From Sam

My Patrons’ small monthly donation helps to fund the creation of my art. They get additional music posted privately at Bandcamp. Join for as little as $5 a month. It’s a helpful way to keep the art flowing.

Everything is name-your-price!

  • October 20, 2023

U P D A T E    F R O M    S A M

A few months ago I changed all digital albums on the black tape for a blue girl Bandcamp page to Name-Your-Price. I'm sure I told everyone about this (????) but now I cannot find an email list about it. Maybe I was dreaming? If so here's a reminder. Grab everything you want, leave a little something if you can…

When you donate even a dollar, the album is added to your personal Bandcamp collection, available for streaming and download. When you choose zero, you can download, but the album will not be added to your Bandcamp collection.

I've mailed most of the Terrace of Memories CDs and MDs to the Kickstarter backers. LPs expected in November/December. After those ship to supporters all formats will be on sale at Bandcamp.


I've finally uploaded FAITH, my 4.5-minute 8mm student film, to YouTube. I shot and edited it at college in Orange California in 1987 while recording Black Tape For A Blue Girl's MESMERIZED BY THE SIRENS. Actors were my college friends: Miira Ojanen & Dimitri Patakidis. Some of their Greek + Finnish dialog, and a bit of the synths, ended up on the album.

Have a great weekend, Sam<

Listening Party: Mesmerized by the sirens

  • September 6, 2023

•  U P D A T E   F R O M   S A M   R O S E N T H A L  •

Join Oscar, myself and fans of Black Tape For A Blue Girl. Let’s get together virtually to listen to the 2023 Mix of Mesmerized by the sirens and chat; it’s a text-only chat on the right side of the screen, there’s no camera, no stress. I hosted a listening party for Terrace of Memories in July and we had a really a good time. Hang out with other fans of the music from around the world, chat with everyone, ask questions, share whatever you want to talk about.

Mesmerized-era vocalist Oscar Herrera will be with us.

September 21, 2023
7pm West Coast / 10pm East Coast / 2am GMT / Noon Sydney AUS

RSVP for the Listening Party

The chat window opens 30 minutes before the album begins playing and runs 30 minutes after. Mesmerized has a bonus disc, but don't feel you need to stick around the whole time. The 10-song album will be done at 10:45 pm East Coast, then it’s on to the 10 bonus tracks.

Hope to see you there,
Sam

Purchase the CD, LP, MD or Name-Your-Price download at:
blacktapeforabluegirl.bandcamp.com

Terrace of Memories, final days

  • August 23, 2023

•  U P D A T E   F R O M   S A M  •


LP Jacket design file, sent to the printer

Hello. There’s 46 hours to go in the Kickstarter for the remastered edition of my 1992 ambient collaboration with vidnaObmana, Terrace of Memories. Join us in creating this physical release in three formats: 140-gram color vinyl (two color variations), CD, and MiniDisc.

The goal was reached and the first stretch goal has nearly been met as well, but we’re not finished here just yet! For the remaining hours the campaign page serves as a preOrder page — new backers are coming on board to join the team that made this possible.

There are 178 backers as I write this. Join us!

Stream & download the remastered album for free at Bandcamp.


Kickstarter backer TC writes:
“I'm so glad to see this campaign has been successful. Terrace of Memories is my all-time favorite ambient work, even more than anything by Eno. On Land comes close… but not quite.”

That's really high praise, thanks! Dirk & I both love hearing how much you enjoy our creation. Thanks to everyone who cares for and believes in Terrace of Memories. All of you made this possible.

Thanks to all who've pledged the Kickstarter. I look forward to a few more joining with us in the next 46 hours.

Mesmerized by the Sirens CD / LP / MD now shipping

  • August 10, 2023

After a successful Kickstarter earlier this year Mesmerized by the sirens is now available in all formats (LP, CD, MiniDisc & Name-Your-Price download) from our Bandcamp Store. Look for it at all streaming & download sites on the August 25th release date.

Black Tape For A Blue Girl: Mesmerized by the sirens

2CD in 6-panel digipak. 140-gram vinyl in two colors. CD and LP at Projekt European Webstore. Name-Your-Price download and all formats at Bandcamp.

“Sadly nostalgic of your loneliest days, gently disturbing music that sends your mind adrift on an ocean of reflection.” — Bside Magazine

More than a reissue, it’s a restoration! This new mix of Black Tape For A Blue Girl’s ethereal, evocative and existential 1987 second album flows upon its haunting thread, revealing the heart of its lush dreamscape atmospheres. Sue-Kenny Smith’s lovely British vocals float upon Sam Rosenthal’s electronic and organic darkwave, tempting within their lush mystery. Oscar Herrera’s passionate, powerful voice propels the majority of the tracks with “The sawdust scatter” capturing a late-80s goth rock aura. Rosenthal’s precise new mix — sourced from the original half-inch 8-track tapes — highlights an album even more enchanting than when first released.

Fire of Renewal writes on Bandcamp: A cherished return to times long gone, the pilgrim of nostalgia remembers. The bittersweet tears flow in heartbreak and ecstasy simultaneously. Such a great album.

Terrace of Memories Kickstarter

  • July 25, 2023

Hi, this is Sam from Black Tape For A Blue Girl. Today I’m inviting you to support the Kickstarter to create a remastered edition of Terrace of Memories, my 1992 collaboration with Dirk Serries (aka: VidnaObmana.) Your donations will make this possible.

Back Kickstarter now

Help bring Terrace of Memories to life

$8000
goal		 31%
funded		 30
days to go

That $8000 all goes toward manufacturing the three physical formats: 140-gram color vinyl (in 2 color options), CD, and MiniDisc. I’m excited to create this reissue with the help of people who believe in our art and want to see this campaign succeed – people like you!

