Spectral ambient dreampop
WHO SHE?
London-based Penelope Trappes is an Antipodean musician and vocalist who conjures haunting soundscapes that drift and reverberate against her otherwordly vocals. Debut album ‘Penelope One’ was released in June last year, and the sequel… wait for it… ‘Penelope Two’ is released at the end of this month.
WHY PENELOPE TRAPPES?
She draws on a number of elements, making her sonic palette a rather tantalising one. There’s a hint of Julee Cruise in ‘Penelope Two’, with the ambient textures reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti or the dreamy oscillations of Slowdive. “‘Penelope Two’ was built around field recordings, mantras and meditations,” Trappes explains. “Emptying my mind of clutter, I explored writing with guitars and synth drones, along with piano and reverb to create depth and texture.”
TELL US MORE…
Prior to going it alone, Trappes had a short stint in a Brisbane indie band doing what she describes as “Mazzy Star meets Leonard Cohen”. She then moved to New York, where she worked on and developed electronic projects Locke and Priscilla Sharp. It was while in New York that she met her former bandmate Stephen Hindman who she started The Golden Filter with. She’s also scored short films and feature films, before putting herself on an indefinite hiatus. We’re glad that hiatus is over though, because we’re rather liking the stuff that can be found on ‘Penelope Two’.
‘Penelope Two’ is released by Houndstooth
