Black Tape for a Blue Girl

[Davey]

Yeah, I know, they've probably been talked about a lot around here already, and I've been hearing the name for it seems like forever, but I just recently picked up a used copy of their highly regarded 1996 Remnants of a Deeper Purity, and after a few listens I'm hooked. Very dark and gothy and ambient neo-classical music. Somewhat similar to Dead Can Dance, although more ambience and with more classical instrumentation and none of the middle eastern sound of DCD. One of the best fusions of electronics and strings (violin and cello) that I've heard. Especially love the title track and the closing "I Have No More Answers". Very atmospheric throughout. Nice review at AMG.

Discussion, pro or con? Don't fear the thread crap police

Recommendations for more?

 

[Enverxis]

Hmm, I know of these guys fairly well, although I can't really say I like them too much, I do prefer other Darkwave music such as Autumn Tears, Dead Can Dance, Elend (later stuff is pretty much a mix of classical and darkwave) and Dark Sanctuary (similar to Elend), Love Spirals Downwards is pretty good too.

Collide is pretty good if you don't mind the more electronic or industrial influenced stuff.

 

[Jeff Guidry]

My first (and largely last) exposure to this band and this type of music was the Projekt label's Beneath the Icy Floe Vol. 2 compilation that I purchased many years ago. I quite liked it, and I remember the Black Tape for a Blue Girl's songs as being good. I bought one or two more albums of the music on the sampler, but I found that that compilation was enough for me.

Projekt sells other samplers of their music that you might want to look into to get a feel for the larger contributions to Sam Rosenthal's label.

ADDED: The only artist on the label that I developed any affinity for was Vidna Obmana, because I discovered a taste for ambient, experimental music. Check out his Trilogy, a landmark in this style of music, with much of the feel of Black Tape for a Blue Girl, but with no recognizable song structure.

 

[FalconP]

I have only one album of theirs: As One Aflame Laid Bare by Desire, which conceptually revolves around Duchamp's work The Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors, even. I don't care too much about it at first, not a big fan of Goth vocals I suppose; but I've grown to like the very well-done neo-classical arrangements.

The beautiful album Terrace of Memories (Vidna Obmana/Sam Rosenthal) is almost like an Obmana/Black Tape collaboration.

Another Goth group that scores well with neo-classical is Amygdala. They have put out only one album Memento Mori and then disappeared.

 

[DarkAngel]

I could never could get into this group, never did click for me, music just seems to meander around.

Similar groups I like much more are Lycia and Love Spirals Downwards........soft darkwave but seems more focused and creative

 

[Davey]

Hey, thanks for the honest comments guys. Thought they might be a little more popular, but ya never know. Still, really some brilliant stuff on this CD. Kind of a fine line for me in the goth world between brilliant and self-indulgent, and Rosenthal does occasionally straddle it, but mostly works for me.

What about Lightwave? I've had their 1995 Mundus Subterraneus on my list for quite awhile too. Kind of reluctant because of the historical prophesy referenced in the title, but at the same time the descriptions sound kind of intriguing, the conceptual and historical approach to making multi-layered electronic music, the vision.

 

[FalconP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davey What about Lightwave? I've had their 1995 Mundus Subterraneus on my list for quite awhile too. Kind of reluctant because of the historical prophesy referenced in the title, but at the same time the descriptions sound kind of intriguing, the conceptual and historical approach to making multi-layered electronic music, the vision.

Mundus Subterraneus is one of the albums that I bought just because I love the cover art

. Sonically it is very exciting, but leaves one with the impression that it is little more than a dumping ground of found sounds (yeah, musique concrete). This said, go get the album if your heart itches for it -- this darling is out of print and I don't suppose it to resurface in any catalogues.

As for Lightwave albums, both Tycho Brahe and Cantus Umbararum offer a more consistent musical vision, even hints of romanticism. Cantus Umbararum could have been the soundtrack to Dante's Inferno.

