Recording of the Week, GoGo Penguin

For this week’s new release, I’ve been sinking my teeth into the latest record by Manchester’s hardest-working piano trio, GoGo Penguin. Comprising Chris Illingworth on keys, Nick Blacka on electric and upright bass, and Rob Turner on drums, the group work within a synthesis of contemporary jazz with influences from modern electronica and even New York minimalism. Though contrasting in flavour to the rawer sound of groups on the current UK jazz scene, Sons of Kemet, or hip-hop inspired acts like Kamaal Williams, GoGo Penguin share their contemporaries’ crossover appeal; the Mercury Prize-winning trio have not struggled finding fans both inside and outside of jazz circles. Now on their third full-length release for Blue Note Records, and their fourth over their career, the bold statement of releasing an eponymous album after over half a decade of success can only be seen as a reaffirmation of their achievements.

While undoubtedly taking inspiration from the jazz traditon, GoGo Penguin, along with other UK acts like Portico Quartet, have always occupied a space on the scene’s periphery. The tunes themselves don’t necessarily share the same harmonic zig-zagging typical of straight-ahead jazz compositions; many of the tunes are topped with a minimalist piano ostinato as the main motif, with the changes unfolding more subtly through Blacka’s basslines, and the group’s playing carrying the dynamics. Illingworth’s syncopated melodies on tracks like ‘Kora’ and ‘Signal in the Noise’ are played tightly against Blacka and Turner’s solid rhythms. The first track after the ambient opener ‘1_#’, ‘Atomiser’, transitions from a fast drum & bass beat to a slow, moody groove, with the piano melody steadily slowing down to match the tempo of the drums, finally locking together like two pieces of a dovetail.

Further augmenting the trio’s sound is their use of electronic textures; the aforementioned ‘1_#’ opens the record with some crackling field recordings accompanying ambient synthesiser drones. There are glimpses of electronica here and there too, melodies almost reminiscent of sequenced synthesisers like the melody beginning ‘Kora’, or the skittering high-end twinkles on ‘F Maj Pixie’. The record’s brilliant production only does the trio further justice; with a splash of reverb on the keys, some subtle overdrive on the bass and extra thump in the percussion, the group manages to do so much with the few instruments at their disposal.

Stylistically GoGo Penguin resembles the trio’s past output, perhaps with a stronger conviction given the eponymous title choice; GoGo Penguin feels like a quintessence of the group’s sound. For unfamiliar listeners, you’ll find no better place to start, while returning fans will undoubtedly appreciate another quality listen.