and experimental acts prioritizing a more avant-garde and activist-focused roster and Ray was feeling that was increasingly too narrow of a direction. Also feeling that there was an increasing conflict of interest between the interest of Dead Kennedys and the label, Ray sold his stake in the mid-1980s, allowing Jello Biafra to maintain full creative control over Alternative Tentacles, while Ray focused on the running of the band's partnership.

In addition to musical acts, Alternative Tentacles has also published spoken word