We all have seen band come and go, joining and disbanding. There are less bands that are alive with the same personal. Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker keep Low alive for more than 20 years. They were named as pioneers of slowcore and bands like Sun Kil Moon, Galaxie 500 or Red House Painters that were stamped for this genre. Now they are back with their latests album Double Negative. And Low is still a band that takes excursions into new sounds or other genres. Crumbling loops and beats ignite a musical storm with Parker's voice and in another song they create a sacrale sound that could be played on the way to Hades. This record doesn't grab you from the first listen but it grows the more I listen to it.
4AD was founded in 1980 by Iv Watts-Russel and Peter Kent as an alternative to their Beggars Banquet label to test something new before they were signed to BB. Kent sold his shares after a year to go his own way. The label started with the release of Bauhaus' In The Flat Fields and I noticed them as another label for new dark wave. During the next years they released bands that are totally different to their first release and found a distinctive identity of new sounds in music.
Cocteau Twins released their first record on 4AD as well. They burst onto the scene with their debut Garland with their Cure-like sound that could be described as a sum, deep heavy mood verging on doom and gloom. It is as dark as Cure's Pornography and PIL's Metal Box.
Another band riding on the gothic/doom wave came from Australia. Dead Can Dance released their first album on 4AD as well. Thinking about them now I should grab this record out again.
The first American band 4AD signed were the Throwing Muses with one of the best female voices in these days. Kristin Hersh could sing what ever she wanted - it sounded fantastic to me.
I still remember the day back in 1988 when I went to my local record shop checking the new entries I stopped when I saw Surfer Rosa by The Pixies. Some kind of topless Spanish dancer in front of an old wall made me want to listen to this record. After a few songs it was clear for me to buy, not knowing what career they will make.
While the label concentrated on American underground music they had a number one in UK-charts with a collage/sampling by M|A|R|R|S formed by A.R. Kane and Colourbox. They coined the sound of the 90's.
During the 90's I only remember the releases by Red House Painters on 4AD. I liked the sad sound of slwocore, indie and alternative sound they made these days. Especially The Rollercoaster was a record I listened often.
Then our ways didn't cross any more until 4AD released The National's High Violent in 2010. A great record that combines a lot of their early releases and the later released American alternative records.
