pop |
| Lisa Gerrard & Patrick Cassidy - Immortal Memory | Darkwave |
| The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed | Indie Folk |
| Vinny Miller - On the Block | Singer-Songwriter |
| TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes | Indie Rock |
| Rachel Goswell [slowdive] - Waves Are Universal | Singer-Songwriter |
| Tanya Donnelly - Whisky Tango Ghosts | Singer-Songwriter |
2005 |
|
| Magnetophone - The Man Who Ate the Man | Indietronica |
| Cass McCombs - PREfection | Singer-Songwriter |
| 50ft Wave - Golden Ocean | Indie Rock |
| The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree | Indie Folk |
| Minotaur Shock - Maritime | Indietronica |
| Celebration - Celebration | Art Rock |
2006 |
|
| Scott Walker - The Drift | Post-Industrial |
| Barbara Carlotti - Les lys brisés | Nouvelle Chanson |
| Beirut - Gulag Orkester | Indie Folk |
| Mojave 3 [slowdive] - Puzzles Like You | Indie Pop |
| M. Ward - Post-War | Indie Folk |
| TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain | Indie Rock |
| The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely | Indie Folk |
| Wolf Club - Vessels | Psychedelic Rock |
2007 |
|
| Emma Pollock - Watch the Fireworks | Indie Rock |
| Celebration - The Modern Tribe | Indie Rock |
| Blonde Redhead - 23 | Dream Pop |
| Kristin Hersh - Learn to Sing Like a Star | Singer-Songwriter |
| Beirut - The Flying Club Cup | Indie Folk |
2008 |
|
| Stereolab - Chemical Chords | Indie Pop |
| The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride | Indie Folk |
| Barbara Carlotti - L'idéal | Nouvelle Chanson |
| The Breeders - Mountain Battles | Alternative Rock |
| Atlas Sound [Deerhunter] - Let the Blind Lead ... | Neo-Psychedelia |
| Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago | Indie Folk |
| Minotaur Shock - Amateur Dramatics | IDM |
| Deerhunter - Micro-Castle | Indie Rock |
| TV on the Radio - Dear Science | Indie Rock |
| Department of Eagles - In Ear Park | Indie Folk |
2009 |
|
| Broken Records - Until the Earth Begins to Part | Indie Rock |
| M. Ward - Hold Time | Singer-Songwriter |
| Anni Rossi - Rockwell | Folk |
| It Hugs Back - Inside Your Guitar | Indie Pop |
| Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career | Twee Pop |
| St. Vincent - Actor | Art Pop |
| Future of the Left - Travels With Myself and Another | Post Hardcore |
| Tune Yards - Bird Brains | Freak Folk |
| The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love | Indie Rock |
| The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come | Indie Folk |
| Atlas Sound [Deerhunter]- Logo | Neo-Psychedelia |
2010 |
|
| Tindersticks - Falling Down a Mountain | Chamber Pop |
| The National - High Violet | Indie Rock |
| Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest | Indie Rock |
| Broken Record - Let Me Come Home | Folk Rock |
| Serena Maneesh - No 2: Abyss in B Minor | Shoegaze |
| Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today | Hypnagogic Pop |
| Stornoway - Beachcomber's Windowsill | Indie Folk |
| Blonde Redhead - Penny Sparkle | Dream Pop |
| Twin Shadow - Forget | Synth Pop |
2011 |
|
| Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact | Neo-Psychedelia |
| Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver | Indie Folk |
| Atlas Sound [Deerhunter]- Parallax | Neo-Psychedelia |
| Joker - The Vision | Grime |
| St. Vincent - Strange Mercy | Art Pop |
| Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean | Indie Folk |
| Tune Yards - Whokill | Art Pop |
| Zomby - Dedication | Dubstep |
2012 |
|
| Scott Walker - Bish Bosch | Post-Industrial |
| The Big Pink - Future This | Indietronica |
| The Mark Lanegan Band - Blues Funeral | Alternative Rock |
| Grimes - Visions | Synth Pop |
| Twin Shadow - Confess | Synth Pop |
| SpvcxGhxztPvrrp - Mysterious Phonk | Cloud Rap |
| Purity Ring - Shrines | Synth Pop |
| Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes | Hypnagogic Pop |
| David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love This Giant | Art Pop |
2013 |
|
| Daughter - If You Leave | Dream Pop |
| Camera Obscura - Desire Lines | Twee Pop |
| The National - Trouble Will Find Me | Indie Rock |
