Interviews > interviews 5
Interviews > interviews 5
The Lodge #6, Portugal
Febrruary 27, 2004
Going down the memory lane, tell me about the genesis ofÊthe Black Tape for a Blue Girl name and the key reasons that took you to create this musical diary in the late eighties; did you have any kind of prior educationÊin this first place, or are you basically self-taught?
Sam: I had no particular musical education, except for taking part of a band in high school, and not being very good at it. Why do people make music? For me, it was a way to express my inner angst and anxiety; that was why I started doing it in the early 80s... though, of course, now I do it because it is something I like doing and I am good at doing. I never really learned how to make music properly; I just put together sounds that I like to hear!This year celebrates the twentieth anniversary of your label, simply called Projekt. Looking back at what you've accomplished since then, tell me a little about your fondest and worst memories throughout the years, as well as if you'd have liked to deal with something or someone in a different way. Also, having in mind that you appreciate the alchemy treasured by your artists, tell me which ones do you like most and why. In addition, what'sÊthe reason to have the antepenult letter altered in the name?
Sam: Projekt is something I came up with many years ago, when I was still making cassettes in my bedroom. There is no secret meaning to it, or really even any intense thought, as I was just having a bit of fun putting out cassettes. I never expected that I'd still be at it 20 years later, or being able to (sort of) put food on the table for my family by means of the kind of music Projekt releases. I really cannot say about fondest or worst memories, because Projekt is a job that I go to, that still is fun at times, but isn't as glamorous as you might think. I believeÊthat my biggest problem is that I taught myself how to be a businessman over the years, which means that a lot of business mistakes were made along the way. It's all rather tedious, but I know what I would do differently, given the chance!Personally, there are three albums of Black Tape for a Blue Girl that I hold dearly, and they are The Rope, Mesmerized by the Sirens and Remnants of a Deeper Purity. Nowadays, what are your individual impressions on these three pieces, both lyrically and musically, and would you've altered anything in them if you had the chance, or you just basically look upon them as testaments of evolution inÊthe hierarchy of your discography? Grabbing the issue here, what is your preferred work in every aspect so far?
Sam:I definitely look at old albums as artifacts from a certain period, and I really don't have any interest in 'fixing' them, because they are what they are. Jean Cocteau said something about Art taking on a life of its own when it leaves the creator, and I agree. The albums are what they are, and the fans enjoy them for what they are... It would be difficult to give individual impressions, because that assumes that I listen to them regularly and can reflect on them. The fans get to listen and enjoy my albums far more than I do, because when I hear them now, I still remember when they were recorded. They never are 'just music' or 'just entertainment', which isn't to say that I am not pleased with what I created; just that my impressions might be more like: 'Oh, that studio where we recorded the vocals for 'The Scar of a Poet' was very dark and had wood walls!'. As far as my preferred work, naturally it has to be the newest album "The Scavenger Bride", because that is the most successful, in my mind (well, I like the brand new material I have written even better). A new album is due out in the autumn...All the albums I've heard have this distinctive dark, gothic and ethereal ambience to them, so I always wondered about the reason that drove you to create your music in such a way, and also what might have inspired you earlier on in your adolescent years that could have helped to subconsciously delineate your musical direction. Tell me also about your artists of election in Cinema, Literature andÊMusic, and if any of them did have a strong effect in your life with any of their works.
Sam: I cannot say that there is a specific reason why I make the darker music that I create. As a kid, I was a fan of Alice Cooper, Jethro Tull, Kraftwerk, Gary Numan... kind of in that order. Is there a logical reason why I would create the music of Black Tape for a Blue Girl with those artists as influences? I don't really think so. However, they were all 'outsiders', in a certain way...Apart from the other releases, after The Rope you decided to delve in a one-off experiment that was a tad different than those you've accustomed us so far, entitled Before the Buildings Fell, since it touched certain unusual electronic territories once explored by Tangerine Dream, or those of Terrace of Memories (an effort you worked in partnership with Vidna Obmana); what were the reasons that moved you to write such an equally gloomy and blissful record on the side, and why re-master it for CD under the Black Tape for a Blue Girl moniker afterwards? Speaking of Tangerine Dream, what are your views on this synthetic hydra of musicians, specifically their work for the "Legend" soundtrack (one of Ridley Scott's earliest motion pictures), and are you into records like Radio-Activity or Trans Europe Express, by Kraftwerk and the likes?
