 During this era, 4AD co-founder and president Ivo Watts-Russell made plans to sell the label back to Beggars Banquet, from which he had purchased sole interest back in 1981 (this deal was completed in early 1999); 4AD's distribution contract with Warner Bros. Records in the USA had come to an end; and Vaughan Oliver and his v23 design firm (whose distinctive covers had virtually defined the label's aesthetic) announced plans to break away from 4AD, designing covers on a less frequent basis for the label.Most importantly around this time, His Name Is Alive signed their first real contract with 4AD.Previously, Ivo had a loose arrangement with Defever to release what he was interested in, leaving Defever free to pursue many independent releases and side projects.