GoGo Penguin explained

Background:group_or_band
GoGo Penguin
Origin:Manchester, England
Years Active:–present
Current Members:
  • Chris Illingworth
  • Nick Blacka
  • Jon Scott
Past Members:
  • Rob Turner
  • Grant Russell[1]

GoGo Penguin are an English band from Manchester, consisting of pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka, and drummer Jon Scott. They formed in 2012, and as of, they have released seven studio albums, two EPs, and three live albums.

History

GoGo Penguin formed in Manchester, England, in 2012. They released their debut album, Fanfares, the same year, to positive reviews.[2] Their follow-up, v2.0, came out in 2014.[3] In September 2014, it was shortlisted for the Barclaycard Mercury Prize as Album of the Year.

In 2015, GoGo Penguin signed to Blue Note Records.[4] Their third album, Man Made Object, was published in 2016. They followed it in 2018 with A Humdrum Star.[5] Their next record, which was self-titled, came out in 2020.[6]

On 6 December 2021, the band announced the departure of their original drummer, Rob Turner, who was replaced by Jon Scott. Also in 2021, they released the album GGP/RMX and followed it with Everything Is Going to Be OK in 2023.

Musical style

The band's music features breakbeats, minimalist piano melodies,[7] powerful basslines, electronica-inspired drums,[8] and anthemic riffs.[9] [10] Their music also incorporates elements of trip-hop, jazz, rock, and classical.[9] [11]

Critics have compared GoGo Penguin to Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher,[12] Massive Attack, and Brian Eno,[13] as well as modern classical composers Shostakovich and Debussy[14] or contemporary minimal music composers like Philip Glass.[15]

Band members

Current

Past

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album[16] Label
2012FanfaresGondwana Records
2014v2.0
2016Man Made ObjectBlue Note Records
2018A Humdrum Star
2020GoGo Penguin
2021GGP/RMX
2023Everything Is Going to Be OKXXIM Records

EPs

Year AlbumLabel
2019Ocean in a Drop (Music for Film)Blue Note Records
2022Between Two WavesXXIM Records

Live albums

Year AlbumLabel
2016Live at Abbey Road
2020Live from Studio 2
2024From the North: Live in ManchesterXXIM Records

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: GoGo Penguin: v2.0. Lindsay. Bruce. 15 March 2014. All About Jazz. 24 September 2017.
  2. Web site: Eyles . John . 2012 . Music – Review of GoGo Penguin – Fanfares . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171126092531/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/rz4z/ . 26 November 2017 . 24 September 2017 . BBC.
  3. News: GoGo Penguin v2.0 review. Hasted. Nick. 23 January 2014. JazzwizeMagazine.com. 24 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214250/http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/pages/jazz-album-reviews/12974-gogo-penguin-v20. 3 March 2016. dead.
  4. News: Blue Note France signs U.K. Trio GoGo Penguin. 2 April 2015. Blue Note Records. 24 September 2017.
  5. News: 2 April 2015 . A Humdrum Star (2018) . Blue Note Records . 24 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171209044107/http://www.bluenote.com/artists/gogo-penguin/a-humdrum-star . 9 December 2017.
  6. Web site: GoGo Penguin Music . 3 April 2020 . GoGo Penguin – Kora . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200406142418/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njp8_zwlmQI . 6 April 2020 . 14 April 2020 . YouTube.
  7. Web site: Baber . Andy . 22 September 2014 . Album review of GoGo Penguin album v2.0 . registration . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304211308/http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/gogo-penguin-v2-0 . 4 March 2016 . 24 September 2017 . musicOMH.
  8. Web site: GoGo Penguin . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161114173735/http://lowfour.tv/shows/gogo-penguin/ . 14 November 2016 . 15 November 2016 . Low Four.
  9. News: GoGo Penguin :: v2.0 (Gondwana). Nocturnal Ghost. 23 February 2014. Igloo Magazine. 24 September 2017.
  10. News: Pickup . Oliver . 12 December 2012 . Gogo Penguin . Crack Magazine . live . 24 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180830174318/https://crackmagazine.net/article/news/gogo-penguin/ . 30 August 2018.
  11. News: 'v2.0' – GoGo Penguin. Pallant. Adrian. 8 March 2014. AP Reviews. 24 September 2017.
  12. News: GoGo Penguin: v2.0. Janssen. Guillaume. 19 September 2014. Spellbinding Music. 24 September 2017.
  13. Web site: Mann . Ian . 22 August 2014 . GoGo Penguin – v2.0 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170925035121/https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/gogo-penguin-v2.0/ . 25 September 2017 . 24 September 2017 . The Jazz Mann.
  14. News: Heward . Emily . 12 September 2014 . Mercury Prize 2014: Manchester jazz trio GoGo Penguin suitably 'chuffed' with nomination . Manchester Evening News . live . 24 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170925035244/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/mercury-prize-2014-manchester-jazz-7764393 . 25 September 2017.
  15. News: Lewis . John . 1 February 2018 . Contemporary album of the month – Laurie Anderson/Kronos Quartet: Landfall – Best of the rest . The Guardian . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230204114716/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/01/contemporary-album-of-the-month-laurie-andersonkronos-quartet-landfall . 4 February 2023.
  16. Web site: GoGo Penguin Album Discography . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170924230800/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gogo-penguin-mn0003004998/discography . 24 September 2017 . 24 September 2017 . AllMusic.

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