The Golden Filter
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Penelope and Stephen grew up on opposite sides of the world, but had parallel upbringings - both on the edge of the wilderness (Stephen the Ohio prairie, Penelope the Australian jungle) and the town. Musically, they had a similar education, listening to psychedelic, disco, punk, and techno. They finally met as neighbours in New York, and The Golden Filter started with their first single, 'Solid Gold', a warm, dreamy jam recorded in desperation. It turned out a sensation - pulsing, luminous, ethereal: a song shot through with the mystery of the purest pop.
In fact, mystery has followed the band since they first sent their tracks into the world. 'Solid Gold' was picked up with astonishing speed by prominent music blogs, but they are famously reluctant to give out any personal details nor do interviews, preferring instead to frame their music with their own photos of wilderness and fire, foxes and jewels.
Then there's the pair's obsession with myth and legend, which carried through on 'Thunderbird', their second single, named after the bird of Native American myth, and the name of their debut album, 'Voluspa', a 12th Century Norse epic poem about the creation - and destruction - of the world. Penelope explains: "Mythology is pure escapism - magic, adventure, strange creatures, love, and fantasy. We can explore these worlds and see that we too can find them in our own world today."
'Voluspa' was self recorded and produced in their home studio overlooking a leafy part of New York over the summer of 2009, using, among others, analogue synths, light-sensitive Theremins and a slew of pounding, pounding drums. Of course, the most powerful instrument on the album is Penelope's classically trained voice that she chooses to use in a decidedly unclassical way. There's a fantastically clever musical brain at work on the album and it shows from the string stabs that announce 'Dance Around The Fire' to the weightless melancholy of The Underdogs and the propulsive, joyous third single 'Hide Me'.
With double drumming, crystalline analogue synths, and Penelope's frantic otherworldly energy, The Golden Filter are a ferocious and dramatic live act that has extensively toured the US twice (once with The Presets, and once headlining), as well as the UK and a European festival tour in 2010. If that wasn't enough, they occasionally pour their magical production skills into remixing fellow artists like Yeasayer, Cut Copy, and Peter Bjorn and John.
