Since 1993, the oldest music magazine on the Internet By James Bonisteel Black Tape For A Blue Girl is by far one of the most creative artists out there right now. To see this band live was stunning. They had a way of just mesmerizing you with their music. I have not felt that way in a concert since I saw Dead Can Dance in 1993. I had a chance to interview Sam Rosenthal, this is how the interview went. RAD: Where did the Name Black Tape For A Blue Girl actually come from? Sam: Hi James, that's a question I leave open to interpretation. I find it has a specific meaning to each person who hears it, and I don't really feel the need to shoot down their interpretations. RAD: When did you decide that you wanted to create your own band? Sam: I started doing my own music in 1984... it was solo electronic music. i evolved and started writing lyrics, so i decided that it would be better to have a band name, to encompass what I was creating. The Rope was the first black tape for a blue girl album, in 1986. It was on Vinyl! RAD: Who was actually in the original, lineup of Black Tape? Sam: Oscar was the male vocalist, Kim sang some backing vocals, Allan played some drums and guitar and bass, and I played electronics. Primarily the album was my electronics and Oscar's vocals.... The band has never had a traditional "line up" because it has always been my vision. I bring different people in, as is needed. In the last few years, I have tried to be more consistant with the main band members, but that's not always possibility because of personalities and also the physical distance between us all.... For the touring band, Elysabeth (vocals + viola) lives in Chicago. From Phoenix: Bret (vocals + guitar), Bart (guitars), J (percussion). From Philadelphia: Nicki (guitar, piano + vocals) and I live in Brooklyn. On the records, from NYC we have Michael (guitar, percussion + dulcimer) and Lisa (flute); from Miami is Vicki (violins). I hope that this same group of people will perform on the next CD, which i plan to start writing right after new years. RAD: Who would you say are your musical influences? Sam: Probably Brian Eno, Soft Cell, Gary Numan, Marc Almond. But I don't know how much of that you actually hear in the music I create. RAD: What artists do you currently listen to? Sam: Well, I listen a lot to the artists who are on Projekt, the label that I run. Steve Roach is probably the artist I listen to most of all. He's an ambient artist from Tucson, he makes the most amazing music. I guess that I find lyrical music a bit intrusive, when I am listening for enjoyment late at night. But the last few CDs that I have put on for entertainment have been by David Bowie, Nicki Jaine, Steve Roach, the Velvet Underground and Arcana.... RAD: What do you think of the current music that is out there? Sam: There is good music out there, definitely. I don't pay as much attention to it as I should.... RAD: I know that you have commented on the music industry and the RIAA in the past, as of now what are your feelings towards them and people that do download music? Sam: I think that if people download a song or two ("illegally" as opposed to at iTunes, legally) that's not really a problem. because I understand that people want to hear a band, before they go out and buy the music. But if people are downloading the entire album from those illegal sites in Russia, then it's a problem. That takes money out of the artists' pocket. And means that artists are less likely to be able to afford to create new music. So the internet has a good side and a bad side. As far as the RIAA, their only purpose is to line the pockets of the major labels. They don't care about the music, the artists, or the fans. Everything the RIAA says is bullshit, because their purpose is to increase profit. So fuck them! : ) RAD: I know you have been asked this in the past but why did you start the Projekt label, and where do you see it going in the future? SAM: I started the label as a way to release my own music, without the interference of a label that would dictate what I should create. As far as in the future? Well, Projekt is the way I feed and support myself and my family, so I hope that it keeps going so that I can keep eating (laughs). Seriously, I don't have any fancy goals. I would like to keep doing this, because it does have some fun aspects.... RAD: Do you design your own covers for your albums? Sam: Yes, exactly. That's one of the fun aspects of Projekt. That i do the graphic design. It's a way to be creative, while still doing something that's practical. Oh, you mean for black tape for a blue girl. yeah, I do all the photos and design for my own covers. It's part of the whole artistic experience for me. The cover captures the mood in a visual form, and becomes part of the overall piece. RAD: Where did the name Halo Star come from? Sam: I was trying to come up with a name for the character in the song "Tarnished." I knew I wanted a two syllable name, and I was toying around with different \ ideas. At some point, I googled a word (iIt was something like "random" or "scatter," i don't recall), and the phrase "Halo Star" came up somewhere down the list. A HALO STAR is a star at the edge of a galaxy that helps creates the glow around the galaxy. And i thought "that's kinda cool." So i named the character "Halo" and kept the phrase for the album. It evolved in my mind that "Halo Stars" are the women who love Halo. The same way that Andy Warhol had his "Superstars." RAD: Who is the woman on the CD? Sam: That's Lisa, my wife and black tape's flautist. On the front cover, she is portraying Halo. An androgynous sort of performer. On the back tray, she's representing the women who have been put through Halo's filter. Emerging nude and destroyed on the other side. Well, that's my interpretation, anyway. RAD: Are you pleased about how "Halo Star" turned out? Sam: Oh yeah, definitely! Before I began, I set up certain parameters for myself. I wanted an album with more male vocals, more direct song-writing, and more emotions. And I didn't know EXACTLY what that album would sound like, but I ended up with what I wanted! RAD: On the song "Knock Three Times", the chorus line sounds familiar with something out of the 70's. I like the way you changed the lyrics to "Knock three times on your Coffin". Why did you decide to use that? Sam: One day, Lisa and I were talking about Tony Orlando's 70s hit, and I was curious about the lyrics. So I googled it and read them. They were pretty psychotic. It sounded like a stalker's point of view. Later, when I had the music for my song written, I was trying to come up with words. the music has a fun sound, and I knew I couldn't put overly serious lyrics on there, because it just would come off as pompous. So instead, I started working on something humorous about a serious topic (a dead lover). And for a laugh, I tried "Knock three times" at the Chorus and it worked.... That's a fun song to play live..... RAD: I have done a lot with Soleilmoon records in the past, do you have a good relationship with that label? Sam: Definitely! Charles and I have been in touch for about 12 years, and I think we're quite good friends. We went out for Sushi last month, when I was playing in Portland. We have been sharing our record business experiences and perspectives for a long time. He's somebody I really trust and respect. I think it's irrelevant that we don't care for most of the music that the other releases. Because it's not really about that. When you are a musician for a long time, I think you give up worrying about what people think about your art. There's more to life than that. It's much more important to meet nice people who are respectful and professional.... RAD: How would you describe the sound of your new album? Sam: I think it's a quirky Rock album. It has darkwave and ethereal influences, but it's got a Rock-n-Roll soul. RAD: So you think your sound has changed over the years?' Sam: Definitely. It still fits into the same slice of the pie, but the band is much more accomplished these days. And I think that I write better songs now. They are more melodic and more memorable.... RAD: What musical instruments do you play? Sam: I play the keyboards. I write the songs and the lyrics and the melodies, but I really cannot play anything else. RAD: What was the last concert you ever attended outside of Projekt bands? Sam: Hm? I went to see Nicki Jaine play before she was in my band. That's probably the most recent concert from a Non-Projekt band. Go see her, if she's performing near you! RAD: Thank you for your time on this, it has been a great pleasure to talk to you. Projekt has a free download album Black tape for a blue girl LIVE BOOTLEG - free mp3 downloads. Check It Out!! UPDATED: 12 NOV 2004 11:10 MDT © 2004 Rational Alternative Digital