Sam Rosenthal is the founder and leader of Black Tape For a Blue Girl and Projekt Records.
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Begun by Sam Rosenthal in 1983 as a way to release his own solo electronic music, Projekt Records spent its early life as a cassette-only label with a series of titles that are now long out-of-print.
In 1989, Projekt released its first compact disc, Black Tape For a Blue Girl's Ashes in the Brittle Air. Alhough the label began as a way to release his own art, Rosenthal began to see his label taking shape as a vehicle for exposing other artists whose passionate work impressed him. His first discovery was Lycia, which signed with Projekt that year. Soon thereafter, Rosenthal was impressed with another young band, Love Spirals Downwards, whose debut release soon followed.
In 1993, Sam began Projekt: Darkwave, a mail-order company that carried the music of Projekt as well as labels with a similar outlook, including Santa Barbara's Tess Records, Germany's Hyperium Records, and Sweden's Cold Meat Industry.
Moving to Chicago in 1996, Rosenthal's label grew in both number of releases and number of employees. Now with full-time marketing, distribution and promotion managers, Projekt became better able to meet the challenge of making people aware of the label. In 1996 Projekt celebrated their success by staging a two-day Projekt Festival at the historic Vic Theatre in Chicago.
After many years of struggling with self-distribution, Projekt secured exclusive distribution in The US with ADA (The Alternative Distribution Alliance) in 1997. Distribution was handled through Ryko Distribution throughout most of the 2000s and, as of 2010, was handled by NAIL.
In late 1999, Rosenthal moved to New York City, and Projekt is now located in Brooklyn. The label had many employees over the years who assisted Sam with his vision. Most notably, Shea Hovey is the current assistant who handles the press contacts as well as the mail-order. She has been with the label since 2000 and is often the face of Projekt at the festivals.
Started in 1986 during a move to California, Black Tape for a Blue Girl was formed as a vehicle for Sam's own musical vision. Its signature combination of gothic, ethereal, ambient and neo-classical elements has explored existential themes of loves lost and passions yet to come. Since then, that music has grown into a full-fledged band, whose members revolve around Rosenthal's subtle electronic foundation.
From April 1981 to Summer 1986, Sam was the editor of a fanzine, Alternative Rhythms. Originally based in South Florida, it eventually was distributed throughtout Florida and into Athens and Atlanta Georgia. Circulation maxes out at 14,000. The most controversial issue featured the band Gay Cowboys in Bondage on the cover.