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 | Sam Rosenthal: Projekt Interview (AmbiEntrance© - 1998) The AmbiEntrance is proud to meet and greet Sam Rosenthal, founder of the ambient/gothic/ethereal Projekt label and member of black tape for a blue girl. Sam's very busy these days with new music, touring, running the label, the Projekt Festivals, and love, so we doubly appreciate his taking the time. (The accompanying photo of Sam and Lisa was taken by E. Katie Holm.) |
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Link: Can you briefly tell us about Projekt and its line-up of artists?
Sam: I started Projekt in 1983 as a cassette label, so it is coming up to the 15th year very shortly. As far as artists, they sort of fall into two broad categories, the more ambient artists (such as Steve Roach / Vidna Obmana) and the more ethereal / goth artists (such as black tape for a blue girl, lycia, love spirals downwards, arcanta, voltaire...). Projekt has put out roughly 85 cds -- some on the side-label Projekt: Archive, which reissues older albums... Link: Not only do you operate Projekt, you also write and perform in Black Tape for a Blue Girl, *and* handle the artistic end of Projekt's packaging and promotions (which are always lovely, I might add); do these things keep you as busy as it would seem? What would you say is your "main" role? Sam: Yes (laughs) they keep me very busy. This is my full time job, and more... As far as 'main' role... these days the two (band vs. Projekt) takes about equal precedence. There have been years at a stretch, however, when the band was submerged to the obligations to Projekt... but I am through with ignoring the band!!! As far as my role at Projekt, I do everything from the cover design you mentioned, to promotions, to book-keeping, to mailing catalogs. There are only four of us here, so our jobs overlap a lot. Link: As an artist, what steered you into this particular musical realm? Sam: It is just what came naturally to me. When I moved to California in 1986, my faves were Marc Almond (of Soft Cell), Tangerine Dream and Brian Eno... and what I created sort-of lived within that same realm. Link: Wasn't Projekt orignally based in California? Why the move to Chicago? (It does seem a more "appropriate" locale for your often dark sounds...) Sam: Well, I started Projekt when I lived in Florida in 1983, then I moved to Orange County CA in 1986, then up to Los Angeles, and finally to Chicago in 1996. WHY the move? It was really for personal reasons. I had enough of living in California. I wanted to live in a place that was a 'city' rather than just one endless suburb. I also had the feeling that I would 'meet someone important' here... and I did... Link: I assume this is the woman in the photos? Do you want to tell us about your friend? Sam: That's Lisa, who is my lover. She is also now Projekt's publicity person and the flute player in black tape. We spend about 85% of our waking hours together... so I guess you KNOW a relationship is meant to last, if you have spent the majority of the last two years together... and things are still so beautiful and romantic. Link: How is all this *happiness* affecting your songwriting? Aren't Black Tape's songs often about pain and love lost? Sam: I think that's one aspect of black tape's songs. To me, they are often more about realization, working through a certain amount of 'stuff' to get to a new realization about oneself. I think that this is often reflected in broken relationships... but there are other elements as well. As far as the effects of 'happiness' -- I think it makes for more 'sexy' songs, or at least that is what Lisa observes. The new album has elements of joy, and yet also a lot of searching as well... Link: I own "Ashes in the Brittle Air" (1989) and "Remnants of a Deeper Purity" (1996) and notice that the sound went from more "folky-gothic" to more "chamber-music-gothic", though always imbued with your beautifully dreary "ambient" electronics. What's next for Black Tape? Sam: Each album sorta has its own sonic theme, which is partially due to the gap of time between them (you are talking eight years between those two -- and there was two albums between them). If I had to churn out an album every nine months, I suppose that I would repeat myself out of desperation; but there is usually a good deal of time between each one, and that leads to the change in the sound. As far as the new one...it is called "As one aflame laid bare by desire." How does it sound different? Well, to me it seems more melodic than Remnants (which was intentionally minimal and droney)... and yet the instrumentation is sparser. There are flutes, oboes and acoustic guitar on it... plus the violins... Link: When will "As one aflame..." be released? Will you be touring? Sam: "As one aflame..." will be released in January of 1999. There is a four song ep (two from the album, and two live-in-the-studio songs) which is out now... We are touring at the end of July (check the live page of the Projekt web site) and we will be touring at least one more time in the fall before the album comes out... There has been growing interest in the live shows, which is great, so touring becomes more and more feasible... Link: Oscar Herrera and yourself have remained constant band members; how long have you been working together? Sam: Oscar has been singing since the first album ("The Rope" in 1986). I had met him a few years before that, when I covered his band (The Sleep of Reason) for a fanzine I was making... I was back in Florida just last week, recording his parts for the new cd. As always, it sounds amazing... I really like the way he takes my rough ideas and turns them into something polished and very interesting... Link: I feel I should clarify myself concerning "Ashes..."; the reportedly "folky" parts were limited to tracks written by/featuring then-member Sue-Kenny Smith. Other tracks include definitive Black Tape "hits" such as "Across a Thousand Blades" and "The Scar of a Poet". I've always wondered though, why do some tracks (most notably "You Tangle Within Me") include lengthy "lyrics" within the liner notes, when in fact the track is soley instrumental? Sam: Black tape 'hits' (followed by laughter). Well, I don't know if I'd see them that way... Anyway, those aren't 'lyrics' -- they are short bits of prose that I had written... and I assign them to instrumentals. Not necessarily that I feel this is what the song is about; but it's something to get your mind spinning, and maybe start some thoughts. It's something I have been doing since the first cd. On the new album, I am approaching it a bit differently, however. Link: What's the difference, or shall we be left to discover this on our own? Sam: Well, the new album derives its inspiration from ideas I have developed, based upon the work of Marcel Duchamp. As I said, it is called "As one aflame laid bare by desire" -- and it is about desire as a catalyst, to help one reach certain understandings. But this comes across in the lyrics, through ideas that help portray these ideas, as if the songs are examples of a greater theme. So, the 'prose' is more directly related to an idea, and developing it. Also, it is not assigned to instrumentals, but rather just exists, with the lyrics weaving in and out of the prose... you'll see what I mean, soon enough... Link: "Gothic", "Ambient", "Ethereal"... what's your personal take on the subject of genrefication, especially since Projekt is stamped as primarily a "Gothic" label, though many of your releases are more "Ambient/Electronic". Sam:I think that people like to be identify what they like. The press does, as well. So they look for a tag. It's funny, because the Ambient people usually think we are tagged as a "goth" label, while the goth people usually think we are tagged as an "ambient" label... I think (as I said above) that the label has two distinct sounds. For people who are used to the typical voice-drum-guitar-bass "goth"... than Projekt seems a bit mellow, and they give it the Ambient tag -- sometimes incorrectly. Black tape for a blue girl has ambient elements, but it is certainly NOT an ambient band... Link: Besides working with Black Tape, you've done some solo releases, as well as working with Vidna Obmana; any plans for future individual or collaborative projects? Sam: If I had the free time, it would probably be fun... but nothing is on the horizon. Link: I also enjoy "Excelsis; A Dark Noel", Projekt's Christmas comp... have you considered expanding on that theme; Excelsis II? Sam: Yes, in my nightmares. I HATE christmas music... and releasing that CD made me hate it even more. It's not the fault of the artists, its just that the songs are so damn repetitive. I did a Chanukkah song -- which doesn't mean that its not repetitive... but I turned it into a dirge, where repetition works. Link: Tell us about the upcoming "cat" CD. Are you still accepting "donations" of cat photos? (If so, when is the deadline?) Sam: There is no REAL deadline, as we are continuously in need of the photos. The disc itself will be out in February, and we only have about 1200 photos --- I suspect we will need 4000 right off the bat... so we still need lots of kitty photos. The idea is that each person who buys the cd will get a photo of someones cat, so it's sort of like an adoption program, or a strange variation on 'mail art'. Link: Can you reveal which artists will be appearing on the "Cat" CD? Sam: Sure. So far, we have DATs from Faith & The Muse, The Changelings, Attrition, Tara from Lycia, Numeralia, and a number of other bands. I haven't started on my track yet, but I intend to... Link: The Projekt Festivals are coming up soon as well... what's the story on them this year? Sam: This year, the festivals will be staged in different cities around the country. We have already done one in Los Angeles (in March at the El Rey) and it went really well. There are three coming up in July in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia. The idea is to get out to the fans, as in the past we held them in Chicago -- and I understand that not everyone can afford a vacation . . . Link: What do you think of the MTV coverage? Any chance of Goth becoming "the next big thing"? Sam: Sure, why not? I mean... there has been a lot of interest in the genre lately. People are looking for something a bit more refined and stylish, why not the ethereal / gothic genre... Link: What other releases are impending at Projekt? Is Projekt:Archive currently working on any new re-releases? (Love that Amplexus comp!) Sam: Next month will see two reissues on Archive from Area: 1986's "Radio Caroline" and 1987's "The Perfect Dream." They are a band from Champaign, Illinois, who make a dreamy sort of guitar-pop. The singer Lynn Canfield and guitarist Henry Frayne later formed The Moon Seven Times. Upcoming on Projekt in August is the new Love Spirals Downwards' album "Flux" -- which has been getting a lot of comments, because the music is sort of "ambient/pop/breakbeats". Link: And of course, those interested in more information can access your conveniently located website (www.projekt.com). Do you do Projekt's web design also? How has the advent of the 'Net affected you and your business? Sam: I 'designed' the site --- tho the webmaster did most of the actual work. I keep the live page up-to-date and the black tape page... How has the Net affected me? Put me in touch with a LOT of people. It's good for that, for instant communication at a marginal cost...
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Link: Best wishes to you and your many associates. Any parting thoughts/advice?
Sam: I appreciate you taking the time to do this interview with me. Parting advice? Believe in yourself and give it your best shot!
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This interview posted July 14, 1998
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