Archive for December 2014 | Monthly archive page

Dec 28
This was 2014!
From Projekt Records’ Sam Rosenthal.
2014 was another productive year for Projekt: the label released 18 CDs, repressed 4 older out-of-stock CDs, and added 10 digital-only titles to the roster. The physical releases were a mix of standard editions and limited editions, choices that made sense with the ongoing devolution of the music industry. Stores hardly stock music anymore, so we’ve lost the “random discovery” that retails stores once provided. Instead, most sales are at Amazon or directly from our webstore; which means it’s only the dedicated and hardcore who are discovering Projekt releases. This leads to limited edition releases, to satisfy those specialized needs. These releases have a finite issue, and will not be repressed when they sell out; you should buy your copy while you can. Bare in mind that some titles are nearly sold out (see red text below). With that in mind, here’s a list of the 18 physical CDs from 2014.
Limited EditionsPRO291 Mercury’s Antennae: A Waking Ghost Inside 85 COPIES LEFT – Buy the Projekt CD PRO294 Stratosphere With Dirk Serries: In A Place Of Mutual Understanding 13 COPIES LEFT – Buy the Projekt CD PRO300 All my faith lost…: Redefine my pure faith — Sold Out! PRO301 black tape for a blue girl: Remnants of a deeper purity 2-LP Vinyl 100? COPIES LEFT – Buy the Projekt LP PRO306 Erik Wøllo: Tundra (ep) – Sold Out! PRO307 Mirabilis: »Here and the Hereafter« 59 COPIES LEFT – Buy the Projekt CD PRO308 Unto Ashes: Ghosts Captured 26 COPIES LEFT – Buy the Projekt CD PRO309 Dirk Serries: The Origin Reversal 16 COPIES LEFT – Buy the Projekt CD
Standard EditionsPRO292 Alio Die + Sylvi Alli: Amidst the Circling Spires – Buy the Projekt CD PRO296 Paulina Cassidy: Sugar Wingshiver – Buy the Projekt CD PRO297 Steve Roach / Kelly David: The Long Night – Buy the Projekt CD PRO298 Erik Wollo: Timelines – Buy the Projekt CD PRO299 Loren Nerell and Mark Seelig: Tree of Life – Buy the Projekt CD PRO302 Steve Roach: Structures from Silence (3-CD remastered) – Buy the Projekt CD PRO303 Byron Metcalf and Mark Seelig: Intention – Buy the Projekt CD PRO304 Byron Metcalf & Dashmesh Khalsa & Steve Roach: Dream Tracker – Buy the Projekt CD PRO305 Steve Roach: The Delicate Forever – Buy the Projekt CD PRO310 Steve Roach & Jorge Reyes: The Ancestor Circle – Buy the Projekt CD
What were your fellow Projekt aficionados purchasing? 2014 Top-10 sellers in the Projekt webstore#1 PRO305 Steve Roach: The Delicate Forever – Buy the Projekt CD #2 PRO307 Mirabilis: »Here and the Hereafter« – Buy the Projekt CD #3 PRO291 Mercury’s Antennae: A Waking Ghost Inside – Buy the Projekt CD #4 PRO309 Dirk Serries: The Origin Reversal Buy the Projekt CD #5 PRO306 Erik Wøllo: Tundra (ep) – Sold Out! #6 PRO302 Steve Roach: Structures from Silence (3-CD remastered) – Buy the Projekt CD #7 PRO308 Unto Ashes: Ghosts Captured – Buy the Projekt CD #8 PRO300 All my faith lost…: Redefine my pure faith — Sold Out! #9 PRO297 Steve Roach / Kelly David: The Long Night – Buy the Projekt CD #10 TIM30 Steve Roach: The Desert Collection (Volume One) – Buy the Timeroom CD
2014 Top-10 sellers in the Projekt Bandcamp Store#1 PRO302 Steve Roach: Structures from Silence (Deluxe edition) – Buy the download #2 PRO297 Steve Roach / Kelly David: The Long Night – Buy the download #3 PRO303 Byron Metcalf and Mark Seelig: Intention – Buy the download #4 PRO298 Erik Wollo: Timelines – Buy the download #5 PRO306 Erik Wøllo: Tundra (ep) – Buy the download #6 PRO310 Steve Roach & Jorge Reyes: The Ancestor Circle – Buy the download #7 PRO305 Steve Roach: The Delicate Forever – Buy the download #8 PRO144 Steve Roach: Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces (complete edition) – Buy the download #9 PRO300 All my faith lost…: Redefine my pure faith – Buy the download #10 PRO291 Mercury’s Antennae: A Waking Ghost Inside (300) – Buy the download
