Rope - Cd

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In 1986, Black Tape For A Blue Girl's darkly mesmerizing debut The Rope appeared on the underground rock scene. It kicked off a rich and diverse musical career for Projekt founder / Blacktape songwriter Sam Rosenthal. Now 25 years later, Projekt celebrates this momentous anniversary with The Rope 25, a 2-CD set including The Rope re-mastered and a bonus disc of current Projekt artists' reinterpretations of the material. Eight-page lyrics booklet included while supplies last, so order now!

Rosenthal's electronics coupled with his angst-filled, introspective lyrics established Black Tape For A Blue Girl's position beyond the traditional "gothic" sound. His lyrics overflow with the emptiness of a shattered soul and broken heart revealing a dark, tortured man scanning the wreckage in search of love, understanding, and connection. The timeless blend of Oscar Herrera's passionate vocals intertwining with warm electronic soundscapes and soothing ambient passages creates an album similiar to 80 s-era releases on 4AD and Factory Records.

Opening the album is the rhythmic, hard-hitting "Memory Uncaring Friend," along the lines of Peter Murphy or Gang of Four. Following this striking opener, the music takes a more subtle turn: gently disorienting, autumnal, mesmerizing, mournful, full of wonder and elusive grandeur. Upon The Rope's release, comparisons were made to Cocteau Twins, Brian Eno, Phillip Glass and Chris & Cosey.

In 1986, Star Hits magazine wrote, "Black Tape For A Blue Girl's The Rope is like the musical equivalent of a nervous breakdown. Complete with dark, scary lyrics that make The Smiths sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks, this might give you an idea of what mental anguish sounds like. It is an experiment worth hearing." Option Magazine speculated, "The lyrics are of a masochistic nature, which reflects a probable suicide in the writer's future. Sung by and for those in love with self-misery." Many of the lyrics (and accompanying stories with the instrumentals) on The Rope dwell upon suicide as a response to a lack of love; an attempt to derive affirmation after the writer had left. "I cared for you more than you ever knew, I do this to show you now." Oscar sings on the title track. "I see my answer on the end of a rope, the world turned cold for me." While the final song - "We Return" - looks to others in a similar situation as a solace for the pain and emptiness. "From the black house, we return. Clutching secrets, we must learn." A glimmer of hope.

On Disc 2, the current Black Tape For A Blue Girl line-up performs "Memory, Uncaring Friend" as a driving rock song, equal parts Bauhaus, Gary Numan and a darkly-caffeinated Sinatra. "Working with Brian of the Dresden Dolls on drums and guitar," Rosenthal says, "we captured the song as I would have performed it if live in '86. It's aggressive, brash, tense and loud! All elements that a song about betrayal and self-destruction require. Athan Maroulis' vocals reflect back to Oscar's performance while giving the song new drama and immediacy."

Other equally innovative reinterpretations include All My Faith Lost's neo-classical "The Rope," Mirabilis' haunting a capella "The Floor Was Hard But Home," Lux Interna's neo-folk "We Return," Attrition's dark, electronic "Memory, Uncaring Friend," and Erik Wollo's electronic/soundtracky "Within These Walls." A poignant moment is when Walter Holland re-works the original multi-track recording of "Seven Days til Sunrise," as this track features the clarinet of his late musical partner Richard Watson from the band Amber Route. Hand-picked and sequenced by Rosenthal, this second disc looks back at The Rope while projecting the songs into modern times.