Martin Aston

The book is an exquisite reflection of 4AD itself – extravagant, atmospheric, and rich in texture and timbre.  

PITCHFORK

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4AD gets the lavish label history they deserve

MOJO

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One of the greatest stories to emerge from rock and roll’s modern history

DROWNED IN SOUND

THE BLURB:

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Facing the Other Way: The Story Of 4AD is the first - and still definitive - account of the iconic British record label.

 

From 4AD’s inception in 1980, at the dawn of Britain’s historically influential post-punk movement, the label’s enigmatic founder Ivo Watts-Russell pursued a particularly original, singular and obsessive vision, an artistic venture rather than a commercial exercise, eschewing trends and incorporating equally groundbreaking and stunning record sleeve design, led by the late Vaughan Oliver.

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Drawing on over a hundred interviews with the label’s menagerie of artists and staff, music writer and 4AD aficionado Martin Aston follows the course of the label’s defining years; initially populated by the likes of Bauhaus, The Birthday Party, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil and Dead Can Dance, each band resembled a new genre on its own, before 4AD embarked on a new era with a wealth of equally startling American signings, including Throwing Muses, Pixies, The Breeders and His Name Is Alive. Yet, for every artistic triumph, there was a backlash. Behind the scenes, an accumulation of feuds and enforced commercial compromises in the wake of alternative music’s invasion of the mainstream left 4AD adrift and Watts-Russell disillusioned and soon to sever all ties with the music industry, including his beloved label.

This definitive history explains why 4AD has been called the greatest independent label of all time, one of the most influential, and certainly the most collectable. The story of 4AD is an unparalleled drama from a pivotal phase in independent music culture.

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With an original cover by Vaughan Oliver, FACING THE OTHER WAY... is an essential book for all 4AD fans and anyone who loved the music of that time.

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The paperback edition (full artwork below) was published in 2014, with an adapted/alternative cover by Vaughan Oliver:

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