Ashes in the brittle air - 2CD/LP 30th anniversary expanded edition

Check out the Kickstarter for the remastered expanded edition of 1989's Ashes in the brittle air. The remastering sounds amazing! Oscar and Sue’s vocals are much more present, you can hear elements in the music once lost in the reverb — yet it retains that dreamy, romantic quality I remember from the 80’s. 

Your pledges are the lifeblood that funds this release. Every contribution is important — whether you give $3 or $299! Kickstarter is all or nothing; we need to pass the $9000 goal for the campaign to succeed. 

The album is available as an immediate free download at Bandcamp.

The CD and digital version include 21 bonus tracks. People often email me and mention that Ashes was the first time they heard my band. I love reading those stories of your emotional and personal connection to these tracks and those times; how the music was there for you during a crisis, or break up, or loss. I’m really happy that I can give you 6 additional never-before-heard songs from the era. The bonus tracks are a time capsule of that specific 80s lush, ethereal BlackTape sound.

I cannot go back to 1989 to write more pieces like I would have written them then. However I can bring these songs out of obscurity, pulling them off the 8-track multi-track tape for you!  

If you can spare it, please visit the Kickstarter crowdfunding page and make a pledge. Thanks so much.

The Gesture of History | Sam with Nick Shadow & Steve Roach

The Gesture of History draws upon introspective passages where the organic texture and emotions of the viola play out over an atmosphere of engulfing mournful beauty. Delicate strings float upon shimmering, forever changing expressionistic backgrounds of processed viola, synth, and harmonium – sensitive and deeply moving. The modernist ambient compositions balance on the precipice, looking back in moments of reflection and rumination, while delicately holding the future in our hands.

There’s 2 weeks to go on my crowdfunding campaign for The Gesture of History, an ambient collaboration I created with violist Nick Shadow and synthesist Steve Roach. You can pledge to make this CD/LP exist. Backing there is sort of like preOrdering, it’s a lot like being a patron of the art. Your contribution goes to manufacture the LP (black or gold), the CD, a royalty for Steve and Shadow, mastering costs, shipping supplies, the fees, etc.

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Hi Sam, I pledged The Gesture of History. It's not much, but you and your projects have given me a lot of pleasure over the years. So this was a no-brainer and the right thing to do. Good luck from New Zealand, Paul

Hey Paul, $20 is still $20! It moves the campaign closer to the goal, so it's very helpful. Best, - Sam

I’ve been following your work and your Projekt roster since the late 80s. The music world is in such disarray at the minute – it’s all image over substance and production over talent. We need you now more than ever! - Paul

Ha! I think there's always been a faction of the music world that was image over substance (ie: much of MTV in the 80s, all the bad California bands in the 70s). But I know what you mean, and I appreciate it. - Sam

Crowdfunding final hours. Thanks for your interest in my work

There's 7+ hours to go in the crowdfunding campaign for Black Tape For A Blue Girl's To touch the milky way. 238 amazing people have said, "Yeah, I like the music Sam creates. I wanna be part of the team that makes this new album happen!" That's remarkable! I'm very grateful.

I posted an update yesterday — "Connection + Gender" — replying to messages from two backers. David spoke about my music being part of his life during High School in the 90s. He wrote, "Black Tape’s music was different, but fit right in and helped during those moments of loneliness I felt regularly."

I'm so glad that the music was there for you, David.

Sometimes, when I'm down, I grumble about life, the universe and everything. Just today, Mercy reminded me, "You create music that people around the world connect to! You're doing something, you're making a positive difference. That's not something a lot of people can say."

Reading your messages — and seeing that my music was there for you when you needed it, that it's made a positive difference — that's really special to me. And now we create a cycle: you come back and pledge some of your scarce resources to help me make more of the music. Wow! Gotta say it can be a great world, when people work towards enriching and positive ends.

The To touch the milky way Kickstarter has 7+ hours left to go. 3 more pledges for the CD DELUXE or LP DELUXE package, and we've made it! We can do it. You can do it! Thanks to everyone so much for caring. Sam

Black Tape For A Blue Girl: To touch the milky way

Hello! There's a new Black Tape For A Blue Girl album in the works, and you can be one of the people that make it exist! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/samrosenthal/black-tape-for-a-blue-girl-to-touch-the-milky-way?ref=15x510 There's a wealth of information about the album, the concept, the artwork, and updates from the road where I've been out shooting the images for the packaging.

50% Discount on bandcamp

I have to be honest. I was sitting here for five minutes, trying to remember this blog. "Um, I know I used to blog somewhere, in an earlier version of the Black Tape For A Blue Girl website, now what was that site called?" Ah yes, Blogger! That's it. Well, this is definitely not how I keep in touch with those of you interested in my art, these days. If you'd like to be on my real email list, and get 50% off the Black Tape For A Blue Girl page on Bandcamp, send me an email at sr.projekt@gmail.com -- and I'll get that right over to you. I hope you have a great 2018! Sam

12 hours to go @ Kickstarter / Across a thousand blades (demos) Download

The Kickstarter for the "Bike Shop" vinyl ep ends tonight

A backer from Brazil upgraded to $250 Yellow Jersey. Just $109 from reaching the goal, with 9 hours to go. Pledge at http://kck.st/1Fkr0T1 Kickstarter. And when we hit the goal, there will still be some great premiums left. Test Pressings, signed lyrics, and two more Yellow Jersey Executive Producers.

Across a thousand blades (demos​+​live)

FROM THE VAULTS --- "Across a thousand blades" is the best known track from Black Tape For A Blue Girl's first decade. It was released on 1989's Ashes in the brittle air CD, the band's third release. I've unearthed six never before heard demos and live tracks. Free Bandcamp download give them a listen.

Interviewed: Michael Plaster & Sam Rosenthal

Michael Plaster and I discuss the Black Tape For A Blue Girl "Bike Shop" Kickstarter and cats (of course!)

(listen to the music while you read the interview:)

Sam: How does it feel, singing on new songs after being out of the public eye for a while?

Michael: Actually it was a really good experience. I have had the songs for my own upcoming album churning around in my head for over a decade, so to be able to work on someone else’s songs was pretty neat.

Michael: So tell me about the subject of the songs on the “Bike Shop” EP. Are they all based around one person?

Sam: No, actually they are about the last three relationships, merged into one person for the sake of the story. Reflecting on the feelings after a break up, going back to old memories, remembering little sweet things that happened, and then feeling sad that they’re not going to happen anymore. The funny thing is that I don’t even own a bike, but I was seeing somebody who repairs at a bike shop, and I liked having a physical location in the song, a place I’d want to go back to as an excuse to talk with her again. When I was writing “Vega,” I wanted to come up with a name for this romantic partner, and it needed to start with “V” to make the little joke in the lyrics work. I was running through all sorts of names that started with ‘V’ – and I came upon Vega and I thought...

Read the full interview at the Projekt website