Not that long ago, I was asked to do an interview for LT with Projekt Record's Sam Rosenthal. Given the fact that I'm a huge fan of many Projekt bands, this was an amazing opportunity to for me, and to say that I was thrilled to have the chance would be a great understatement. In the end, LT only published an abbreviated version of the interview, but I thought, for kicks, I would post the whole thing here: (To be honest, I'll be shocked if anyone actually manages to wade through the entire thing... but if you do, let me know what you think).
Like so many other independent labels, Projekt Records began in 1983 as a means for its founder, Sam Rosenthal, to release his own electronic music.With Projekt as a home, Rosenthal released The Rope in 1986, the first album from the band that would become synonymous with his life as an artist, Black Tape for a Blue Girl.It wasn’t long, however, before the focus of Rosenthal’s label began to shift from that as a vehicle for his own art to one of a support mechanism for other emerging artists whose work seemed well suited to the Projekt vision.Some of the many artists to join the Projekt roster included:Lycia, Love Spirals Downwards, Soul Whirling Somewhere, Lovesliescrushing, Thanatos, Arcanta, Voltaire, Peter Ulrich, Steve Roach, Vidna Obmana, Attrition, Human Drama, Ordo Equitum Solis, O Yuki Conjugate and Alio Die.In 1993, Rosenthal took another step towards making Projekt less about his own music and more about connecting talented artists with listeners around the world by establishing Projekt: Darkwave, a mail-order company that carried the music of Projekt as well as other labels with similar sensibilities, including Tess Records, Hyperium Records, and Cold Meat Industry.
Now, twenty years into his career as a musician and producer, Rosenthal’s focus seems to have come full circle.While Projekt continues to offer a safe haven for an impressive roster of gothic/ethereal acts including Android Lust, Audra, Mira, and Voltaire (to name a few), its founder has entered a new era in his own professional and artistic journey.Determined to devote more time to his own music, Rosenthal’s band Black Tape for a Blue Girl recently released their 9th studio album Halo Star, a collection of songs that simultaneously calls to mind the beginnings of Rosenthal’s career as an artist two decades ago, while also marking a new chapter for both the band and its founding member.Prior to embarking on the first of several US tour dates in support of the new record, Rosenthal spoke to Losing Today about Halo Star and the future of Black Tape for a Blue Girl:
[Losing Today] Before I even get to the music, I feel like I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the artwork that accompanies Halo Star, which is not only exquisite, but also a trademark of all Black Tape for a Blue Girl (and indeed other Projekt Records) releases. That said, I’m wondering about the process of creating the visual aspect of your art. When does it happen in relationship to the recording itself? And is there a specific goal you have in mind once you switch hats from that of the musician to that of the visual/graphic artist?
[Sam] The booklets are always created after the music - though I often have ideas in mind during the recording, and maybe even the cover photo is shot. With Halo Star, ideas for the booklet have been swirling in my head for some time. I pictured a destroyed building as part of the cover; I like that chaos and decay.In that, I see Lisa (when she's wearing the hat) as portraying the character of "Halo.”
[Losing Today] Even though Halo Star is unmistakably a Black Tape for a Blue Girl album, there’s something very different about this release. I have an idea in my mind about what makes this release a departure from those in the past (which I will get to in a moment), but I’m interested in what you think defines this album a new chapter for BTFBG.
[Sam] For me, I intended to create an album that picked up threads from the most accessible songs I have written in the past, bringing them all together on one album. Rather than create an album that is very dense and impenetrable, I wanted to create songs that could catch the ear on first listen, while working to give them subtle depth, so that more would become apparent on repeated listening. When we play live, the audience always reacts strongly to the songs that are more "catchy," for lack of a better word. However you can be surprised by what an audience finds catchy. For example, "Dagger" got an extremely good reaction at our New York City show. And this is from an audience who were hearing it for the first time. I think the power comes across, and that makes a song "catchy," in my mind. Power. Melody. Rhythm.
[Losing Today] Given the influence your audience seems to have had on this album, are you planning many live dates for BTFBG this autumn/winter? ;
[Sam] We're about to leave on a two week West Coast tour (in September) and then a 10 day East Coast tour in October. I've been talking with people in Germany and Italy about touring in Europe at the end of the year. Hopefully that will come through. If the album is doing well, we will do more American shows at the beginning of 2005. If it's doing "alright" then I will probably go into the studio instead. It really depends on what makes the most sense, at the time.