Sam: Before the Buildings Fell was recorded at the same time as The Rope, actually. Some of the songs became 'The Rope' and some did not. The reason to reissue it in 2000 as 'Black Tape for a Blue Girl's Sam Rosenthal' was because I was hoping people would find it in the record stores under that label (not that it really worked!). As far as Tangerine Dream, I really cannot listen to them these days. A few albums, like Phaedra or Stratosfear, still have a place for me, but they put out so much crap (so many awful albums) that I just don't care to listen to them. Now Kraftwerk is a different story! I still love their music! When that first voice begins singing on the Radio-Activity album, it's a very chilling thing!It's definitely clear that people feel a compulsory need to put everything in categories. For instance, your music isÊgenerally described by the terms I used on the fourth question, and they're normally related to bands like Arcana, Cocteau Twins and Dean Can Dance (to name a few). How do you feel about the variety of classification in Music? Do you think there is a need, or perhaps it might be easier to draw comparisons among artists, or do you simply view Music as bad or good? Speaking of which, how do you look upon the term "Gothic"? Can a band like Fields of the Nephilim be compared to anotherÊlike Ordo Equitum Solis, for example? If so, why? Even if it's an architectonic style, why do you think people usually tag certain artists as "Gothic", if they simply dwell in sombre, moody or mainly dark ambiences (after all, it's usually a mathematical combination of sounds and emotions in the end)?
Sam: I think that people need to categorise, because life has too many choices. For instance, if you like Conway Twitty, you need to know that you enjoy old-school Country music, so you don't accidentally buy the new Marilyn Manson record! But it's the way humans work; the brain likes to sort things to help process what is available in the world. I don't have a problem with being considered a gothic artist, because it makes it easier for like-minded people to discover my music...I heard that London After Midnight wanted to be a part of the Projekt roster sometime in the beginning of the nineties, but for some reason they signed with Apocalyptic Vision instead (and also with Metropolis in America later on). Since the band is one of my favourites in this sort of music, and as they'll be featured in this e-issue as well, could you clarify this matter? Just out of curiosity (and sinceÊa decade has now past), can you already appreciate what they do musically, or isn't it simply your type (I mainly ask this, because I've always noticed some The Cure influences on their sound and I suppose you might be an admirer of these British jugglers)?
Sam: In retrospect, not signing London After Midnight was the stupidest decision I made. It was around 1992, and I thought 'Oh no, Projekt is an ethereal label!', rather than using my ears to hear what they were creating. I agree that there is a certain The Cure element in their sound, and I love most of what The Cure has done (Lisa and I were watchingÊthe 'Trilogy' DVD a few weeks ago, actually). So I should have listened and went 'Hey, this is good!', but like too many people, I had my head up my ass (laughs).When signing artists, what are the basic points you find most important before embracing them into your troupe? Apart from the most important one (Music), do you pay any attention to their concept, aesthetic, or even their political or religious orientation (if not others)? On what grounds do you decode the wholesomeness of a musician?
Sam:I have to like the music, and I have to think there's an audience I can reach (who will buy the music). I might sign a band that I think can only sell 500 CDs, if I feel I can access enough fans to make it worthwhile for all three of us (artist, audience, label).In your profile you claimed to be raised as an agnostic Jew, and I recall reading something about the attitudes of such an individual towards religious ceremony, in that the person participated in a certain ritual (that didn't glorified God), although she didn't believe in its direct meaning (in a religious sense); that is, the agnostic Jew doesn't take for granted the essence of said rite; do you think this a congruent position in relation to the ceremonial? Did you ever partake in such an observance? To conclude, what are views on Religion and Spirituality as a whole?
Sam:"Wow! There was way too much thought put into that question (smiles)! I personally don't think there is a god, sitting in a throne, who makes rules and cares about our lives! There's probably some sort of 'force' that makes things work, but it's not going to have human form; moreÊlikely, it could be explained via science: the forces of nature and reality. I 'do' believe that you have to take responsibility for acting 'correctly' towards the rest of the creatures on the Earth, but that's probably more of an ethical question. People do way too much damage out of selfish interests,Êwhether it's on a personal level or on a national level; people think 'God' is on their side (Pat Robertson recently said 'God' told him George Bush will win the 2004 election in a blow-out!), and they justify their crimes that way. I am sorry, but if humans blow the world up, nobody wins; while, on the other hand, nobody cares. There's no force 'out there' who is placing bets on humans succeeding, and guiding our civilization towards something better. People have to take 'God' out of the equation and realise 'Fuck! Nobody is stopping us from killing our neighbours, destroying our environment, and blowing this place up! We better start behaving rationally here'.You once edited a fanzine. Can you tell when and for how long did it happen, how many numbers did you print, what bands did you feature in it and how do you view that experience in our day? How do you view the printed media or even the media on the whole?
Sam:That was in the early 80s, from about 1982 to 1986. I really cannot recall the details without digging through boxes that contain them, and I don't have the time...! I remember I had New Order on one cover, Frank Zappa on another, Robert Fripp on one... interviews, so to say!If possible, disclose some of your future projects regarding Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Projekt, and, if such is the case, add something you find apt to declare.
Sam:I have been working on material for a new album, which is why it has taken me so painfullyÊlong to get this interview answer...! There is about 50 minutes of material in various stages of being complete, from all done and just in need of a mix ('Damn Swan!' and 'Your Love Is Sweeter than Wine'), to very rudimentary structures; but it's a process of building upon parts and working towards the final album. I am very pleased with the music, asÊit has more of an acoustic element (thanks to Michael's guitar and percussion). The songs are sparse, yetÊdramatic, and I am very happy with the lyrics that I have completed: they are dramatic! Look forward to an album in the autumn...