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Stream, download, purchase CDs, LPs & Shirts at our Bandcamp Store or European CD/LP webstore.
Ethereal, evocative, powerful and introspective, since 1986 Black Tape For A Blue Girl’s 13 studio albums meld sweeping darkwave, neoClassical and ambient. Utilizing multiple genres and instrumentations to shape their larger conceptual work, the eclectic, modernist approach refreshes BlackTape’s pioneering musical sentiments while maintaining the unique originality of their sound. Foreboding atmospherics and engaging lyricism inform a contemplative twilight which hangs over their tracks.
As the premier artist on the Projekt record label he founded in the early 80s, Sam Rosenthal’s BlackTape releases lush, deeply introspective music.
“Gently lit by the existential gleam of a dying sun” – Soundscape Magazine
Bastille Day (2022 Serpent Version)
[ARC265 • 2022 • Digital] Black Tape For A Blue Girl’s 2022 “Serpent” line-up releases ephemeral reconceptualizations of two songs from 2002’s The Scavenger Bride; driving the tracks deeper in a neoClassical darkwave direction. Songwriter/synthesist Sam joins with passionate baritone Jon DeRosa (Aarktica) and soulful cellist Henrik Meierkord.
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A Chaos of Desire (2022 Serpent Version)
[ARC242 • 2022 • Digital] Accompanying the reissue of A chaos of desire, the current 3-piece “Serpent” line-up recorded neoclassical reinterpretations of two songs from the 1991 album. Vocalist Jon DeRosa and cellist Henrik Meierkord join the electronics of songwriter Sam Rosenthal.
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The Cleft Serpent
[PRO388 • 2021 • CD, LP, MiniDisc, Cassette & Digital] NeoClassical darkwave with seductive mournful string, electronics & voice on 8 stories of loss, longing and doomed love. The Cleft Serpent is an elegant, heartfelt, and tragic torch song to humanity. A deeply personal tale cast on an almost cosmic scale, the album is a mature and fascinating musing on love, death and desire. The eight gothic neoclassical tracks evoke a sense of earthly entanglement, taking the listener through interconnected pieces charged with emotional honesty. A dark and beautiful work, it’s the 13th from Black Tape For A Blue Girl, and the first for vocalist Jon DeRosa and cellist Henrik Meierkord, joining the electronics of songwriter Sam Rosenthal.
The Cleft Serpent
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| Spotify playlist
This is a Spotify playlist with Black Tape For A Blue Girl songs re-recorded / performed by later versions of the band (ie: not the original vocalists). It’s our remakes of our own songs. |
COLLABORATION
Eating Rose Petals
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SAM ROSENTHAL SIDE-PROJECT
Tim, Where Are You Now?
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SAM ROSENTHAL SIDE-PROJECT
Sunwashed evening fire
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SAM ROSENTHAL SIDE-PROJECT
the gesture of history
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To touch the milky wayDownloadable pdf of the lyric/photo booklet.[PRO355 / 2018] This CD/LP release was funded by 255 fans at Kickstarter. CD — 4-panel digipak with 8 page art-photo booklet. Limited edition of 1000. LP — 140-gram split color vinyl (white & brown). 24pt jacket with 12″ lyric card. Limited edition of 300. Kickstarter Deluxe edition LP jacket with 5 12″ art cards. Ethereal, evocative, powerful and melancholic, Black Tape For A Blue Girl’s 12th studio album To touch the milky way expands upon their sweeping Art Rock aesthetic. Utilizing multiple genres and instrumentations as elements to shape a larger conceptual work, the eclectic, modernist approach refreshes BlackTape’s pioneering musical sentiments while maintaining the unique originality of their sound. Captivating vocals from Danielle Herrera and Michael Plaster accent songwriter and bandleader Sam Rosenthal’s electro-acoustic atmospherics and foreboding, engaging lyricism. A contemplative twilight hangs over these seven tracks.