[Losing Today] I suppose I've always seen (perhaps inaccurately) BTFBG as being primarily your vision with the other players being, in a sense, just part of your instrumentation. But with this album, you felt more like a collaborative band (which may, in part, be due to the inclusion of more percussion and guitar on several of the tracks). I think my question here then is what role do the other members of the band play in the conception of a BTFBG album? And has this role changed throughout the years?
[Sam] Well, I think that the fact that it sounds like a collaborative band is due to my desire to make it sound that way. Meaning: I think the other band members would agree it is still my vision, rather than a democracy. The shape and the concept of Halo Starremain my own, and Michael and Bret (primarily) were given freedom to work within that framework. I don't mean to sound like I am cheapening their involvement here, because the textures that everyone added to the record really makes the songs sparkle. And I think that is what you are hearing and commenting on. I see it, however, as different from a band where Lennon and McCartney sit around bouncing ideas and chords and words off each other, to construct songs. That is a collaborative band in the traditional sense. I love the augmentation that everyone has brought to my songs. It brings them into a new place, which is very exciting for me.
[Losing Today] So... when you say that the "shape and concept" are yours, do you mean that you actually have a score and lyric written before you turn it over to the other members for their input, or is the "framework" that you provide them less formal?
[Sam] Less formal. When others are brought in, all of my parts are recorded and I have sung the lyrics as a guide track for the vocalists. There's no score, because I cannot read music - but it's just as good that they hear the structure of the song. With black tape, I'm the only person who has the structure for the entire album in mind. To everyone else, they are playing on an individual song. I'm the one who knows things such as: "'Dagger' will be near the end of the album so it needs to accomplish an emotional climax, that swings the music to the conclusion."
[Losing Today] Switching gears a bit, in what ways (if any) did working within the borders of a concept album on The Scavenger Bride (Projekt 2002) impact your approach/writing on Halo Star? And… do you see any additional concept albums in BTFBG’s future?
[Sam] I think that often an artists' new work is a reaction to their previous work. For me, The Scavenger Bride was a perfect concept album, and a perfect piece of music. So the reaction was to not want to do that same thing again, but do something different. So wherein The Scavenger Bride was very "conceived," I decided to let Halo Star be more of a mystery to me. I didn't think it all out, and make sure that everything related together. It is intentionally undefined, in that way. And what I have found is this allows the listener to weave their own story. People tell me amazing things regarding what they think the album is about. I cannot disagree, because it's involving them in the album. My friend Akane said that the album was really violent. And I step back and say "it is? is it?" I don't know. I was trying to let it come out, without putting a filter on it.
As far as a concept album in the future? Never say 'never.'
[Losing Today] Not to focus too much on Scavenger Bride, but one of the things that made that particular album so interesting for me was its connection to Kafka. What is it about his work in particular that inspired you?
[Sam] I really love "the failed romantic, Kafka." I don't think many people really think about that aspect of him and his work, unless you also immerse yourself in biographies, his journals, his life story. He was a true Goth (laughs). He had opportunities for happiness, but couldn't allow it for himself, holding up his life to a higher standard and a gigantic microscope. It's so interesting to me how his failed relationships directly tie into his work.
[Losing Today] One day when someone's writing the Sam Rosenthal biography, will they be able to see a similar connection between your life and your work?
[Sam] Yes, I think there is definitely life reprocessed and represented in what I create. It was definitely more autobiographical in the first decade....
[Losing Today] Ok, getting back to Halo Star, the tracks on the new album are divided into a side A and B. Was that an arbitrary decision, or is there a thematic/artistic commonality that exists between the tracks on either ‘side?’
[Sam] I wanted to create the "flow" that vinyl albums had, in the old days. Where you had to end side A with a bang and begin side B with another exciting track. it was a "shape" that the flow of the music had, when an album was conceived as having an "intermission" in the middle, when the vinyl needed to be turned over.
[Losing Today] According to the liner notes, many of the lyrics on Halo Star are derived from your forthcoming book. Can you tell me a little bit about that project?
[Sam] I think I have about 80 or 90 pages written on my book, and I hope to add another 10 or 20 when we are out on the West Coast tour next month. The story in the book is about a female performer in the 1920s. She's betrayed by her husband and tearing herself down to find her strength. In that, it has little in common with the character of "Halo" on Halo Star. However, I found that a lot of the things I had written for her could be edited and arranged, and turned into very interesting lyrics. "The Gravediggers" is a song that came directly from a passage of the book, though edited to fit into lyrical form....