 

[sbulack]

I've owned "Remnants..." for a few years now and have appreciated its better moments, but, over the long haul, have not really gotten into it. Based on the recommendations of Enverxis and Dark Angel, I've been listening to Love Spirals Downwards on Rhapsody for about an hour now, and I must say, it uses the elements of "Black Tape ..." that I appreciate the most in a way that is quite a bit more engaging to me. The diaphanous quality of the sound is brought out really beautifully through the Bogdan Gold Silver Spirit IC - it is as though I am directly breathing in the creative energy of the musicians. Listening to "Love Spirals Downwards", I find my thoughts gravitating towards the life experience, history, culture and fate of the Elves of Middle Earth - so I'd say the listening experience is a real winner, as far as what I am looking for in Goth is concerned. I haven't experienced this kind of mixture of beauty and sadness since I first heard "Nights In White Satin" decades ago. This is quite a find for me.

So, Davey, my thanks for starting a thread that resulted in a musical find of this calibre. Electrelane's "The Power Out" is still quite high on my regular play list, BTW. And my thanks to Enverxis and DA (yet again) for what is turning out to be exactly what I've been looking for in this particular musical niche.

 

[Enverxis]

No problem. You also might want to check out the band called Dargaard, they're probably the best band that I have heard in this ethereal music.

Cocteau Twins is probably the best band from the new-wave/ darkwave 1980's era goth music.

Estampie, Arcana, Basque, Qntal, Stoa and Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble Of Shadows are also very good as well.

I havent yet heard Lisa Gerrard's solo stuff, but I'm pretty sure that will be good too.

 

[sbulack]

I'm a little surprised at this, but Rhapsody actually HAS "Rise and Fall" by Dargaard, and three of Lycia's albums, so I'll very easily be able to check out those artists. I'll see if I can easily obtain samples of the other ethereal Goth artists you've listed.

Couldn't agree more about the Cocteau Twins. I've got (and treasure) their box set of singles and "Song To The Siren" under the "This Mortal Coil" project, and recently obtained their 4 CD "Lullabies To Violaine" remaster of EP's PLUS a (treasure-trove) DVD of collected videos of very mixed quality put out by CocteauTwins.org. I did NOT grow up listening to Cocteau Twins (although I could have - I was in college when their early work came out), so I'm really just discovering them now, and slowly savoring every bit. In fact, part of what I enjoy so much in Love Spirals Downwards is the Guthrie-esque watercolor fluidity of the instrumentation setting the stage for the vaporous, wraithlike vocals.

I've been listening to Lisa Gerrard's "Duality" and "The Mirror Pool" for a few years now. It is certainly solid creative material, ranging from psycho-sonic experiments to nicely developed musical works. My personal preference is for Lisa's contributions to the works of Dead Can Dance where, to my ear, her creative energies benefitted from the collaboration and the focusing, guiding framework of that project.

 

[rincewind]

I really like "Before the Buildings Fell" at the moment, and liked what I've heard of Dargaard. Also check out "Unto Ashes", not quite as dark, more 'baroque' / dark chamber music, *some* electric guitar, some electronic. They do a very nice cover of Don't Fear The Reaper.

 

[jonnyhambone]

hello

 

[Masonjar]

hi.

 

[rincewind]

What. What kind of posts are those? I think someone's just trying to bump their post count...

 

[jonnyhambone]

wait a minit...you respond to a thread from July 2006 and still got sumptin' to say about my hello to you!?
I say again, Hello! and yes, I respect your love for Black T. f. a Blue G. and your earnest love for 'Don't Fear the Reaper' covers...not too worried 'bout my post count though.
I'd say I'm a bigger fan of Dead Can Dance - 'Into the Labrynth' and most Cocteau Twins stuff as well as David Sylvian's Nine Horses project if we're in this 4AD-type of groove. Harold Budd put out some great solo and group projects that I put on pretty often when in this mood. hello.