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SAM ROSENTHAL SIDE-PROJECT
Journey to Aktehi
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blood on the snow[PRO340 / 2017] This 200-unit limited edition maxi-CD was funded at Kickstarter. 4 all-new songs. Continuing the revival of Black tape for a blue girl’s classic 90s darkwave/ethereal sound. The Blood on the Snow maxi is a name-your-price download available at Bandcamp. Features the same band members as these fleeting moments: Oscar & Dani sing, Nick plays viola, Brian plays drums, Chase plays guitars & synths, Sam wrote the songs and plays guitar & electronics. Sam explains, “The lyrics are darker and bleaker than any of my previous releases; I sense the theme is futility, though perhaps more specifically it’s about dedication to lost & hopeless causes. The dark mood of the last year of American politics created a desolate and worried anxiety as I wrote these songs.”
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Projekt’s faux-soundtrack to the film Fifty Shades Darker is built around tracks from As one aflame laid bare by desire; and it opens with a 2011 live version of “Caught by a Stranger” with Valerie on vocals. Recorded in Bucharest. Download the album for free at Bandcamp. |
these fleeting moments[PRO331 / 2016] Deluxe limited CD & 2LP funded by our loyal supporters at Kickstarter. Picking up Blacktape’s classic 90s darkwave, ethereal sound; original vocalist Oscar returns on their 30th anniversary. Order the deluxe limited edition CD or deluxe limited edition 2LP Vinyl . On their 30th anniversary, Black Tape For A Blue Girl returns to their evocative ethereal, neoclassical, gothic roots with an album exploring the existential predicaments of time’s passage, choices questioned, and loves lost. Original vocalist Oscar Herrera rejoins the band after a 17-year absence. His darkly dramatic vocals are complemented by Dani Herrera’s emotional and heartfelt voice, Nick Shadow’s visceral viola, Brian Viglione’s driving drums, and band-founder Sam Rosenthal’s pensive electronics and revelatory songwriting. These Fleeting Moments, their 11th studio release, is 70 minutes of powerful, gorgeously yearning tracks born from the same place as their 90s classics Remnants of a Deeper Purity and A Chaos of Desire. “For this album,” Sam says, “I picked up threads of our 90s sound. I wrote those intense, passionate songs that Oscar delivers so wonderfully. Adding Nick’s breathtaking strings atop my synth-horn and electronic textures, and writing 25 minutes of instrumentals, really brings this album back to the essential Blacktape sound.”
The limitless single [MET01043] and the bike shop vinyl ep [PRO321] were released earlier in 2016, leading up to the release of These Fleeting Moments. |
SAM ROSENTHAL SOLO SIDE-PROJECT
As Lonely As Dave Bowman: Monolith[PROJEKT318 / 2015] A four track, 73-minute electronic solo release, released in a limited edition of 312. It was funded by fans like you, on Kickstarter. Unlike Sam’s work in Black Tape For A Blue Girl, Dave Bowman is full-on electronic music: droning space, wordless drift with long suspended passages. 75 were released in an über limited transluent almost-black plexibox:
The Kickstarter supporters received Monolith (addendum), a bonus 5-track, 37 minute companion album with bonus pieces [ARC129 2015] |
The Collection[ARCHIVE118 / 2014] A ten track digital-only “best of” to share with new and old fans of the band. Currently available for free at our Bandcamp page.
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a genderQueer erotic novel by SAM ROSENTHAL
Sam Rosenthal: Rye
Rye takes a sexual somersault through the complexities of desire in a penetrating portrayal of twenty-first century intimacy. “I spent some time devouring Rye and really really enjoyed not only the story and the characters and the death snark, but also the way that Sam tackled the new thing about relationships. It’s the same as it ever was, and it’s not the same as it ever was. And that melds so beautifully in Rye. Thanks for the good read!” – Carol Queen, The Center for Sex and Culture, San Francisco Matt is dating Rye, a willfully free androgynous school teacher. Attracted to Matt’s kinkiness and groundedness, Rye develops a taste for his masculinity and her submission. At a weekend SexxCamp retreat, Matt meets Rain, a charming and snarky twenty-something GenderQueer woman with both an attraction and aversion to sex. An unconventional three-way relationship develops, expanding their understanding of polyamory, identity, love and connection.