[Losing Today] Wow!&nb sp; That's very exciting! I have several questions regarding this: First, does this type of creation seem like an extension of your other artistic ventures? Or is markedly different in some way? Second, are you planning to publish the book yourself (Projekt Books??) or are you going to shop around for a publisher? And finally, when can we expect to see it on shelves?
[Sam] I would absolutely LOVE to find a publisher for the book, because it would be really interesting to see if it could "make it" as an object unto itself, rather than a book that comes with a CD. So yeah, I hope to shop it around. I need to finish it first, though. I think it's 66% finished. It's not gonna be a Steven King doorstop of a book. It will be 120 pages, maybe. I hope it will exist next summer.Writing a book is definitely different from writing lyrics, because in a book you have room to develop ideas, backtrack, change your mind. Read people's thoughts, and talk about sex in a way that I really don't do in lyrics. It's a whole different experience from the creator's side and the audience's side. I find that I really cannot do both at the same time, I have to get in the "book mindset," because of the kind of expression that is involved. It's really fun to create these personalities, give them a back story... and then put them through their paces. In that sense, like Kafka, I think there is a lot of my life invested in these characters. Even though none of them really represents me totally. I have given them aspects of myself, sometimes aspect of friends, and even a few people who I don't get along with....
[Losing Today] Speaking of characters, you mentioned Halo Star as a character earlier, and that you saw Lisa in that role within the cover art for the album. Can you tell me a little bit about her (HS), her creation and her story as it relates to the tracks on the album?
[Sam] Well, the funny thing is that Halo is definitely a man. I might have imagined him a bit androgynous, but he's a "boy" never-the-less. So it's a dramatic stretch to have him "played" by a woman in the cover photo.... but that's ok. I like that he's a cute guy! : ) So, anyway.... he developed over time. When I was writing the words for "Tarnished," I wanted it to be about a character. It's sung from the point of somebody observing him. And I was stuck for a long time, because I had all the lyrics written, but not his name. And one day I came upon calling him "Halo," and I liked that. As other songs evolved, I was working on lyrics that were less thought out. Excerpting parts of the book, and blending them together in a cut and paste sort of way. Since "Tarnished" had been written from an observer's point of view, I kinda used the same technique on the song "Halo Star." So then there were two songs specifically about him. Bret wrote the music for "Scarecrow" when we were recording at Steve Roach's studio in Tucson. I said "let's make something using the same chords as 'Halo Star.'" When I got back to NYC, it made sense to make the song sort of set up the last song on the album... So Halo was back again. I think you can imagine that many of the songs are about him.
[Losing Today] Although ‘the Fourth footstep’ is probably my favorite track on Halo Star, I’m also drawn to ‘Knock three times,’ which I could not help but picture as being covered by Voltaire on some future BTFBG tribute album. This leads me to two questions really, the first being whether or not you see yourself as being influenced by the bands you sign/represent on Projekt and the second being whether or not there is a specific track from Halo Star that you particularly hold dear?
[Sam] I cannot say that I feel directly influenced by the bands I sign to Projekt. But of course it is true that having Michael from Unto Ashes and Bret from Audra in my band means that you might hear some sounds from those bands creeping into my music, just by the nature of their involvement.
For "Knock Three Times," I had the music written and it had a light mood to it. I used to call that song "Haunted House," if that gives you an idea. For me, it sounds like a mix of Tones on Tail, Soft Cell and the Stray Cats. I was working on lyrics one night, I was playing the song over and over. My son Sasha (who was about one and a half at the time) was running back and forth from the studio to the living room, over and over.... and I was writing words, and those kinda silly words came out and they captured the mood. Which is lighthearted, yet about a serious subject. Which is a lover who was troubled, and taunted, and apparently took her own life, though maybe she just isn't around anymore....
As far as a track that I hold dear.... that's hard to narrow down to just one. Because I love all the songs on this album, they are all good little children about to go out into the world. (laughs)
[Losing Today] I couldn't help but see the connection between your "Knock Three Times" and the old Tony Orlando song of the same name. Am I completely off base?
[Sam] No, you're not off base. The words of the chorus paraphrase that sappy seventies hit. It was intentional. One day, Lisa and I “googled” the lyrics to "Knock Three Times," because we were curious what they were. It's a really stupid song! When you read the words to the original, the guy comes across like a psycho-stalker! In that, it's unintentionally funny. So when I was working on the words for my song, I tried it out and the words fit, with a few poignant changes. It's not the melody or the conceptual theme from Tony's hit - just a parody of the chorus.
[Losing Today] Years from now, when you look back at Halo Star, what do you think you’ll see or recall?
