Projekt Records


Projekt is a Portland, Oregon-based independent record label that specializes in darkwave, ambient, and shoegaze, started by Sam Rosenthal in 1983. Projekt is also known for releases in the gothic rock, ethereal, dream-pop, and dark cabaret genres.
Prominent Projekt artists include Sam Rosenthal's own Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Steve Roach, Voltaire, Erik Wøllo, Unto Ashes, Weep Mira, and Android Lust.
Based over the years in South Florida, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Brooklyn, Projekt is now located in Portland. Projekt released 305 titles as of summer 2014, with an additional 25 physical CDs on the Projekt: Archive sub-label. Archive also is the home to an additional 85 digital-only titles.
Sam Rosenthal runs Projekt as an independent record label, privately owned and managed by Rosenthal. After many years of struggling with self-distribution, in 1997, Projekt secured exclusive distribution in The US with Ryko Distribution. Distribution was handled through Ryko and ADA throughout most of the 2000s and, as of 2012, is handled by E1 Entertainment Distribution. Digital Distribution is through E1 Entertainment Distribution.
The label has had many employees over the years who assisted Sam with his vision. 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. Other employees of note were Charles Clutter, Padraic Ogle and Sam's ex-wife Lisa Feuer. Briefly, Sam Fogarino of Interpol worked at Projekt for a few months in the late-1990s, although Sam has often commented, "I never really knew what he did." Constantine Maroulis, of American Idol fame, worked one afternoon, preparing catalogs. Rosenthal runs an e-mail list with regular updates and personal commentary, often about the state of the record industry.

Label support of digital sales

Sam Rosenthal is a strong supporter of MP3 and digital downloads. While Rosenthal has ensured that digital files of his artists are available for legitimate download, in the early days of MP3s he went so far as to praise downloads even when not accessed legitimately. Editorials on the Projekt Web site countered the assumption that all labels oppose all unofficial MP3 downloads. While Rosenthal did not condone downloading entire albums without paying, his view is that those exposed to music, by whatever route, will ultimately purchase albums and support the artists they enjoy. In the ensuing years, his views have changed and now he speaks out against the rampant illegal downloading of albums.
After the January 20, 2012, takedown of Megaupload, Rosenthal stated " is a small victory for creative artists. An early step toward reasserting our rights to control our creative work and to deny criminals from exploiting our art for their profit. You see, all those millions and millions of illegal files are not up there because of an utopian belief in open-source access to art. This isn't about paradise. This is about a new way to screw the artist." He went on to speak out about how artists can get their files taken down, and in support of the DoJ shut-down of sites hosting illegal music.
He has since started People For The Ethical Treatment of Musicians with the website http://www.petm.us/
Rosenthal was interviewed August 8 2016 for an NPR piece about the DMCA. "It's a really unreasonable expectation," he says, "that I would have the time to chase all day when I should be running a business and making music."

Projektfest

Projekt Records also presents Projektfest, a semi-annual festival of gothic and ethereal music, featuring primarily Projekt artists. In 1996, Projektfest ran for two days in Chicago. In 1997, Chicago was again host to two days of Projektfest and a few weeks later another day of performances were hosted in Mexico City. In 1998, Projektfest was a series of four one-day events in Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City. The 2002 Projektfest was held over three days in Philadelphia, at the Trocadero and other sites. Projekt hosted Projektfest '07 as part of the Blacksun Festival in New Haven, Connecticut, in August. Projektfest'10 was held July 30 & 31, 2010. Projektfest '11 was held November 12, 2011, at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA, featuring the artists Voltaire, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, and Weep.

Artists

Current roster