| Indians - Somewhere Else | Indie Pop |
| inc - No World | Alternative R&B |
| Stornoway - Tales From Terra Firma | Folk Pop |
| Iron and Wine - Ghost on Ghost | Indie Folk |
| Deerhunter - Monomania | Indie Rock |
| Zomby - With Love | Dubstep |
| bEEdEEgEE - Some/One | Neo-Psychedelia |
2014 |
|
| Tune Yards - Nikki Nak | Art Pop |
| Lo Fang - Blue Film | Art Pop |
| Future Islands - Singles | Synth Pop |
| SOHN - Tremors | Alternative R&B |
| Merchandise - After the End | Indie Rock |
| Ariel Pink - Pom Pom | Hypnagogic Pop |
2015 |
|
| Grimes - Art Angels | Synth Pop |
| U.S. Girls - Half Free | Art Pop |
| Beirut - No No No | Indie Folk |
| Purity Ring - Another Eternity | Synthpop |
| Holly Herndon - Platform | Glitch Pop |
| Deerhunter - Fading Frontier | Neo-Psychedelia |
| El Vy - Return to the Moon | Indie Rock |
| Methyl Ethel - Oh Inhuman Spectacle | Indie Rock |
2016 |
|
| The Lemon Twigs - Do Hollywood | Indie Pop |
| Daughter - Not to Disappear | Dream Pop |
| LNZNDRF [The National] - LNZNDRF | Indie Rock |
| Tim Hecker - Love Streams | Glitch |
| Big Thief - Masterpiece | Indie Folk |
| Merchandise - A Corpse Wired for Sound | Post Punk |
2017 |
|
| Future Islands - The Far Field | Indie Pop |
| Aldous Harding - Party | Singer-Songwriter |
| The National - Sleep Well Beast | Indie Rock |
| SOHN - Rennen | Alternative R&B |
| Methyl Ethel - Everything Is Forgotten | Neo-Psychedelia |
| John Moreland - Big Bad Luv | Americana |
| Pixx - The Age of Anxiety | Art Pop |
| Sufjan Stevens - Planetarium | Art Pop |
| TORRES - Three Futures | Art Pop |
2018 |
|
| The Breeders - All Nerve | Alternative Rock |
| Tune Yards - I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life | Art Pop |
| U.S. Girls - In A Poem Unlimited | Art Pop |
| Deerhunter - Double Dream of Spring | Art Pop |
| Gang Gang Dance - Kazuashita | Neo-Psychedelia |
| The Lemon Twigs - Go to School | Indie Pop |
| Ex:RE - Ex:RE | Dream Pop |
2019 |
|
| Deerhunter - Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared? | Neo-Psychedelia |
| Velvet Negroni - Neon Brown | Art Pop |
| Beirut - Gallipolli | Indie Folk |
| Aldous Harding - Designer | Singer-Songwriter |
| Methyl Ethel - Triage | Indie Pop |
| Big Thief - U.F.O.F. | Indie Folk |
| Big Thief - Two Hands | Indie Folk |
| Holly Herndon - Proto | Glitch Pop |
| The National - I Am Easy to Find | Indie Rock |
| Pixx - Small Mercies | Art Pop |
2020 |
|
| Grimes - Miss Anthropocene | Art Pop |
| U.S. Girls - Heavy Light | Art Pop |
| Purity Ring - Womb | Synth Pop |
| The Lemon Twigs - Songs for the General Public | Indie Pop |
| Future Islands - As Long As You Are | Synth Pop |
| Adrianne Lenker [Big Thief] - Songs | Indie Folk |
2021 |
|
| Tune Yards - Sketchy | Art Pop |
| Dry Cleaning - New Long Leg | Post Punk |
| Erika de Casier - Sensational | R&B |
| Spencer - Are You Down? | R&B |
2022 |
|
| Sohn - Trust | Art Pop |
| Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You | Indie Folk |
| Jenny Hval - Classic Objects | Art Pop |
| Aldous Harding - Warm Chris | Singer-Songwriter |
| Bartees Strange - Farm to Table | Indie Rock |
| Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork | Post Punk |
2023 |
|
| Velvet Negroni - Bulli | Alternative R&B |
| The Golden Dregs - On Grace & Dignity | Alt-Country |
| U.S. Girls - Bless This Mess | Synth Pop |
| Daughters - Stereo Mind Game | Dream Pop |
| Lucinda Chua - Yian | Art Pop |
| The National - First Two Pages of Frankenstein | Indie Rock |
| Buck Meek [Big Thief] - Haunted Mountain | Alt-Country |
| Anjimile - The King | Singer-Songwriter |
2024 |
|
| Kim Deal - Nobody Loves You More | Indie Rock |
| Future Islands - People Who Aren't There Anymore | Synth Pop |
| Erika de Casier - Still | R&B |
| Helado Negro - PHASOR | Neo-Psychedelia |
| Adrianne Lenker [Big Thief] - Bright Future | Indie Folk |
| cumgirl8 - The 8th Cumming | Post Punk |
| Tucker Zimmerman - Dance of Love | Singer-Songwriter |
| Becky and the Birds - Only Music Makes Me Cry Now | Hypnagogic Pop |
2025 |
|
| Bartees Strange - Horror | Indie Rock |
| Jenny Hval - Iris Silver Mist | Art Pop |
| Tune Yards - Better Dreaming | Art Pop |
| Maria Somerville - Luster | Dream Pop |
