Listen to 4AD 1998 on Spotify.
I asked last week whether 4AD would even release anything good again, and here we are in 1998 and the answer is…
Yes!
There’s Kristin Hersh’ new album, and His Name Is Alive make a comeback of sorts with Ft. Lake. And then, uh, and then… uh…
Well, there’s two new bands signed: Cuba and Thievery Corporation, both fitting very snugly into the then-popular genre (with the long-winded name) What All Bars And Cafés Will Be Playing For The Next Two Decades Lounge Music.
Not my cup of Bovril, but I feel like I hear these songs weekly in bars still, and it’s not an unpleasant experience.
But what should have been the major news of the year kinda fizzled. 4AD label boss Ivo Watts-Russell was behind some of the most important releases in the label’s history: The three This Mortal Coil albums. This year he returned with his new project, The Hope Blister, and… the world shrugged.
And 4AD made another effort at making Gus Gus a thing by releasing, yet again, Polyesterday as a single. It didn’t work.
1998 may not have been a very exciting year musically, and design wise everything except the His Name Is Alive releases (where v23 embraces computer-based design effectively for perhaps the first time) is totally meh. But at least it’s a better year than 1997.
Let’s see next week whether 1997 remains the low point in 4AD’s history.
This is exciting! I can’t remember myself.
(The Murder, Misery and Goodnight mini album by Kristin Hersh isn’t on
Spotify.)
1998
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TAD CD8001 Various — Anakin His Name Is Alive / Ain’t No Lie, Mojave 3 / To Whom Should I Write, scheer / Say What You Came To Say, Lisa Germano / Reptile, Starry Smooth Hound / Dreamt You In A Dream, Gus Gus / Blue Mug (Demo Version), Thievery Corporation / The Foundation, The Hope Blister / Dagger, Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke / Sacrifice, Kristin Hersh / Gazebo Tree, Cuba / Havana |
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  Gus Gus — Polyesterday Polyesterday (Radio Edit), Polyesterday (Shot In The Leg Vox Mix by Carl Craig), Polyesterday (Bix & Ottar mix), Purple (Midnight in Reykjavik Edit Sacha, |
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Gus Gus — Polyesterday Polyesterday (Radio Edit), Polyesterday (Amon Tobin mix), Gun (Schizoid Man Mix), Why (DJ Vadim mix) |
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  Kristin Hersh — Strange Angels Home, Like You, Aching for You, Cold Water Coming, Some Catch Flies, Stained, Shake, Hope, Pale, Baseball Field, Heaven, Gazebo Tree, Gut Pageant, Rock Candy Brains, Cartoons |
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 Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke — Duality Shadow Magnet, Tempest, Forest Vale, The Comforter, Unfolding, Pilgrimage Of Children, Human Game, Circulation Of Shadows, Sacrifice, Nadir (Syncronicity) |
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TAD 8005 CD Kristin Hersh — Like You Like You, Shake (live to tape), Your Ghost (live to tape) |
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Thievery Corporation — Sounds From A Thievery Hi-Fi A Warning (dub), 2001 Spilff Odyssey, Shaolin Satellite, Vivid, Universal Highness, Imcident At Gate 7, Manha, The Glass Bead Game, The Foundation, Interlude, The Oscillator, So Vast The Sky, 38:45 (a thievery number), Walking Through Babylon |
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Thievery Corporation — 38:45 |
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The Hope Blister — …smile’s ok Dagger, Only Human, Outer Skin, Sweet Unknown, Let The Happiness In, Is Jesus Your Pal, Spider and I, Hanky Panky Nohow |
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His Name Is Alive — Fort Lake Don’t Glue The World, Everything Takes Forever, The Waitress, No Hiding Place Down Her, Can’t Always Be Loved, Wish I Had A Wishing Ring, Red Haired Girl, Spirit Needs A Spirit Tool, Up Your Legs Forever (rerecorded), How It’s Gotta Be, Always Turn Me On, Rock `n’ Roll Girl From Rock `n’ Roll City, Last American Blues |
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Cuba — Urban Light Urban Light (7:00 pm)*, Urban Light (12:00 am)* |
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Mojave 3 — Who Do You Love? Who Do You Love?, This Road I’m Travelling, Between Us, Who Do You Love? (demo) |
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Cuba — Cross The Line |
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Lisa Germano — Slide Way Below the Radio, No Color Here, Tomorrowing, Electrified, Slide, If I Think Of Love, Crash, Wood Floors, Turning Into Betty, Guillotine, Reptile |
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 His Name Is Alive — Can’t Always Be Loved Can’t Always Be Loved (radio), Wishing Ring (full length version) |
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His Name Is Alive — Can’t Always Be Loved Can’t Always Be Loved (radio)*, Can’t Wait (4-track)*, Wishing Ring (First One)* |
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Mojave 3 — Some Kinda Angel |
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Thievery Corporation — Lebanese Blonde |
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Mojave 3 — Out Of Tune Who Do You Love, Give What You Take, Some Kinda Angel, All Your Tears, Yer Feet, Caught Beneath The Heel, Keep It All Hid, Baby’s Coming Home, To Whom Should I Write |
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DAD CD8014 Throwing Muses — In A Doghouse Finished, Reel, Snail Head, Cry Baby Cry, Call Me, Green, Hate My Way, Vicky’s Box, Rabbits Dying, America (She Can’t Say No), Fear, Stand Up (remix), Soul Soldier, Delicate Cutters, Call Me (demo), Sinkhole (demo), Green (demo), Hate My Way (demo), Vicky’s Box (demo), America (She Can’t Say No) (demo), Fear (demo), Raise the Roses (demo), And A She-Wolf After The War (demo), Fish (demo), Catch, Lizzie Sage, Clear and Great, Doghouse, People |
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4ADM1 Kristin Hersh — Murder, Misery and then Goodnight |
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Cuba — Havana |
This post is part of the chronological look at all 4AD releases, year by year.
*) Missing from Spotify.