It was named after a phrase taken from the first number of the radical Vorticist journal Blast, published by Wyndham Lewis in 1914.

The label was founded by Paul Smith to give UK release to albums by Sonic Youth, a US band with which he was then working closely.

Before Mute Records was sold to the EMI group, Blast First fit into the company's profile, which included labels such as the Fine Line and the Grey Area.

[2] The label released a range of alternative music from Butthole Surfers and Labradford through Suicide and Sonic Youth to the William Fairey Band's Acid Brass collection.

Blast First also organised the Disobey experimental club nights, with Russell Haswell and Bruce Gilbert (aka DJ Beekeeper) of the Post-punk band Wire.