An original, colorful and accessible mixture that sparkles with an inventive spirit and vigour. The combination of intensity, elegance and effortlessness with which the music surges forward is simply spellbinding. GoGo Penguin courageously stretches the boundaries of modern hybrid music into new and incendiary regions.
Already in 2012, when GoGo Penguin’s debut album, Fanfares, was released on trumpeter Matthew Halsall’s Gondwana imprint, it was clear that there’s a new and exciting gang in town, and that it’s going to knock people off their socks. Fanfares is definitely one of the strongest debuts I have heard in recent years, the talent and modern approach of Chris Illingworth (piano), Grant Russell (bass) and Rob Turner (drums) shine clearly through its seven compositions. The electricity they can generate as a unit is beautifully documented on that record. Yet, it was also clear back then, that if they will let individuality seep in, in a heavier dose, the results will be even more effective. In late 2012, after founder member Grant Russell left to pursue other projects, bassist Nick Blacka stepped in.
Now, not too long after that change in line-up, GoGo Penguin’s second album is available for us to experience. On v2.0 the influences flow in the music after they went through a stronger filtering process, and individuality bursts out of every track. Turner’s infectious and cunning beats pound and twist dynamically around Blacka’s warm, groovy and delightfully piercing basslines, while Illingworth’s highly evocative piano currents glide sublimely. Everything flows together as a sharp and crystallized force right into the soul. You can dance to it on a beautiful lonely morning, dive into it at night, or let it be the soundtrack to a car ride during the crepuscular hours.
Together with groups like Piano Interrupted, Portico Quartet and The Kandinsky Effect, GoGo Penguin breathes new and youthful air into an instrumental region which often gets the jazz label. Sure, if we must put a label on GoGo Penguin, jazz would be a suitable one, but v2.0 is so eclectic and well blended that it completely defies the one label categorization. It smoothly incorporates elements of electronica, trip hop, jazz and classical music, with the explosiveness and anthemic melodiousness of quality rock. It’s sophisticated yet catchy and fluid. In addition, it also bears the rich tasty fruits of a superb recording and production process.
The kind of electricity and freshness that GoGo Penguin generates on v2.0 can be compared to the timeless, transfixing magic of the legendary Esbjörn Svensson Trio which still inspires the minds and warms the hearts of adventurous music lovers all over the globe. Yes, that’s a big statement, but v2.0 is that good, and even though contains shades of e.s.t., Massive Attack, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher and Four Tet, completely stands on its own as an original, colorful and accessible mixture that sparkles with an inventive spirit and vigour. The combination of intensity, elegance and effortlessness with which the music surges forward is simply spellbinding. GoGo Penguin courageously stretches the boundaries of modern hybrid music into new and incendiary regions.
Is this trio as explosive on stage as e.s.t. was? Do these guys have that mystical chemistry between them? Well, I can’t answer these questions as I haven’t experienced GoGo Penguin live yet, but there’s certainly something special going on between these three creative minds, and so far it produces fantastic results.
v2.0 is available on Gondwana.