As somebody who loves data, I look at this and see a number of interesting points: 1) On both charts, 9 of the 10 titles are 2014 releases. 2) The top-6 at the webstore are completely different from the top-6 at Bandcamp. Not a single title on both! 3) Everything on the physical CD chart (except #10) was a Projekt-label release. The big sellers are Projekt’s own titles, as opposed to about 10 years ago, when we had non-Projekt CDs in the charts. 4) However, it’s not just the top-sellers that keep the webstore in business, it’s the overall totals; and that tells a different story. 2014 Income from the Projekt webstore: Projekt CDs = 42% Non-Projekt CDs= 40% Projekt sale CDs = 18% You guys still like the variety of music we stock in the store, and enjoy the deals you can get on Projekt sale CDs. 5) That’s a lot of ambient/electronic on these charts. It’s a chicken-and-the-egg question. Does Projekt release more electronic, because that’s what you buy? Or do you buy more electronic, because that’s what Projekt releases? My impression is it’s harder and harder to sell a Darkwave title these days, so I focus on the electronic releases. 6) 4 of the top-10 physical sellers are in the Darkwave genre, including 2nd & 3rd slot; while only 2 of the top-10 Bandcamp are Darkwave, and they are in the 9th & 10th slot. It’s interesting how electronic-focused these download sales are. Not what I expected, when I started using Bandcamp. I thought it would be more for the darkwave side of the label. 7) Look at #2 + #3 on the physical list. Both feature Dru on vocals. (Hi Dru!) 8) I think All My Faith Lost… would have been higher on the chart, if the release hadn’t been limited to 200. That was the first in the limited edition series, and I underestimated your interest in this band. 9) A lot of the electronic focus is the work of Steve Roach, an amazing & prolific artist. I counted recently. 60 of Projekt’s 310 releases are from Steve. If you consider that at least 50 of those 310 are out of print, that means just about 25% of Projekt’s CDs have Steve’s name on the cover! And even more, many of the titles consistant sellers at retail are Steve’s. I love his music, and it’s very rewarding to see that so many of you love it, as well. 10) Buy those limited edition releases before they are all gone!
I could stare at these numbers all day and come up with new observations. But actually, I’ve been not working the last five days, and will continue not working for the next three days. I’ve been in the studio creating new songs. I’ve never taken a staycation to work on music. It’s a lot of fun, though the days all seem to blur into each other, and day and night flashes by, kind of like that scene in The Time Machine. Harley yowls at me from the living room, and storms into the studio demanding pets… and new music comes from non-existence into existence!
Well… That’s a statistical wrap-up for 2014. Thanks for your ongoing support.
I hope your holidays have been wonderful, and that you enjoy a great New Years Eve with people you love.
Sam

Dec 14
This Ascension and other new additions to Bandcamp
From Projekt Records’ Sam Rosenthal.
Digital DownloadsAlthough much of the music industry is about digital downloads of single tracks, Projekt is fortunate that our fans still love listening to full albums; listening to the entire vision of Projekt’s artists. For that reason, our Bandcamp store is set-up for full album downloads.