[Sam] That's an interesting question. Hopefully I will recall that Halo Star was the beginning of an era when I became a fulltime musician.
[Losing Today] Have you ever felt as though being the King of all things Projekt has come at the expense of your life as a musician? In other words, I know you began the label as a vehicle for publishing your own music. Over the years has your music ever had to take a backseat? And finally, if this does indeed mark the beginning of a new era in which Sam Rosenthal becomes a fulltime musician, whose going to be tending shop over at Projekt?
[Sam] Everyday, I 100% feel that my music suffers by my time spent at Projekt. I'm sure this is the same disgruntledness that every musician feels: their music suffers because of the obligation of their day job which puts food on their plate. Right now, I should be in the studio rehearsing for the West Coast tour. I haven't even begun to work out my part for "Scarecrow," or sample the Moog into my road synth. Instead, I'm taking care of my Projekt obligations (this interview, working on orders, putting promo packs together, etc), because it's got to be done.If I had the opportunity to be a fulltime musician (which means, if I brought in a lot of money from the band) I would be able to hire more people to work at Projekt. One thing that some people like to do is rag on a band when they have success. As an artist, I find that absurd. Because I want my favorite artists to make enough money at their art so they can make more art. We artists don't like struggling forever!
[Losing Today] I'm sure I don't have to point out the irony in the fact that the very label you created as a vehicle for your music appears to be keeping you from actually creating it. On the other hand, with Projekt, you've provided a home for countless musicians who might not otherwise have one, and who’s to say how many lives have been touched by all that music. Do you get much feedback from people regarding the role Projekt music (including BTFBG) has played in their lives? And does that feedback lessen any of the "disgruntledness" you spoke of?
[Sam] Sure, I get feedback. And it's always nice to know that what you do for a living has value to people. But my tombstone is not gonna read "he answered a lot of email!" So the disgruntledness remains. What will matter after I'm dead (if anything that I do matters at all, really) is that I created art that people care about; not that I put out CDs from other bands.... you know what I mean? (laughs)
[Losing Today] When I told the person who first introduced me to your music (many years ago) that I was interviewing you, I promised him that I would ask you a question to which he (as a long time fan) has always wanted the answer, so here goes: "If you could not make a living and provide for your family making music or running Projekt Records, what other career might you choose?"
[Sam] If I had to have another job, I would pick the one that would earn the most money possible, so I wouldn't have to do it for very long. Working sucks, as we all know. That said, if the question is 'what are you qualified to do for a living,' then my answer would be Graphic Design. I am good at that, it pays well when you can find the work, and it's relatively fun
[Losing Today] Finally, since we all want to keep you making music, why don't you tell me the best way for everyone reading this to get a copy of Halo Star?
[Sam] Halo Star is available in stores across the US, and also in Europe. The best way to get the album (and all other black tape releases) is ordering from projekt.com. That money goes directly to us, without anyone in the middle taking their cut. And that's the best way to keep us going. Thanks so much to everyone for buying the music and being curious about what I have to say!
Like champagne and paper party hats, what would the new year be without the obligitory [i]best of[/i] lists? In a year that seemed plagued by one disaster after another (natural and otherwise) it's kind of nice to reflect on some of the best things (musically anyway) that 2004 had to offer.
For those who are interested, the folks at [url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com...]Pitchfork,[/url] have put together a pretty decent list of what they consider to be the top 50 albums of 2004. Along those same lines [url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWB...]CNN [/url] has compiled a list that they are calling The Best Albums [of 2004] You Didn't Hear. (Interesting to note that their top pick is the same as Pitchfork's). Even [url=http://us.gq.com/culture/gene...]GQ[/url] and [url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6...]MSNBC[/url] have weighed in with their [i]best of[/i] lists for 2004. (Be forewarned, though, the MSNBC list will appeal to those who lean more towards radio-ready mainstream music). Still can't get enough?? Well then be sure to check out the lists at [url=http://www.popmatters.com/mus...]PopMatters.com,[/url] and [url=http://www.prefixmag.com/best...]PrefixMag.com[/url] ~ both of which provide a smart and eclectic list of 2004's best offerings.
Of course, anyone who actually bothers to click any of the links above will likely take issue with at least one of the critic's choices. Although some of the albums that made these various lists would likely have found a spot on my own Best of 2004 list, had I made one, the ranking would invariably be different. And so that leads me to ask: [b]What is your pick for best album of 2004?? [/b] For those of you who just can't decide, you are welcome to pick as many as you like... but I'm interested in what you'll remember most, musically, from 2004.