Stream the remastered Terrace of Memories album now at Bandcamp. While you’re there, RSVP for the July 29 Listening Party. 11am West Coast / 2pm East Coast / 8pm Belgium. Chat with Sam, Dirk, cover model Susan Jennings, & other fans.

Kickstarter is all or nothing; we need your help to reach the goal in order to create the LP, CD, & MiniDisc formats. If you want to go the extra mile you can support at higher levels with CD & LP bundles plus additional Add-Ons to increase your contribution and reward. This lovely new edition will exist through pledges from people like you — our patron of the arts.

Check out the full story at Kickstarter.

Interview in Italy’s Luponair

  • May 8, 2023

A very brief interview for an Italian Radio Show

1. Tell us something about “Could I Stay The Honest One? – 2022 Serpent Version,” the track we aired.

Sam: Thanks for playing the song. The original version was recorded for 1991’s A chaos of desire. I reissued that album on 2LP, MiniDisc & 2CD last year; I thought it would be interesting to re-record songs from the album with the current band, which has completely different members aside from myself. I transferred the 8-track master tape to digital, and started by retaining a few of my piano parts, then replacing everything else. Originally it had a female vocalist, now Jon takes over the passion and intensity of the story about personal failures. Henrik’s strings flesh out the mood in a way that overall the song is more beautiful and yet more depressing than it was 30+ years ago.

2. Are we going to make it on time?

No. Unfortunately not. Humans are not trying hard enough to make it. Still killing each other, religion preventing progress, and generally not saving the planet from our own betrayals. My son is 21. It is horrible to think what the world will be like when he is my age. We’re not going to make it. Failure is guaranteed.

3. Suggest us a record we surely don’t know.
The album I recommend is Player Piano from FUTURISK, a band I knew in the early 80s in South Florida when I was just out of high school. It’s synthwave, synthpop? I think Jeremy called it “Synth Punk” back in the day. It was great to have a local band making music on synthesizers back then, when most bands were playing rock-n-roll on standard rock instruments in dusty bars for country rockers.

Procession Magazine #9

  • March 24, 2023


Three page interview with Black Tape For A Blue Girl in the new issue of America’s Procession Magazine (#9 • March 2023). “Darkwave dressed with a deep, flowing intensity.”

Mesmerized is a go!

  • March 17, 2023

$11,264 • 125% funded • 227 backers
The goal was reached and the stretch goal as well. You did it! Thanks to 227 incredible backers for the support — joining the team that created this (soon to be) lovely release. Mesmerized by the sirens will be available later this year as a 2CD, LP (two color variations) and MiniDisc at the BlackTape bandcamp page.

25 hours to go, how’d we do?

  • March 1, 2023

25 hours to go, how’d we do?

•  U P D A T E   F R O M   S A M  •

in progress, design for the 6-panel 2CD digipak

Hello. There’s 25 hours to go in the Kickstarter for the new mix of BlackTape’s 1987 Mesmerized by the Sirens. Join us in creating this physical release in three formats: 140-gram color vinyl (two color variations), double-CD, and MiniDisc. Yes, MD! This will be the 4th BlackTape album on MD and the 10th to be issued on vinyl.

The goal was reached and the stretch goal as well, yet the campaign isn’t done yet! Backers pledged $302 today, adding their support to the team that creates this lovely release (and get bonus items only available at Kickstarter.)

There are 205 people on board as I write this. Join them. Join us!

Stream & download the 2023 mix for free at Bandcamp

Deven H wrote on Facebook: Awesome!! Such a fantastic job cleaning up the sound! WOW! The flip from the ’87 tracks to the 2023 tracks are insanely more rich and have such depth! It truly was like a “Wow” moment!! Great work!!

Fernando from Peru wrote on Facebook: Mesmerized by the Sirens is my favorite album from your band. That album accompanied me in a difficult moment (it was like escaping into a dreamlike space while listening to it).

Thank you so much. I love hearing how my music was there for you at tough moments. Much the same as This Mortal Coil and Dead Can Dance was there for me in the mid-80s (when I began recording as Black Tape For A Blue Girl.) It’s great knowing the art Oscar, Sue-Kenny, Alan, Walter and I created was able to do the same for you.

Thanks to all who have pledged the Kickstarter. I look forward to a few more joining with us in the next 24 hours.

Mesmerized by the sirens 2023 mix @ Kickstarter

  • February 3, 2023

•  U P D A T E   F R O M   S A M  •

Mesmerized by the sirens 2023 mix

My current Kickstarter dives into a new mix of 1987’s Mesmerized by the Sirens. Your support helps fund the rerelease of our 2nd album in three formats: 140-gram color vinyl, CD, and MiniDisc.

More than a reissue, it’s a restoration! I remixed the album from scratch! Stream the captivating 2023 mix at our Bandcamp page; you can download it there as well.

After 36 years, Mesmerized finally matches the way it has always played in my head — rich, detailed and distinct. Everything is more present, and the lovely vocals engulf you in their power and beauty.

Guillaume Roos writes on Twitter: I just finished listening to the 2023 Mix and it’s truly amazing, almost as if we’d been listening to Mesmerized from a distance for years without knowing. The music shines with so much more depth. I can’t wait for the CD!

There’s much more I could say here but as it’s all nicely stated at the Kickstarter, I invite you to pop over there to watch the video, listen to the difference, read about the process, and make your pledge.

I’m excited to be able to create this reissue with the help of people who believe in me and want to help this campaign succeed – people like you!

Sam


1987-Sam, photo by Walter Holland