GoGo Penguin have always walked their own path.
The Manchester instrumental group blend jazz improvisation with lucid electronics, throwing all manner of left-field concoctions into the mix.
Across 10 years and four albums they've build their own distinct universe, pursuing individual whims and passions to the furthermost reaches.
At each step of the way GoGo Penguin have been developing. The group's new album will be self-titled, and it finds the Manchester project coming to full terms with itself.
Out on June 5th via iconic jazz stable Blue Note, it's a measured, nuanced, and thrilling return.
“In the past, we'd have to get in the studio and finish the album in what felt like three days,” says drummer Rob Turner. “This time, we had six months of writing, and two weeks of recording, so everyone had a lot more time to contribute to each track. There was more experimentation, trying things out and often throwing them away."
“As a result, the album is more sophisticated. We had quite simple lives in the past. We had quite simple lives in the past. We were younger, so there wasn't so much drama, and there hadn’t been so many important events in our lives that fed into the music.”
“This time, there's a lot more facing the realities of becoming older, facing mortality, and watching people that you care about being very close to death. At the same time, Chris (Illingworth) became a dad. The longer you live, the more complicated your reality becomes, so we felt our music had to reflect that.”
Album highlight 'Kora' is an entrancing group-focussed effort, a piece that combines individual strengths to become something transcendent.
Tune in now.
Catch GoGoPenguin at London's Brixton Academy on November 16th.
Photo Credit: Jon Shard / Montage: Paul Middlewick
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