A new wave of interest in 1980s gay porn soundtracks is uncovering a forgotten musical legacy, tragically too late for many of its creators who died during the Aids crisis. Record label Dark Entries, based in San Francisco, has been releasing archival material from composers who scored adult films, including James Allan Taylor, whose electronic pieces have just been compiled in 'Surge Studio Music'.
Taylor, nicknamed Spider, died of liver cancer in 2015. His partner Michael Ely discovered the cassette tapes in a box after being contacted by label owner Josh Cheon. 'I had no idea there was a fanbase for 80s gay porn music,' Ely said. 'When Josh contacted me, I found the tapes in the back of the closet. They'd been there for ever.'
Cheon founded Dark Entries to celebrate overlooked gay artists, many lost to Aids-related illnesses. 'This had been on my docket since day one,' he said. 'There were compilations of rare Australian synth pop or Japanese new wave, but I thought: where's the gay voice? It's all been erased, forgotten, lost to Aids or thrown out.' The label has also released works by Hi-NRG pioneer Patrick Cowley and electro innovator Man Parrish, as well as the compilation 'Deep Entries: Gay Electronic Excursions 1979-1985'.
Proceeds from many releases go to Aids charities, and some funds help artists who were not business-savvy when they first scored films. 'Man Parrish was like: I think I got $50 and a blowjob,' Cheon laughed. 'Which he then spent on drugs.'
Taylor's music was born at a Los Angeles glory hole club called Basic Plumbing, where he worked in the early 1980s. He met Al Parker, who ran Surge Studios with Steve Scott—both later died of Aids-related illnesses. Taylor began composing soundtracks for their films, creating slow, moody, synthy pieces. Ely recalled it being 'a side job' for the starving musicians. Taylor was also known as a guitarist, with Eddie Van Halen reportedly calling him the greatest he'd ever heard.
Cheon continues to track down lost composers, often finding them thought dead. During an interview, his phone rang with news of another composer everyone believed had died. 'No one has talked to him in 30 years,' Cheon said. 'I literally have goosebumps right now.'
