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4AD 1998

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

 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

 BAD CD8002
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,
The Light & Naughty Mix)

 BAD D CD8002
Gus Gus — Polyesterday

Polyesterday (Radio Edit), Polyesterday (Amon Tobin mix), Gun (Schizoid Man Mix), Why (DJ Vadim mix)

 CAD 8003 CD
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

 CAD8004
Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke — Duality

Shadow Magnet, Tempest, Forest Vale, The Comforter, Unfolding, Pilgrimage Of Children, Human Game, Circulation Of Shadows, Sacrifice, Nadir (Syncronicity)

 TAD 8005 CD
Kristin Hersh — Like You

Like You, Shake (live to tape), Your Ghost (live to tape)

 CAD8006
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

 BAD8007
Thievery Corporation — 38:45
 CAD8008
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

 CAD8009
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

 BAD8010
Cuba — Urban Light

Urban Light (7:00 pm)*, Urban Light (12:00 am)*

 BAD8011
Mojave 3 — Who Do You Love?

Who Do You Love?, This Road I’m Travelling, Between Us, Who Do You Love? (demo)

 BAD8012
Cuba — Cross The Line
 CAD8013
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

 BAD CD8015
His Name Is Alive — Can’t Always Be Loved

Can’t Always Be Loved (radio), Wishing Ring (full length version)

 AD8015
His Name Is Alive — Can’t Always Be Loved

Can’t Always Be Loved (radio)*, Can’t Wait (4-track)*, Wishing Ring (First One)*

 BAD CD8016
Mojave 3 — Some Kinda Angel
 BAD8017
Thievery Corporation — Lebanese Blonde
 CAD8018
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

 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

 4ADM1
Kristin Hersh — Murder, Misery and then Goodnight
 BAD8019
Cuba — Havana

This post is part of the chronological look at all 4AD releases, year by year.

*) Missing from Spotify.

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