Rediscovering the Lost Synth Soundtracks of 80s Gay Porn
In the 1980s, gay porn films were not just about visual storytelling; they were also home to beautifully moody synth music that is only now getting rediscovered. Tragically, this revival comes too late for many of its creators, who were lost to the Aids crisis. A new wave of releases is shining a light on these overlooked artists, bringing their electronic compositions back into the spotlight.
A Love Story and a Musical Legacy
Michael Ely recalls the moment he met James Allan Taylor, nicknamed Spider, at a gay bar in Sunset Beach, California. "I was only 18 but I knew I had just met my soulmate," says Ely. The couple remained together until Taylor's death from liver cancer in 2015. Now, a collection of Taylor's music, Surge Studio Music, featuring electronic pieces he composed for gay porn films, has been released. Ely was surprised by the interest, laughing, "I was like: wait, there's a fanbase for 80s gay porn music? I had no idea." He found the cassette tapes stored away in a closet, untouched for years.
Amplifying the Gay Voice in Music
Josh Cheon, who runs the San Francisco-based record label Dark Entries, is dedicated to celebrating overlooked gay artists, many of whom died from Aids-related illnesses. His label focuses on releasing their lesser-known forays into soundtracking gay porn. "This had been on my docket since day one of the label," Cheon explains. He noticed compilations of rare synth pop from Australia or Japan but questioned, "What about gay? Where's the gay voice in all of this? It's all been erased, forgotten, lost to Aids or thrown out." For 16 years, he has worked to amplify this underground gay music scene.
Proceeds from many releases are donated to Aids charities, and the effort also directs money to artists who may not have been business-savvy initially. Cheon shares an anecdote about Man Parrish: "Man Parrish was like: oh, I think I got $50 and a blowjob, which he then spent on drugs." Collaborating with queer film historian Elizabeth Purchell, Cheon tracks down old films and scores, finding a niche within a niche. "There is so much amazing stuff out there," he says, noting he could switch to being a gay porn soundtrack reissue label exclusively.
The Birth of Surge Studio Music
Taylor's Surge Studio Music material originated at Basic Plumbing, a Los Angeles glory hole club, in the early 80s. There, he met Al Parker, who ran porn production company Surge Studios with Steve Scott—both later died from Aids-related illnesses—and began creating soundtracks for their films. Cheon notes that Parker and Scott often sourced original music but also borrowed from artists like Brian Eno and the Human League, manipulating tracks into instrumental remixes. Taylor's film music is described as slow, moody, textural, and synthy, yet Ely recalls it was just "a side job" to earn money as starving musicians.
Taylor was more renowned for his guitar skills, with Eddie Van Halen reportedly calling him the greatest guitar player he'd ever heard. He and Ely were also part of the post-punk band Red Wedding from 1981 to 1985, an all-openly-gay group rare for the time. The couple lived openly despite same-sex relationships being illegal in California, facing hostility and personal tragedies, such as their cat being killed in a hate crime.
The Impact of the Aids Crisis
By the mid-80s, Taylor and Ely had built a beautiful community of like-minded friends in a thriving underground music scene. However, the Aids crisis changed everything. "One moment it was a little blip, something we heard was going on in San Francisco," Ely recalls. "The next thing friends of friends are dying, and then our friends are dying." The trauma led them to move to Arizona, leaving behind bands and music. "We lost so many friends, and it did something to us," Ely says. "We didn't want to be in LA any more. There were too many ghosts."
Celebrating Other Lost Artists
Dark Entries has also released Fallen Angel by Brandy Dalton, a collection of soundtracks for award-winning porn films, spanning melodic electronica to industrial techno. Dalton, who died from an Aids-related illness in 2006, was part of LA's extreme and experimental gay community, playing in the industrial band Drance at venues like Club Fuck! John Munt, Dalton's bandmate, describes the scene as "absolutely wild," with performances involving go-go dancers and extreme art pieces.
Munt expresses relief at having Dalton's work released: "He carried on making music, but things got tough for him. Aids really ravaged him and he needed to use a lot of drugs for the extreme pain. I loved him as a really close friend, and it was hard to watch." Similarly, for Ely, this revival is deeply personal. "It means a lot to me," he says. "It celebrates Spider one more time. I'll always be in awe of him, and I'll always be in love with him. He was an incredible, gifted, loving person, and until the day I die I will keep talking about him."
The releases of Surge Studio Music and Fallen Angel on Dark Entries Records not only preserve these musical legacies but also honor the artists whose lives were cut short by the Aids crisis, ensuring their voices are no longer forgotten.