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Tenderotics[PROJEKT 288 / 2013] BlackTape’s Sam Rosenthal asked a diverse group of soundsculptors to try their hand at remixes. The directive was to use only the original performances recorded for the album — find a new heartbeat within the sources, find a new angle on these uniquely expressive songs. And they delivered! These tracks luxuriate in the vocals, letting Laurie’s passionate purr, Nicki’s cynical growl, and Athan’s croon shine above the ethereal & dark cabaret moods. Remixers Steve Roach, Erik Wøllo, Android Lust, Unwoman, Steve Jones, Attrition, Valerie Gentile, and Sam Rosenthal approach the pieces with fresh ears, creating reinterpretations more electronic and edgy than the originals.
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Forbidden Colours[ARCHIVE72 / 2012] This mix of “Forbidden Colours” appears on the 2012 Projekt Holiday release, Ornamental. A lush cover of the theme from the 1985 David Bowie film, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (written by David Sylvian / Ryuichi Sakamoto). A haunting, neo-classical track in the vein of the Remnants of a Deeper Purity album. Note: the Bandcamp version has two extra tracks not at iTunes.
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SAM ROSENTHAL SOLO
Sam Rosenthal: The Passage[PROJEKT 265 / 2011] Purchase the CD at Projekt | A foray into the realms of pure ambient from Black Tape For A Blue Girl founder/songwriter Sam Rosenthal. The two pieces on the hour-long album submerge the listener in a self-sustaining environment of warm electronics and minimal processings of deep, tender swells and an unresolved, yearning string theme courtesy of long-time Blacktape collaborator Vicki Richards. This is music which gently rotates around its own axis in a time-suspended haze.
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Knock Three Times (2010 live with Nicki Jaine)[2010] Digital only. These recordings — from when Nicki Jaine & Athan Maroulis were the vocalists for BlackTape — features Nicki’s performance of “Knock Three Times” from the 2010 Steampunk World’s Fair. This is how I hear the song in my head whenever I think of it. This performance features Brian Viglione on percussion (he didn’t often play live with us). Also included on the ep is “Rotten Zurich Cafe” (with the spoken part of “In Dystopia” at the end) and “Halo Star.” Knock Three Times Video on YouTube
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10 Neurotics[PROJEKT 229 & TRISOL374 / 2009] Purchase the CD at Projekt | The 10th studio album looks at our sexuality, obsessions and self-destructive delusions within a rock/dark cabaret setting. All-new band features vocalists Athan Maroulis (ex-Spahn Ranch) and Laurie Reade (ex-Attrition) & Nicki Jaine; and Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls on Drums, guitar & bass. Deluxe digipak w/28-page NC-17 booklet.
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the Pleasures Everlasting (ep)[PROJEKT 223 / 2008] Digital-only release with Dead Can Dance & Sonic Youth cover songs.
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SIDE-PROJECT
Revue Noir: ANTHOLOGY ARCHIVE[PROJEKT 213 2008] A Dark Cabaret collaboration from Sam and Nicki Jaine.
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A Retrospective[SHADOWPLAY RECORDS SPR32 / 2008] Purchase the CD at Projekt | A Russian best of featuring Blacktape’s most popular songs, some reworked or remixed. The digital version includes a 2nd disc: the 1991 best of, A teardrop left behind (originally released on Hyperium Records)
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SAM ROSENTHAL SOLO SIDE-PROJECT
As Lonely As Dave Bowman: POD[PROJEKT 195 2007] Purchase the CD at Projekt | Electronic solo album by Sam. POD brings a new and chilling element to the ambient music genre known as drone. Inspired by the vast isolation of cold, dark space, the absence of human civilization, and the texture of pure sound, there is a curiosity and fascination with those forces that leads to discovery. As Lonely as Dave Bowman becomes a pioneer in the next stage of ambient drone.
