From Projekt Records’ Sam Rosenthal.

Digital Downloads

Although 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.

From Projekt Records’ Sam Rosenthal.

Movies in the Dark

On 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’ Roll

What 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 film

This 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-doo

I 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

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