Kristin Hersh opened the 21st Century with the release of "A Cleaner Light" (BAD 2K01), an EP which combined one of the the stand-out tracks from the Sky Motel album with three acoustic versions of Throwing Muses classics : "Cry Baby Cry", "Garoux Des Larmes", and "Hate My Way."
Gus Gus Vs T-World (CAD 2K02) was a curious project - it excavated music which DJ Herb Legowitz and programmer Biggi Veira had recorded (as T-World) before they joined the Gus Gus collective. A collection of reflective, downbeat grooves encased in glacial artwork, the album nonetheless attracted plenty of support in the clubs.
Although the sessions which produced Mojave 3's third album Excuses For Travellers (CAD 2K05) had been somewhat troubled, the record was anything but. Ranging in tone from the achingly slow wintry sway of "My Life In Art" to the deceptively jaunty "Return To Sender", the album was a third straight Mojave 3 classic which spawned a string of singles : the 7" only "In Love With A View" (TAD 2K03), the pop classicist "Any Day Will Be Fine" (AD 2K04) and the aforementioned "Return To Sender" (BAD 2K17). The American version of the album was released a little later than the UK version; to compensate, a couple of b-sides were added as bonus tracks.
Thievery Corporation returned with a polished and assured second album : The Mirror Conspiracy (CAD 2K06). Heralded by a 10" single - "Focus On Sight" (TAD 2K09) - and a memorable launch party at the band's 18th Street Lounge in Washington DC, the album was even more of a success than its predecessor had been; it remains a benchmark in seductive, danceable lounge pop. Later in the year, a second single - "Shadows Of Ourselves" (BAD 2K24) - appeared.
2000 saw Magnetophone join the roster; the Birmingham-based duo of John Hanson and Matt Huish Saunders had attracted 4AD's attention with singles on the Earworm and Static Caravan labels and an astonishing live performance in support of Wire at Nottingham's Social Club. Their debut release for the label, the Come On The Phone EP (BAD 2K07), showcased the pair's ability to combine wayward, handmade texture with subtly beguiling melodies; the album which followed - I Guess Sometimes I Need To Be Reminded Of How Much You Love Me (CAD 2K18) - expanded thrillingly on the formula, moving from the remorseless groove of "Air Methods" to the delicate beauty of "Didn't I Blow Your Mind ?" with ease.
Stars And Topsoil (CAD 2K19) was a long-awaited Cocteau Twins retrospective; the first one-disc survey of their 4AD career. Compiled by the band and running chronologically from "Blind Dumb Deaf" to "Watchlar", the record was a welcome reminder of their unique and timeless appeal.
Other artists given the compilation treatment in 2000 were Modern English, with Life In The Gladhouse (GAD 2K21); Heidi Berry, with Pomegranate (GAD 2K10) and Lush, with the jauntily-titled Ciao ! (GAD 2K22).
4AD brought 2000 to a close with a quasi-legal underground party held in a disused latex warehouse in East London. The event, which featured DJs, sound art, installations, and large quantities of alcohol, was christened Fwd>Motion; live appearances by Magnetophone, Minotaur Shock (who was to sign to the label a few years later) and theorist / composer Paul Schutze were commemorated by a very limited edition, hand-assembled CDR (TAD 2K23) which was given to the audience on the door.