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HALO STAR[PROJEKT 158 2004] Our 9th studio album, includes “Knock Three Times.” A mix of ethereal tracks with tracks with a bit more rock approach, featuring vocalists Elysabeth Grant & Bret Helm. The digital version includes a 2nd disc of bonus tracks! 30-tracks in total!
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With a million tear-stained memories (2CD)[PROJEKT 145 2003] Purchase the CD at Projekt | Limited edition retrospective released in Germany on Trisol Records and in the U.S. on Projekt. One cd of vocal songs / once cd of instrumentals. |
the scavenger bride[PROJEKT 130 2002] Our 8th studio album. “Like Dead Can Dance, black tape for a blue girl dramatically flirts with symphonic decay.” – The Philadelphia City Paper. A lovingly crafted concept album set in 1913 Prague; guest appearances from members of Unto Ashes, Audra, Judith, & Spahn Ranch enliven the thirteen bewitching tracks. Inspired in part by the writings of Franz Kafka and the artwork of Marcel Duchamp, lyricist/songwriter Sam Rosenthal designed the extensively illustrated 24 page booklet of photos, lyrics and stories to enhance his metaphoric tale of a bride and her suitors.
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As one aflame laid bare by desire[PROJEKT 86 1999] Our 7th album. Fan comments from Facebook: Felecia T, “This one is still my absolute favorite.” Anthony B, “Listened to this just yesterday! Classic!” Isakiros M, “I love this album, thanks Sam Rosenthal.” Jonathan B, “My intro to btfabg in 1998. Such a great album.” J Daniel V, “This is beautiful!!!” Daniel S, “One of my favorite albums. Not just of yours, but pretty much all that I have listened to. It’s a beautiful piece of art, Sam.” “As one aflame laid bare by desire proves that melancholy waters run deep. Perhaps not as gloomy, and certainly not as maudlin and angry, as some previous releases, angst as art is still the source of fuel for Rosenthal and crew’s perpetual dark flame. In fact, the art aspect is intensified as Sam laces threads from dadaist Marcel Duchamp’s artworks and literature into Black tape’s gauzey fabric. Think modern Gothic chamber music with some ambient/electronic overtones.” -spiderbytes.com Read aflame An in-depth interview about this release by Dave Aftandilian. The digital version includes 2 bonus tracks
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remnants of a deeper purity[PROJEKT 68 1996] The 20th anniversary edition of Remnants reintroduces a 16-page lyric booklet, with an extra 4-pages of candid photos. Plus a 4″ square sticker. Disc 1 was remastered in 2014, disc 2 includes an extra track added in 2013.Read remnants A 1996 feature written by Bryan Reesman. Downloadable pdf of the lyric booklet.Read a 1997 article by Brian Reesman
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remnants of a deeper purity (vinyl 2LP edition)
[PROJEKT301 1996 / 2014] Remastered from the original DAT masters, Remnants of a deeper purity gets a deluxe 2LP release. Swirled red and black 140 gram vinyl, 8-page 11-inch square booklet. (The first edition was limited to 300 and included a CD of the 77-minute album in a paper sleeve. The 2nd edition includes a download code for the album). Side A Side B Side C Side D
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this lush garden within[PROJEKT 38 1993] Our 5th album. An elegy to the goddess . . . “unable to kneel down and save you or pray to the cruel god who defiles you.” A cry for truth and a more nurturing existence. Lucian’s voice carries us beautifully through the feminine side, while Oscar’s passionate vocals evoke the suffering of our carnal life, all guided by Sam Rosenthal’s sensual, exotic gothic-ambient undertones. A review from The Empty Quarter (UK):
Downloadable pdf of the lyric booklet. |
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SAM ROSENTHAL NOVEL & MAXI-CD
the first pain to linger[PROJEKT 63 1996] A 96 page book with maxi-cd. The book is out-of-print. Download or purchase just the maxi-cd:
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SIDE-PROJECT
terrace of memories[PROJEKT 34 1992] Sam Rosenthal ambient collaboration with Vidna Obmana Purchase CD at Projekt or
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A chaos of desire (2022 remaster)2LP vinyl, 2CD & Minidisc
88-page downloadable pdf of the memorabilia booklet with interviews from the era, and new conversations.[PROJEKT400 1991 / 2022] Remastered from the original DAT tapes by Martin Bowes of Attrition. There’s a new shine upon Chaos’ dark beauty. On its 31st anniversary remaster, the ethereal gothic ambience of our 1991 fourth album swims in a sea of memory, a heart filled with pain and despondent hope. These 12 existential tales inhabit a chaotic realm of reflection, fear and desire set upon dense electronics confronting pained emotions. Oscar Herrera’s intense, searing vocals and Julianna Town’s sensitive siren song are strongly complemented by Vicki Richards’ sinewy violin. Throughout it all, songwriter and band leader Sam Rosenthal stirs up a brooding undertone of electronics, expressing the stages of desire and despair.