And speaking of music from 2004, I'll leave you with a couple reviews that LT published this last week.
To say that the opening track on [u]A Demonstration [/u]is simplistic and innocent is like saying that the ocean is wet: true, but hardly an accurate description. In fact, the whole of ‘See You Happy’ consists solely of Alexander McGregor’s raw acoustic guitar accompanied by (his sister) Camille McGregor’s unpolished, frail vocals ~ all of which, when coupled skillfully, can result in a delicate and mesmerizing magic (see The Arrogants, The Softies, or The Innocence Mission). Unfortunately, Ponies in the Surf fall short of achieving this splendor on ‘See You Happy’ which very much sounds as though it was recorded as “Alex followed [Camille] around with the old Stella guitar all morning trying to capture the melody” as the liner notes of [u]A Demonstartion[/u] suggests. Fortunately, the tracks that follow ‘See You Happy’ hit the mark that their predecessor so obviously misses. The album’s second track ‘More to Living’ is a cover of the Linda Rich song (originally released in 1996), but is perfectly suited to the acoustic guitar with soft female vocal style that the McGregors are going for with Ponies in the Surf. Indeed, one of the strengths of this track is the fact that neither element is overpowered by the other, with Alexander’s guitar woven effortlessly within and through Camille’s breathy vocals. ‘Ventricle’, [u]A Demonstration’s[/u] third offering, is a sweet, slightly Spanish sounding duet on which Camille’s vocals, (which sound remarkably like Julie Martin’s of Bon Voyage), provide a sugary alternative to Alexander’s deeper, more tonal, voice. One of the particularly splendid elements of his track is the fact that while it does call to mind, (again as the liner notes suggest) “red dresses, velvet stage curtains… [and] dance step diagrams” it manages to do so without taking itself seriously, and practically drips of sunshine, right down to the last “cha, cha, cha.” The remaining tracks on the album, including the 8th hidden track, which we can only assume is titled “Ponies in the Surf” are, for better or for worse, fairly unremarkable, blending overly simple melodies with tentative vocals. However, despite this criticism, I think its safe to say that [u]A Demonstration[/u] accomplishes precisely what its creators set out to do. As Alexander explains in the liner notes: “This is a simple record…. We have tried to present our songs as clearly as possible, in blueprint form with the scaffolding showing.” And it does show, but in a way that is part of Ponies in the Surf’s charm. In the end, despite a few painfully ordinary tracks, there are also a few perfectly lovely moments as well, which makes [u]A Demonstration[/u] an album worth checking into, and Ponies in the Surf, a band worth watching.
I’ve always had a problem with remix albums. In my experience they tend to fall into one of two traps which ultimately result in final products that sound either like hollow interpretations of the original tracks, (in which the artist wasn’t content to leave well enough alone), or an equally uninspired regurgitation of once popular songs (that reflect the label’s desire to produce *something* by the artist within a given timeframe). Clearly, it takes an artist like Projekt Record’s Android Lust to break this mold, (along with so many others). While more unfamiliar listeners will likely expect [u]Stripped and Stitched[/u] to provide a collection of jagged and relentless electronic mixes of AL’s already razor sharp music, (and while there is some of that within the album’s 11 offerings), true fans of this highly innovative and passionate artist will understand from the onset that such expectations exist only to be shattered. Indeed, on [u]Stripped and Stitched,[/u] one woman music warrior Shikhee manages to reinvent several tracks from last year's [u]The Dividing[/u], while also including a few original compositions to wet the appetite, as well as acoustic versions of several Android Lust favorites including "Refuse" from [u]Resolution[/u]. The most satisfying of these tracks include the album’s third offering “Drown,” which provides a glimpse into the raw, relentless and industrial nature of one of her live performances as well as the later remix of “Stained” which was a featured track on 2003’s [u]The Dividing[/u] and this time around continues to showcase Shikhee’s considerable vocal talent by juxtaposing it against an intense electronic backdrop. On the other hand, [u]Stripped and Stitched [/u]also contains two acoustic contributions, the best of which is the album’s final track “Burn”, a dark and melancholy song that leaves its haunting and disturbing mark on the listener, like an unidentified fingerprint on your window ~ subtle, delicate and immensely powerful. All in all, like Shikhee herself, [u]Stripped and Stiched[/u] is an unexpected pleasure; a collection of tracks that will ultimately enchant both current fans as well as those who are finding Android Lust for the first time.
Like so many other independent labels, Projekt Records began in 1983 as a means for its founder, Sam Rosenthal, to release his own electronic music.
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