You can stream "Six: thirteen" here on the page. To get 4 hours of additional soundscapes, download the full release.



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STUDIO ACCESS -- June 22, 2014
Peek into the process with Sam Rosenthal of Black tape for a blue girl.

In the 1-minute video -- youtu.be/HkVDkGKnPwE -- Sam says:

My friend was over a few days ago, and she asked me what music I'd been working on. And I played her this track, and she said she wanted a copy so she could listen to it while she was programming.

And I was wondering to myself if I should share it, because it's still a work in progress. I haven't written the lyrics, i haven't recorded vocals, i haven't even worked with my violinist yet…. This reminded me that us songwriters hold our songs so tightly with a final form in mind; and yet, I kind of want to share it with you. I want you to hear where I'm at along the way.

You can listen to my music like you're right here while I'm creating it.

Get studio access with Black tape for a blue girl.

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ABOUT THE TRACKS:

"Six: thirteen" is a work in progress; it is the backing-track for a song that will eventually have a name and appear on the next Black tape for a blue girl album. You are hearing the track as I am listening to it in the studio.

Tori, a fan of the band, emailed, "For me, hearing the underlying sounds that make up a blacktape track is kind of like seeing brushstrokes in a painting." I'd add, that you are seeing the brushstrokes before the painter adds the characters to the foreground.

"six: thirteen (mix 7)" currently includes my acoustic guitar, harmonium, and electronic horn (from the Esi4000). The percussion is a sample of Brian Viglione, recorded during the sessions for 10 NEUROTICS. Eventually, I plan to write lyrics and melody, plus record vocals and violins (and maybe other strings). I don't yet know what the song will be about or who will sing it. That comes to me on repeated listenings.

The 30 and 90 minute versions are extended dronespaces created for this download release. Let me tell you how these came about.

When I first recorded "six: thirteen," the guitar was played quite a bit faster than what you hear on "mix 7." Sitting with it, I realized it sounded rushed, so I slowed the pattern down. That gave me an idea: what would this sound like if I really slowed the whole track down and stretched it out into a flowing ambient drone?

First I created the 30 minute version: "stretch mix 1." Then I thought, "I can go further!" That turned into "isotope (first mix)." Which intentionally is dense and lacking in fidelity, with distortion that sound almost like electric guitars (reminds me a bit of Fripp & Eno, minus the majestic lead guitar).

As I was cleaning up "six: thirteen" for this download package, I came up with "isotope (new mix 7)." It's more dynamic and brighter than the original. Comparing the two mixes, however, they are different enough that I think you should hear both versions; check out what can be done with different eq and compression.

Quite honestly, while I know the new mix is sonically "more interesting," there's something about the first mix I like better. This is one of the reasons I periodically save versions of my Vegas edit sessions. Keeping them distinct lets me go back to an earlier mix if I realize the path I followed led to better quality, but not necessarily the same mood.

You can decide which version you like better, they're both here for you. And they're both valid.

All of the long-form tracks have "Sam Rosenthal" as the artist. Why?

In my mind, Black tape for a blue girl isn't just me. It's my ideas, with my bandmates bringing them to life. Without the band on them, the "isotope" tracks sound to me like ambient music by Sam Rosenthal. I know, confusing! : ) It's how my brain differentiates my work.

In the old days, I would have planned to release an ambient CD with some portion of this material. That is a time consuming process,: production, distribution, promotion and all the expenses. Anyway, this is the new era of the music industry, where people don't want to buy physical objects; I like the idea that I don't have to wait 4 months for you to hear this. I can can put music up for you to download, immediately.

Another fan of the band, Tristan, wrote, "I have always been fascinated with the process of creating music, and hearing an in-progress track would be quite interesting."

I'm glad that I can give you this insight. Look over my shoulder and hear what I am hearing while I create in the studio.

Enjoy,

Sam


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Press on June'14 Studio Access:

Gothic news: www.gothicnews.com/black-tape-for-a-blue-girl-offers-of-4-hours-of-material-for-free-download/

Stereoklang, Sweden: stereoklang.se/blog/black-tape-for-a-blue-girl-offers-studio-access-june-14

OndaRock, Italy: www.ondarock.it/news.php?&id=3279

Side-line Belgium: goo.gl/fb/Y2xvyf

Sound & Vision, Mexico: wp.me/p3Sy3B-8IR

EBM.gr, Greece: bit.ly/1l4CgSp

regenmag.com/news/black-tape-blue-girl-grants-digital-studio-access-free-tracks-soundscapes/