Black Tape for a Blue Girl announce limited 30th anniversary edition of ‘Remnants of a deeper purity’

Black Tape for a Blue Girl will release the 30th anniversary edition of “Remnants of a deeper purity” on May 8, 2026 via Projekt Records. The darkwave, goth and ambient album returns as a limited 4-panel digipak CD with a 16-page lyric booklet and sticker. The edition is limited to just 300 copies – in other words be fast to order it.
The 1996 neo-classical album was recorded between January 1995 and April 1996 at The Lush Garden in Los Angeles and Chicago, with Sam Rosenthal as producer. It was musically heavily influenced by Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil and Lisa Gerrard. Since its release the album has sold more than 16,000 copies.
Besides Sam Rosenthal on electronics and harmonium, “Remnants of a deeper purity” features Oscar Herrera on vocals, guitar and tambourine, Lucian Casselman on vocals, Vicki Richards on violin, and Mera Roberts on cello.
About Black Tape for a Blue Girl
Black Tape for a Blue Girl is an American neoclassical darkwave project formed in 1986 by keyboardist, songwriter and Projekt Records founder Sam Rosenthal. The original line-up included Rosenthal, multi-instrumentalist Allan Kraut and vocalist/guitarist Oscar Herrera, with early guest contributions from Kim Prior, Adam Buhler, Candy Sherlock and Lara Radford. The project was established in California as a vehicle for Rosenthal’s electronic compositions, offering a mix of darkwave, ethereal, ambient, neoclassical and dark cabaret.
The project’s early catalogue was issued through Projekt, beginning with “The Rope” in 1986. “Mesmerized by the Sirens” followed in 1987, “Ashes in the Brittle Air” in 1989, “A Chaos of Desire” in 1991 and “This Lush Garden Within” in 1993. The 1997 “With My Sorrows” release appeared through Italy’s Amplexus label, while “As One Aflame Laid Bare by Desire” later appeared through Projekt in the United States and Trisol in Europe.
Recording for “Remnants of a deeper purity” began in Los Angeles in 1995 and finished in 1996 after Rosenthal moved to Chicago. The album featured Lucian Casselman on vocals, Vicki Richards on violin and Mera Roberts on cello. It became the project’s best-selling release and formed the basis for Black Tape for a Blue Girl’s first live performance at Projektfest’96 in Chicago on June 25, 1996.
“Bike Shop” appeared as a limited 4-track vinyl EP in 2016, followed by the 30th anniversary-era album “These Fleeting Moments”. Around the same time the vinyl edition of “This Fleeting Moments” was released and Oscar Herrera returned after a 17-year absence.
“The Cleft Serpent”, released on October 1, 2021, was the project’s 13th album and the first Black Tape for a Blue Girl album with DeRosa and Meierkord alongside Rosenthal.
The current line-up is Sam Rosenthal, vocalist Jon DeRosa and cellist Henrik Meierkord.
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Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

