DiS nails down current co-curator Ed Horrox (alongside Chris Sharp) for a Q&A about the world of 4AD. Do enjoy.

*Hi Ed, tell us about 4AD and how you came to get involved. *

Ivo Watts-Russell started the label in 1980. He also recorded and released records on 4AD under the name This Mortal Coil. Ivo retired from the business in 1999 at which point Chris Sharp and I got involved with 4AD.

I met Ivo in '98 and gave him a cassette of Secret Name by the band Low. When I saw him a few days later he told me the record reduced him to tears, in a good way. He continues to be an inspiration and has returned the Low tip I gave him many times over - most recently by turning me on to Camberwell Now.

*4AD is over 25 years old; that's quite an achievement. How do you keep a record label afloat, through changing circumstances, trends and scenes in music? *

Different people in the company will have their own opinions, but for me the key is for those involved to maintain the sense of the wonder you felt - perhaps as a child - when you heard remarkable music for the first time. As for scenes and trends, we are interested in the kind of artists that might inspire and influence others… and of course it's crucial to be careful what you spend.

*4AD seems to specialise in bringing music from the States, Canada and the rest of the world to the UK. Would you say that's a fair statement? Is it because it's easier than making records in the UK? *

The simple answer is that we don't find a lot of UK-based artists that we fall head over heels for. But we continue to look and will jump when the right opportunity comes along.

*Does the legacy of 4AD help in attracting artists? *

Of course. The catalogue is filled with astonishing records and the current roster is pretty special.

*When Britain was subsumed by Oasis and Blur et al ten years ago, you released records by Belly and Kristin Hersh. A deliberate ploy/statement? *

I don't think so. Simply a matter of taste.

*Signing Scott Walker was a hell of a thing. How did that happen? Has it worked out, in your view? *

We heard on the grapevine that Scott was ready to record a new record. what are you going to do ?! Chris and I deliberated for about 10 seconds and offered Scott what he was looking for. We are thrilled with the way it has unfolded. Scott is a genius and The Drift_ is a career highlight in our opinion.