GoGo Penguin (GB)

About

GoGo Penguin are a three piece from Manchester whose music sits somewhere between jazz, electronica, and post rock, pulling comparisons to artists as varied as Aphex Twin, Massive Attack, and Philip Glass. Pianist Chris Illingworth, double bassist Nick Blacka, and drummer Jon Scott build tracks around breakbeats, minimalist piano melodies, and electronica inspired drums that hit harder than anything you'd expect from an acoustic trio. Formed in 2012, they moved quickly from their debut Fanfares to v2.0, which landed a Mercury Prize shortlisting in 2014. Signing to Blue Note Records in 2015 raised their profile further, and a steady run of albums followed, including Man Made Object, A Humdrum Star, and their self titled 2020 release. After drummer Rob Turner left in late 2021, Jon Scott stepped in, and the band kept rolling, releasing GGP/RMX, Everything Is Going to Be OK in 2023, and Necessary Fictions in 2025.