Label polls: 4AD vs Mute

Ha! As if! This is total war, dude. Total war.

This one is pretty easy for me - I've liked a lot of 4AD bands but Mute always seemed way more interesting as a label

Mute at some point became something of a catch-all label, and quality control really tanked. Although, the same began happening at 4AD 8 or 10 years ago and, considering that 4AD originally had an exquisitely defined "identity," it makes their fall into mediocrity all the more disheartening.

Weighing these two on their good/great years alone, I lean 4AD.

4AD

i think i have maybe five records on mute. i probably have 100 or more on 4ad. not really a difficult choice.

Does Novamute count?

sure. toast hawaii too.

On perusing discographies of both, 4AD is the clear winner.

Mute released some great stuff (most recently Liars!), but too often were releasing late era outings by its most significant artists (ie the last Birthday Party record, etc). And I just don't care about Moby or Erasure or Fad Gadget. Should I?

Nah, I don't think so. I've tried to get into Fad Gadget and it just seems to kindof go over my head. He's alright, but not all that special.

yes, you should care about fad gadget. he was very, very special. a true one off.

mute ftw.

Mute is/was definitely more of a pot-luck thingy but they greatly shaped the history of post-industrial/experimental music. Even when they acquired the catalogue late in a band's career (e.g. Can) - they established connections and some kind of *gulp* canon. Also, bonus points simply for Daniel Miller.

4AD only because of the pixies, otherwise Mute.

And I just don't care about Moby or Erasure or Fad Gadget. Should I?

Erasure: yes, why not? Fad Gadget: Christ's teeth, yes, most definitely. Moby ... umm, no, probably not.

I thought about this for about 2 seconds before deciding Mute. There's been an awful lot on 4AD that just doesn't interest me at all; Mute, however, are one of those labels where pretty much everything has felt like it's worth checking out.

Also: the new Camera Obscura album is on 4AD, so that's a spectacular demerit right there.

(NB: of course, a lot of that stuff that's felt worth checking out has been shit. But even so.)

And I just don't care about Moby or Erasure or Fad Gadget

Hmmm... How about Einstürzende Neubauten, Throbbing Gristle, DAF, Wire, Depeche Mode, Goldfrapp, Nick Cave, Laibach, Diamanda Galas, M83?

M83! See, I forget they're associated with Mute. This label just gets better and better.

Fad Gadget was brilliant.

I have found Mute to be less dated.

strangely, i was pondering 4ad's loss of identity, the other day (eg. stereolab - like them a lot but they don't feel like a 4ad band).

what's ivo up to these days?

what identity is that exactly? i would say their current roster, for better or worse, has something resembling far more of a coherent aesthetic than they had in their glory days. if it's just that they use v23 design less these days then that makes perfect sense

Mute is great and all, but you just can't fuck with the 80s-early 90s 4AD lineup.

O to the T to the M

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Fuckin' goths ;)

yeah - we was robbed