UK, Manchester

GoGo Penguin

Electronica, jazz and classical music

Buy Ticket

GoGo Penguin are a band from Manchester, UK, featuring pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka, and drummer Rob Turner.

They are known for their skittering break-beats, infectious piano melodies, powerful and propulsive basslines, and anthemic riffs. They compose and perform as a unit, there is no leader, instead each of them shares ideas and themes from each other. Their music defies the one label categorisation, incorporating elements of electronica, trip-hop, jazz, rock and classical music to carve out a unique sound that is wholly their own. Their ‘acoustic electronica’ sound draws from a broad range of influences from Aphex Twin to Squarepusher, Massive Attack to Brian Eno, alongside modern classical composers such as Shostakovich and Debussy.

The band has received critical acclaim since they released their debut album Fanfares in 2012 and their follow-up album v2.0 in 2014. In September 2014, v2.0 was shortlisted for the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Album of the Year, and received a special ‘Album of the Year’ trophy awarded to all shortlisted nominees.

In 2015, GoGo Penguin signed to Blue Note Records (France).