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Ashes in the brittle air (2020 remaster2CD & LP
LP Second Edition 2022: 31-page downloadable pdf of the memorabilia booklet with interviews from the era, and new conversations.[PROJEKT376 1989 / 2019] Remastered from the original 1/4” tapes. Ashes in the brittle air was the first BlackTape released on CD; the improved sonic quality of the medium over the previous two LPs really benefited the music. With this expanded rerelease, my mastering guy went back and worked from the original quarter-inch mixdown tapes. In 1989, I thought the original sounded great, but this new mastering sounds amazing! There is so much subtle detail now, everything feels warmer and more present. I really love it! I added six completed tracks (on the second disc) from that era — something special for the album’s fans. There’s no way I can go back in time and write more pieces in this exact style. These tracks are completed songs I never released for artist-angst reasons; they make a wonderful addition to the album. Also included are a bunch of demos and early mixes to round out the 21 bonus tracks. Oscar sizzles with dramatic and passionate vocals. Sue-Kenny Smith’s voice brings a softer, sensitive & spontaneous English-folk quality to the album. Mixing Sue with my electronics and ambience — and Oscar’s vocals — created a diverse collection of songs that arrived at just the right moment. There wasn’t really anyone else in America doing this ethereal style.
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ashes in the brittle air[PROJEKT 26 1989] Bursting forth like a lucid dream, this release unearths powerful connections to deeper truths. Sue-Kenny’s folk approach and Oscar’s intense voice guide the way through Sam’s tales of existential personal introspection. “One of the most caring musical treasures to come along in quite some time. Don’t pass up the chance to experience it.” – JUST MUSIC. “This is hurting, romantic lament. Herrera’s vocals suddenly ram me with image-brimming, griping vacancy of the precariously desperate soul hanging beneath hope by a frayed thread.” – ALTERNATIVE PRESS. “We’re talking deep European existential despair here, the fevered outpouring of a tortured soul.” – OPTION. |
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mesmerized by the sirens[PROJEKT 25 1987 • CD & Digital]
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SAM ROSENTHAL SOLO
before the buildings fell[PROJEKT 24 1986] Electronic solo album by Sam, record simultaneously with The Rope. CD out of print, digital at:
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The Rope 25 (2CD 25th Anniversary Remastered Edition)[PROJEKT 20 2012] On the band’s debut . . . Sam Rosenthal’s subtle electronics and introspective lyrics establish black tape for a blue girl’s stature beyond the realm of the normal “gothic” sound. Creating a timeless blend of Oscar’s emotional vocals intertwined with warm ambient soundscapes. The deluxe reissue includes the original album remastered, with a 2nd disc of artists interpreting the songs off The Rope including Black Tape For A Blue Girl’s own re-recording, “Memory, Uncaring Friend (2011)”
Deluxe Disc Two In March of 1987, the massive-circulation magazine STAR HITS reviewed The Rope in a dual review with Love & Rockets’ Express. Click for readable copy:
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