As 2023 observes the 40th anniversary of Portland-based Projekt Records we took an opportunity to chat with label founder Sam Rosenthal about his journey so far.
“I started as a guy with a fanzine who wanted to share music I enjoyed.”
As the 40th anniversary for Projekt Records comes around how has the industry changed you and how have you adapted your approach to the technological changes, from tapes to streaming, to stay in business?
Projekt goes where the fans want us to go. Lately, we’ve been doing a lot of interacting via Bandcamp with about 40 releases, or more, a year; keeping busy, working with a lot of interesting artists. Things have gotten much easier for Projekt in the last five years with most releases not having a physical release. It takes a lot of the time, burden, costs [and] expectations out of the picture. It is really enjoyable for me to release a variety of artists without stressing about covering costs on manufacturing a CD. I think at the end of the day the artists earn more with digital-only. I really like paying people money. It feels good.
My approach has been: do it all. I don’t limit to one genre or one format. Keep it interesting.
Has your motivation changed since starting the label back in ’83 and how have consumer attitudes changed towards music and musicians?
Projekt became my full-time job in 1991. In the first eight years it was just a hobby when I had time. I have had over thirty years of doing this all day every day, lots of experience, lots of failures and successes. My motivation has always been to release music that I enjoy that I think Projekt fans will enjoy too.
“I sense […] record labels matter far less to the masses.”
Consumer attitudes towards music? I really do not know. The one thing I sense is that record labels matter far less to the masses. Projekt has a lot of loyal fans who follow us on Bandcamp and the [mailing] list but to those people who just stream an artist or two on Spotify they might not even know that Voltaire or Steve Roach or Unto Ashes are on Projekt. They are artists they listen to and that is fine. I have never had a big ego about the music being about Projekt or me. I have my own band— Black Tape For A Blue Girl where it can be about me. For the other artists I am here to help facilitate listeners hearing the art they create and that is one of the things that makes Projekt in 2023 fun for me.
I am not dealing with a lot of ego problems like [what] used to be part of my job. For the most part, the musicians I work with now have been creating art for twenty, thirty, forty years. We all have the same goal in mind. And, it is nice to have an almost completely stress-free job.
What have been your most notable milestones or personal achievements running the label?
Surviving ten years, then twenty years, then thirty, [and] then forty. There are very few independent labels that have survived. Especially ones like Projekt where we were not bought or silently funded by a bigger company. I have discovered some really interesting artists over the years: LYCIA, Voltaire, Love Spirals Downwards, Mira… and also been fortunate to work with some of the pioneers of American electronic space music like Steve Roach and Michael Stearns. Being involved in all these peoples music is an achievement for me. I started as a guy with a fanzine who wanted to share music I enjoyed. And that is what I am still doing!
“If a new format comes along sure we could get into that.”
Just as MP3 killed the radio star, what do you expect from the AI revolution as it is assimilated more into the modern creative process?
B’ah! I really have no thoughts on that matter. If AI puts me out of work and people would rather hear AI-music vs Black Tape For A Blue Girl then that is just the way it goes.
Where would you like to take Projekt Records in future and if you were to diversify your products/services what would you do?
Projekt is closer to the last stop on the subway vs. the first stop. I think my job now is to just keep the train on the track. I keep putting out music that Projekt fans like, finding new artists that work with who are already on the label. And, relax. If a new format comes along sure we could get into that. Then again, I am releasing MiniDiscs from my band and vinyl as well; it is often about reinvigorated older formats vs. something new.
Thank you to Sam for sharing his time with us. You can check out more from Projekt Records on the labels’ bandcamp: https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/ And, for you Spotify fans Projekt Records presents: Darkwave, Electronic/ambient.
I actually have several early Projekt printed music catalogues.