I’m often asked, “Which site is most popular for Projekt?” iTunes is the #1 source for Projekt digital sales. You might be surprised to learn that our Bandcamp store is #2. This is good news for us because (a) Bandcamp takes a smaller fee than other sites (10%!) and (b) Projekt’s Bandcamp store has FLAC files available for those of you who prefer higher resolution music. There’s a nice win-win!
A lot of Projekt’s catalog still needs to be added to Bandcamp. Since this is a manual project – and I do all the work – it’s time consuming, but I’ll eventually get to everything.
I’ve recently added some catalog titles, all of which are on sale for $5 until Midnight on Monday the 15th! Also available is a new retrospective from ethereal/darkwave act This Ascension (this is the Dru’s band from the 90s, before Mercury’s Antennae and Mirabilis). Click the cover below to go to the page on Bandcamp:
This Ascension presents the digital-only release Deeper and Further Away: An Introduction to This Ascension. This five-dollar digital-retrospective includes songs hand-picked by the band (including a couple available digitally for the first time) that represent their dark, alternative, ethereal beauty. From the band’s first song, 1998’s “Isabella,” to the majestic anthem “Mysterium,” Deeper and Further Away is a great chance to become acquainted with this darkwave pioneer or say hello again to an old friend.Music for your Holiday enjoyment!
Various Artists: Holiday Twin Pack: Ornamental 2-CD compilation and Jill Tracy’s Silver Smoke, Star of Night | $20
Ornamental contains 20 previously-unreleased tracks recorded exclusively for this compilation as well as three tracks only available on obscure compilations. Jill Tracy’s Silver Smoke, Star of Night will take you to a dark, elegant netherworld full of hidden passageways, wonder cabinets, and opium dens. Of monsters, marvels and mayhem. You know it’s not safe here; but with Jill Tracy as your guide, you’ll be in no hurry to leave.

Dec 09
My life was saved by Rock ‘n’ Roll | ProjektList#20141209
From Projekt Records’ Sam Rosenthal.
Movies in the DarkOn Friday, I hosted the Tony Scott-directed David Bowie film “The Hunger” at Portland’s Hollywood Theatre. It was the first installment in a series I’ve started, called Movies in the Dark. It’s an opportunity to hang out with goth friends in a non-club environment, watching gothically-tinged films. There’s beer, and food, and movies! Nearly 200 people attended! This was a fantastic start to the series. Thanks to all the Goths who came out to watch q rare 35mm showing of this cult 1983 film!
I was chatting with people in the lobby before the movie started. One woman told me about herself, and it reminded me of this verse from the Velvet Underground’s “Rock ‘n’ roll”: One fine mornin’, she puts on a New York station And she couldn’t believe what she heard at all She started dancin’ to that fine-fine-fine-fine music Ooohhh, her life was saved by rock ‘n’ roll Hey baby, rock ‘n’ roll
She told me about growing up in Alabama in the 90s, discovering Projekt Records and Black Tape For A Blue Girl, and how that bond created something deep and meaningful for her. I paraphrase here, but she said it saved her life. Hell yes! That’s what art is about: that deeper connection that tells you there’s more out there in the world than what you are stuck with where you’re at. It’s great to know that (like so many of us) she found community and acceptance within the music, and it resulted in an escape to a better life! Conversations like this make being “the guy behind Projekt” especially worthwhile. I’m proud of the impact that Projekt has had over the years.
If you have a story about being saved by rock ‘n’ roll, please post it below or send it to me in a message.
You can join the Movies in the Dark email list. I will update you about the second film soon.
Saved by Rock ‘n’ RollWhat would I be doing, if it wasn’t for making music and running a record label? It’s really hard to imagine. One thing I mentioned in my introduction to “The Hunger,” was that the film came out in 1983: the same year the first Projekt cassette was released. Thirty-one years ago, can you believe it? Projekt’s been my full-time for the last twenty-three of those years. Running a record label is what I do. That means riding the waves of the changes in the music industry; keeping informed on the evolution — or perhaps ‘devolution’ is more appropriate. The Music Business isn’t what it was five years ago, or ten years ago, and certainly not thirty-one years ago!
