Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Please refer to such terms and conditions for additional information regarding contests. Fusing jazz, classical and electronic influences (amongst others) with a thirst for innovation, they’ve been garlanded as makers of one of … And the chilling bleakness that kicks off GoGo Penguin’s latest album remains the center of attention for all 10 tracks. GoGo Penguin 'Live From Studio Two' (Streamed from Abbey Road on 29 October 2020. Review by Lavender Sutton) Blue Note label band GoGo Penguin are originally from Manchester, but have risen quickly to international popularity in the last five years, notably after v2. Visitors should consult the other sites' privacy notices, as we have no control over information that is submitted to, or collected by, these third parties. The trio has refined their approach: They are continually offering music that is influenced by jazz while still pulling in other genres and presenting fresh sounds. The standout for me is the drumming. Your use of this Site constitutes your agreement to the following Terms of Use as well as our Privacy Policy. GoGo Penguin upholds several of the band’s most recognizable performance characteristics: nimble cascades of upper-register piano melismas that … Sat 6 Jun 2020 11.00 EDT. Maher Publications is the copyright owner for the entire DownBeat.com Site. GoGo Penguin is an album filled with fresh, confident sounds. GoGo Penguin … The dramatic builds on “Kora” and “Totem” find drummer Rob Turner giving it his all, though Illingworth’s minimalist repetition grows tiresome. This is the kind of jazz band that makes people who don’t like jazz like jazz. GoGo Penguin are an English band from Manchester, England, featuring pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka, and drummer Rob Turner. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Venturing into a world typically powered by apocalyptic electronics and tumbling walls of guitar, the trio’s analogue-powered, technical excellence makes GoGo Penguin as confident as it is sophisticated. More often than not, the U.K. trio sounds like a documentary soundtrack: It’s propulsive, yet rarely commanding of complete attention. The result is a song with many textures and feels that all create a mood and space of creativity with a fresh air in the jazz genre. By virtue of their sponsorship, these third parties may obtain personally identifiable information that visitors voluntarily submit to participate in the contest or promotion. GoGo Penguin performs its original score for “Koyaanisqatsi” at the 2017 BRIC JazzFest (photo by David Andrako) To compose a new score to Koyaanisqatsi , the breathtaking 1982 experimental film directed by Godfrey Reggio, is in many ways to remake the Mona Lisa . Contests: Each contest we offer on this Site includes a set of terms and conditions. Contests & Promotions: DownBeat.com may offer contests or promotions that are sponsored by or co-sponsored with identified third parties. Listen and find your own beauty in it – that’s what music is all about, and this record is exemplary of that fact. As self-titled recordings often do, GoGo Penguin serves as a defining statement and a summary of the band's spectrum of sounds to date. Last Autumn, GoGo Penguin rescored the experimental film “Koyaanisqatsi” for several UK shows and while “A Humdrum Star” clearly takes a creative cue from this experience of live soundtracking, it also has a cosmic quality that might be traced to filmmakers like Tarkovsky and Nolan. All information sent to DownBeat in regard to subscriptions is encrypted through a secure server. GoGo Penguin, the English avant-garde jazz trio, continues to explore and expand its musical palette. by Ferell Aubre. GoGo Penguin – the instrumental trio from Manchester, England – have fielded plaudits and rave reviews for inspiration and originality at every turn since 2013, when they settled on their dream line-up of Chris Illingworth (piano), Rob Turner (drums) and Nick Blacka (bass). The ten tracks signify the trio has struck upon the motherlode, hit the jackpot, stepped up, and generally arrived at a point they’ve always striven for but never quite attained before. GoGo Penguin’s new album ‘A Humdrum Star’ could scarcely come at a more opportune time for British jazz. GoGo Penguin, the English avant-garde jazz trio, continues to explore and expand its musical palette. But that doesn’t mean the band isn’t working hard. While there’s no denying that when they hit their default groove – as on To the Nth, for example – GoGo Penguin are a mightily tight, impressive unit, this album does leave you wanting more from a very talented band clearly capable of greater things. GoGo Penguin was met with "universal acclaim" reviews from critics. Their most… Of course, his left hand is still typing out a strict rhythm; space feels like the enemy here. The entire contents of the DownBeat.com Site is copyrighted as a collective work under the United States copyright laws. Now GoGo Penguin is releasing a new self-titled album. Learn how your comment data is processed. Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020. Despite their frankly rather silly group name they’ve generated a lot of attention for their exciting live performances and their début album appears on the fashionable Gondwana label run by their fellow Mancunian, trumpeter and DJ Matthew Halsall. The maturity of the trio who have played together in other projects for years before forming GoGo Penguin makes this complex approach easy, whilst never ceasing to amaze with their own incredible individual … Revocation will always deliver great thrash and Nils Frahm will similarly craft meditative modern classical pieces. Their album v2.0 (Gondwana Records) was named a Mercury Prize Album of the Year in 2014. To feel so energized by the sound is a whole different story that GoGo Penguin as an album and a collective tell. Review Summary: GoGo Penguin’s GoGo Penguin is GoGo Penguin GoGo Penguining There's a point in a band's career when, as a listener, you know what you will get. GoGo Penguin have been internationally hailed as electrifying live performers, innovative soundtrack composers, and as a collective who channel electronic and club culture atmospheres alongside, minimalist jazz and rock influences to create music that pulses and flows from the dancefloor to meditative inner-worlds, transporting us into brand new realms. Manchester’s GoGo Penguin rose to wider public prominence as token jazz nominees for the Mercury Prize. The bridge has a descending figure that all three members play, giving a response to the active A section. Crisp and confident: Manchester trio GoGo Penguin. Their music is a mix of jazz with rock, minimalism, game soundtracks, and glitchy-electronica. “Signal In The Noise,” perhaps the most purely acoustic effort here, sizzles and floats as bassist Nick Blacka injects humanity and a sense of control amid his careening bandmates. There is a constant theme through all tracks, making the whole album seem like a suite — new music for the adventurous jazz fan. GoGo Penguin’s last release, Ocean in a Drop: Music for Film (2019), was a five-track EP of music the trio wrote to accompany recent screenings of director Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi (1982). GoGo Penguin v2.0. The trio works to form a space of sounds and rhythms that are hypnotic and soothing while still having a fun, energetic atmosphere. Personnel: Chris Illingworth, piano; Nick Blacka, bass; Rob Turner, drums. The release is a feel change to a less intense and relaxed feel from Turner. Consumer Information: Except for when a DownBeat.com visitor subscribes to DownBeat magazine or enters a promotion DownBeat.com, DownBeat.com does not collect any personal identifiable information such as name, address, phone number or email address. GoGo Penguin have been steadfast and consistent in their articulation of jazz and while their self-titled album isn’t a revelation for the genre, it is quite representative of the musicians they’ve grown to become. The melodicism and irresistible rhythms are in full … You man not modify, publish, transmit, display, participate in the transfer of sale, create derivative works, or in any way exploit the content of DownBeat.com or any portion of it without prior approval. These terms of service may be updated or modified at any time without prior notice. Nor do we obtain types of non-personally identifiable information such as the domain name or the Internet Service Provider. Lilley graduated from Berklee College of Music, The Jeff Benedict Big Big Band, The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful Review by Nolan DeBuke The Jeff Benedict Big Big Band is releasing a sophomore album called, The, Mike Bono, Familiar Places Review by:  Ferell Aubre Mike Bono is a New York City based guitarist, educator, composer, and, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The Jeff Benedict Big Big Band, The Weather Is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful Review. Neil Spencer. GoGo Penguin Review. It’s easy to see why. This album is jazz, but without swing, without solos, without dissonance and without much conflict. Hailing from Manchester, experimental trio GoGo Penguin have been one of the most consistently interesting, uncategorisable instrumental acts in the UK over the past decade. GoGo Penguin “Fanfares” Gondwana Records GONDCD008) GoGo Penguin are a young piano trio based in Manchester. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for GoGo Penguin - GoGo Penguin on AllMusic - 2020 - In 2019, England's GoGo Penguin issued Ocean in a… Serious sounds on this one. GoGo Penguin have clearly mastered the art over the last nearly decade, given just how much space they fill with so little at their disposal. That’s where the meat and the variety lies. Bono holds a degree from Berklee College of Music, Eric Lilley Trio, Follow Up Review by:  Ferell Aubre Eric Lilley is an American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer born in Corona, California. In contrast, the vast majority of the album is in vein to v2.0, but with a much more adventurous, yet polished flavour. The trio has an energy and a swagger that is a driving force. Those who’ve follow the band since their 2012 debut album will essentially know what to expect here, as the record is a refinement of the group’s pre-existing sounds and interests rather than a bold shift in a new direction but, when the results are this impressive, that’s no concern. Russ Lossing, Metamorphism Review by Nolan DeBuke Russ Lossing is a jazz pianist that has been in the New York jazz scene since 1986 and has played with the Paul. GoGo Penguin has been called the British Bad Plus, which is understandable. About|Terms of Use|PrivacyCopyright © 2021 Maher Publications. More recently, they have been touring their own unique score to Godfrey Reggio’s cult film Koyaanisqatsi. GoGo Penguin is a Manchester-based leftfield piano trio comprised of pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner. it is perfection, incredibly GoGo Penguin's best album. The groups share a lineup of piano, bass and drums as well as the gift for exploration beyond customary genre boundaries. Your email address will not be published. Piano, bass, and drums work together holistically to create a unified sound of driving rhythms and … 0 (Gondwana) was named a Mercury Prize album in 2014. To better protect the privacy of Internet users, we have outlined our policy explaining our online information practices. GoGo Penguin's best album. by Ian Mann. The Chicago-based musician describes the eleven tracks on the album, Mike Bono, Familiar Places Review by:  Ferell Aubre Mike Bono is a New York City based guitarist, educator, composer, and arranger. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. All other trademarks, product names and company names or logos used on this site are the property of their respective owners. There are melodic snippets from the echoey piano, and Illingworth even throws out some rapid-fire notes before laying out, a break in the perpetual sound. Review. August 22, 2014 / ALBUM "v2.0"sounds like a real "band" album with a more clearly defined sound and a strong group identity that expresses a unified attitude and sense of purpose. It’s at these moments where GoGo Penguin are at their finest; using each member adequately with balance and resulting in not just two magnificent album climaxes, but also their career climax. The feel created by the trio pulls in influences of pop, funk, world, and jazz. In 2015 they signed a three-album deal with Blue Note Records (France) and released the debut Blue Note album Man Made Object in 2016. Chris Illingworth’s lonely piano opens this affair, joined by the sound of rain and eventually distant children. Your privacy is important to us. If there is a place for a remix here, it would be to strip away everything but the drums. It has been wonderful to chart the development of UK trio Gogo Penguin over the last few years and their burgeoning partnership with the redoubtable Blue Note should bring them the worldwide audience their painstakingly crafted amalgam of the sound of the trad piano trio format with electronic textures deserves.. Their music, built around pianist Chris Illingworth’s minimalist piano motifs, fuses elements of modern classical, electronica and jazz, with the bass and drums combination of Nick Blacka and Rob Turner completing … The trio owe their sensibilities as much to electronic music as to jazz. Countless press inches have been afforded to the scene’s so-called resurgence, with new prominence given to a fresh generation of musicians. “F Maj Pixie,” a title hinting at the nerdistry at work, is the closest the album gets to a pop sound. DownBeat is an internationally registered trademark of Maher Publications. GoGo Penguin: 1_#; Atomised; Signal In The Noise; Open; F Maj Pixie; Kora; Totem; Embers; To The Nth; Don’t Go. Shawn Maxwell, Millstream Review by Nolan DeBuke Saxophonist and composer Shawn Maxwell is releasing his album Millstream on the Jazzline record label. Like Polar Bear and Portico Quartet before them, someone spotted crossover potential. Trademarks: The trademarks and tradenames used on this Site, including, but not limited to, DownBeat, Blindfold Test, and all articles are owned by Maher Publications. This is a band to watch. “Atomised” has an active arpeggio figure that Blacka and Turner create a funky groove around. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 81, based on 5 reviews. Certainly the Radiohead of British Jazz! GoGo Penguin offers an amalgamated approach to writing, rolling three or four tunes into one to reflect their new 'sophisticated' music that represents their more complicated realities. ‘A Humdrum Star’ is another strong effort from Go Go Penguin. GoGo Penguin: Man Made Object review – club-ready electronics and jazz Read more Lou Reed said that one chord was fine, two chords pushing it, three and you were into jazz . Verified Purchase. Piano, bass, and drums work together holistically to create a unified sound of driving rhythms and suggestable atmospheric phrasing. More often than not, the U.K. trio sounds like a documentary soundtrack: It’s propulsive, yet rarely commanding of complete attention. Content: The DownBeat.com Site contains copyrighted material, trademarks and other proprietary information including text, photos, video, graphics, music and sound. GoGo Penguin are a Manchester-based trio made up of Chris Illingworth (piano), Grant Russell (double bass) and Rob Turner (drums), friends from The Royal Northern College of Music, all in their 20s. And the chilling bleakness that kicks off GoGo Penguin’s latest album remains the center of attention for all 10 tracks. All rights reserved. Third-Parties: Collection of Information by Third-Party Sites and Sponsors DownBeat.com contains links to other sites whose information practices may be different than ours. Bizarrely named Manchester-based instrumental trio GoGo Penguin made their initial breakthrough back in 2014, when their album v2.0 received a Mercury Prize nomination. Maher Publications is not responsible for the availability of these external sites nor does it endorse or is it responsible for the contents, advertising, products or other materials made available on or through such external sites. GoGo Penguin is a Manchester-based leftfield piano trio comprised of pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner. Certainly the Radiohead of British Jazz! Photograph: Jon Shard. So acculturated are jazz fans to the piano-bass-drums trio timbre that with each new track on A Humdrum Star, one expects improvisations to break out at any moment.As on GoGo Penguin’s 2016 Blue Note debut, Man Made Object, they do not come.There’s not much else to distinguish the two albums, either—and precious little to distinguish the songs on this one. DownBeat.com is owned and operated by Maher Publications. Offensive Content: DownBeat.com contains links to other websites, resources and advertisers. Reviews; Albums; Tracks; Sunday Reviews; 8.0+ Reviews; Best New Music; Features; Lists & Guides; Longform; ... GoGo Penguin Articles and Media. “Kora” has Illingworth muting the piano strings to get a guitar effect. By Sean J. O’Connell  |   Published July 2020. It’d be easy to reduce this to a contemplative, self-isolation listen, but its sweeping, and often majestic, meditations are worth much more than that. Blacka’s bass solo is melodic and fits the mood of the piece beautifully. Thank you for visiting www.downbeat.com. (42:44) Their music is a mix of jazz with rock, minimalism, game soundtracks, and glitchy-electronica.