Interview
The Sundowner. Mix #16 comes from French DJ & producer Penelope, now based in Lisbon, where she is a regular figure in the underground music scene. Her sound is a unique expression of her broad sonic tastes that range…
The Sundowner. Mix #16 comes from French DJ & producer Penelope, now based in Lisbon, where she is a regular figure in the underground music scene. Her sound is a unique expression of her broad sonic tastes that range from house, techno, ambient, and all electronic experimentation. She made her production debut in early 2021 on the Spanish label Tresydos. Check out her fresh new mix and get to know her better in the full interview we had with her.
Inés: Hi Penelope, how are you?
Penelope: Hello 🙂 I’m good, writing to you from Lisbon where I just recovered from Covid. It was a bit of a strange end of the year for everyone I guess. But well new year, new start, new podcast!
Inés: Definitely weird times for everyone, but good to hear you are doing well! So we all want to know more about your career. What has DJing brought you? or taught you throughout your path? And what have you changed since starting out?
Penelope: Djing has for sure brought and taught me patience. I bought my turntables in 2013 and it’s been a long and fun ride since but I learned that there is no need to rush. It took me years to feel at ease and comfortable. It takes years to adjust your skills, build your library, train your ears and also gain confidence behind a booth. I am still nervous before each gig ahah but I am much better now than I was in the past.
Inés: What genres were you into before electronic music?
Penelope: Electronic music has always been part of my musical sphere. I can remember back to when I was 10 years old already listening and buying commercial dance tubes, and then over my teenage years as well, French house was big in France and I was already collecting house compilations. I was also listening to RnB, hip hop and also had a big trip-hop phase around 17-18 years old. It was around that age that I started “digging” a bit further than the mainstream with more experimental stuff, mostly through downtempo and trip-hop at first.
Inés: When playing a gig, do you find it challenging to engage with the crowd?
Yes and I think it’s a good thing. You should always try to be challenged at a gig. No gig is the same, no crowd is the same and the surprise is part of the challenge. Engaging with the crowd is of course always the ultimate goal, sometimes it will work better than others and that’s part of the game, of the job!