Thirty-one years. Think about everything that has transpired in the world in those thirty-one years! All the changes, advances, problems, dreams. There were a few people at the movie who weren’t even born when the film came out. That was interesting, too. “Remember this, remember that?” And they were thinking, “Nope, I don’t remember any of that, oh elder goth!” : )
But the idea I’m having here is about being saved by the music. Whether the goth or the electronic side of the label, music is really the pulse that matters to me. The thread that runs through my life.
That, and movies, I suppose. I was a TV/film major in college. These are the stories that take you out of your world and into a different climate, so you can reflect back. That’s pretty exciting stuff.
Alex Cox’s new filmThis is incredible. I didn’t know that Alex Cox (the director of Repo Man, Walker, Sid & Nancy and others) teaches film at the University of Boulder, nor did I know that he crowdfunded his most recent movie as a student project. Bill The Galactic Hero is having it’s West Coast Premiere in Portland. It’s a SciFi move made for $114,000, which is one thousandth of the budget of Gravity; one two hundred and fiftieth the budget of Ender’s Game. I think it’s sort of sad that Cox isn’t a Hollywood Hero, but ends up teaching at an out-of-the-way college; then again, maybe this is the way he wanted it? I am not sure.
I know many people are bugged by his movies for not being all that accurate, but they certainly have a unique voice. And that’s something important. He’s not another generic Hollywood director. But then you probably already know I’m weird! My two favorite directors are Gilliam and Herzog.
Link a-doodle-dooI was Dennis Hopper’s henchman | Article at The Guardian. For a time in California, Alex Cox was Dennis Hopper’s No 4 henchman. He recalls the director’s brilliance and breakdowns – and how John Wayne once tried to kill him.
Side-Line Poll 2014 – participate now! | They write: “The end of 2014 is drawing nearer each day, so it’s time to have our yearly poll at Side-Line magazine. This year we added some different questions too such as your media use. The results will be communicated in the first week of January 2015! You can cast your vote here.
Anne Rice: David Bowie and the end of Gender 1983, Vogue Magazine | Read

Dec 02
Donate to a Charity and get a free Projekt CD
Hello … Did you know that today is Giving Tuesday ? It’s a day to celebrate generosity and to give. I’d like to incentivise your giving with a free CD from Projekt.
1 Make a donation (of $25 or more) to an organization that does great work 2 After you donate, email a receipt or confirmation message to sr.projekt@gmail.com. Include your mailing address, and your choice of CD (from the list below). 3 I will pay for postage in the USA. For overseas contributors, I will respond with a paypal postage total, to cover shipping costs. 4 Please send me your email by midnight, Thursday December 4, 2014
Here are the free CDs you can chose from:The Deadfly Ensemble: Aspiring Arsonist (Eclectic, darkwave, post-punk) Every silver lining has a cloud: debut (ShoeGaze) Forrest Fang: Animism (ambient, electronic) Sam Rosenthal: The Passage (DarkAmbient) Various Artists: A cat-shaped hole in my heart (darkwave, dream-pop, etc) Weep: Alate (postpunk, 80s, pop)
Here are some of my favorite charities:Blind Cat Rescue & Shelter :: donate button is a red heart on the right side of this page Center for Sex & Culture :: red donate button on the right side of this page ;(this might be considered NSFW) The Hollywood Theatre :: web page to donate Planned Parenthood :: web page to donate Thich Nhat Hahn Foundation:: web page to donate The Treehouse Humane Society :: web page to donate (I’ve been supporting them since 1999)
All of these are located within the United States and are Tax Deductible. You can also donate to an organization of your choice; let me know why it rocks!
Suggested by You:luciesplace.org | a group that helps LGBT homeless kids in Arkansas.
Thanks for Giving, Sam