The Golden Filter's take on late-'70s downtown glitz has taken Manhattan's club scene (and the blogosphere) by storm. Consisting of record producer Stephen and vocalist Penelope, the duo is notable for its chilly arpeggios, pulsating beats, and plush vocals -- as well as their elusive personas. (No, those aren't their full names.)
What is known about the Ohio-born knob-twister and the Australian chanteuse is that they met in New York through a mutual appreciation for photography. After putting out a sensational debut single, the disco-noir cut "Solid Gold," the Golden FIlter cemented its reputation with brilliant nu disco remixes of Cut Copy's "Far and Away" and Peter, Bjorn and John's "Lay It Down." Couple that with a successful opening slot for the Presets on a recent North American tour, as well as a highly anticipated follow-up single "Thunderbird." In its physical form, it's a limited-edition 12-inch with a glittering disco-pop cover of The White Stripes' "The Hardest Button To Button" on the B-side.
Crossfade caught up with the enigmatic duo by e-mail a day after they played Iceland's Airwaves Festival. Read the Q&A after the jump.
The Golden Filter. Saturday, December 5. Poplife at Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave. Doors open at 10 p.m., tickets cost $10 in advance from wantickets.com. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-456-5613; epoplife.com
New Times: What's it like playing a music festival in Iceland?
The Golden Filter: Airwaves was amazing! It was our first foray into the European festival circuit and everything about Iceland is purely magical.
I think you guys are paradoxical in nature. On the one hand you have this enigmatic persona, but on the other, you've benefited tremendously through web media and promotion.
All the media and promotion has been very self-sustaining and music-based, not PR company based, which we really thought was an impossibility nowadays. It might come off paradoxical since the press says a lot about us not saying much, but it's a good thing, in our eyes, that they talk about us rather than us talking about ourselves.
Do you think overexposed artists like, let's say, Kanye West, could learn a thing or two from that?
If one were to go about doing something along the lines of what we've done, then it would only likely be able to work if they are real.
Do you think hype benefits or hinders the creative process?
Though we embrace hype to some extent, it doesn't affect our creative processes at all. We just do what we want and hope people like it independent of hype.
You've remixed indie upstarts like Peter, Bjorn and John, Cut Copy, and Little Boots. How much input does the artist have on your final outcomes?
We've done a string of remixes, though we are done with that for a while. The original artists essentially accept the mix or they don't, with no creative input at all.
You are performing at Poplife on December 5th, during Art Basel weekend. Judging by your fondness for photography and the superb images you've been posting on your web site, I take it that wasn't a coincidence?
Of all the weekends on the table, we liked Art Basel weekend best, though we know very little about it. Florida is such a different world from NYC and vice versa but from what we've heard it sounds like an important US art event. Hopefully we will get some free time to see some of it.
How do you guys feel about playing Miami?
We are looking forward to coming to Miami for the first time and finding out what it's all about. We'd love to photograph some of the art deco architecture too.
