The Wolfgang Press - Going South

JUL 01 1994 · 12:00

The Wolfgang Press - Going South (1994) Era: Post-Punk Dance Crossover Era (1994–1995) - The twilight of 4AD's alt-dance period, when UK indie acts adopted funk and soul textures amid the rise of Britpop and trip-hop; the single preceded the Funky Little Demons LP released January 23, 1995. A rare document of The Wolfgang Press at their most commercially accessible moment, 'Going South' captures the band's soul-inflected late style in a fast-cut promo that visually mirrors the track's groove-forward energy. As the band's final charting single before their 1995 dissolution, it serves as both a genre-crossover artifact and a closing statement for 4AD's original post-punk roster. The video's warm, high-saturation aesthetic stands in sharp contrast to the label's earlier monochromatic art-rock imagery, making it historically significant for studies of 4AD's mid-decade visual repositioning. Director unknown; curatorial priority elevated accordingly. Context: Released January 9, 1995 as the lead single from Funky Little Demons, 'Going South' arrived at a pivotal moment in the band's evolution. The Wolfgang Press had spent two years in their own studio crafting what critics described as a move from 'dark, brooding neo industrialists to bright, ironic soul popsters.' The single reached No. 117 in the UK and No. 33 on the US alternative chart, reflecting the band's stronger foothold in American college radio. The video's warm palette and elevated saturation reflect the soul and funk visual codes the band adopted after the success of 'A Girl Like You,' representing a deliberate commercial and aesthetic pivot on the 4AD/Warner Brothers joint venture while retaining the label's art-directed austerity. Director notes: The video was promoted under 4AD/Warner Brothers and appeared in Rock Video Monthly, April 1995, coinciding with the single's January 9, 1995 release date. No production company, director, or cinematographer credit has been located in any crawlable public record. Discogs release pages for all known pressings (BAD 5001, 941883-2) list audio production credits only (Producer: Drostan Madden; Engineer: Drostan Madden; Mixed By: Howard Gray; Photography: Polly Borland for sleeve art) with no video production metadata.