GoGo Penguin are an English jazz fusion band from Manchester, consisting of pianist Chris Illingworth, double bassist Nick Blacka, and drummer Jon Scott. They formed in 2012 and, as of , they have released seven studio albums, two EPs, and three live albums.
History GoGo Penguin formed in Manchester, England, in 2012. They released their debut album, Fanfares, the same year, to positive reviews. Their follow-up, v2.0, came out in 2014. In September 2014, it was shortlisted for the Barclaycard Mercury Prize as Album of the Year.
In 2015, GoGo Penguin signed to Blue Note Records. Their third album, Man Made Object, was published in 2016. They followed it in 2018 with A Humdrum Star. Their next record, which was self-titled, came out in 2020.
On 6 December 2021, the band announced the departure of their original drummer, Rob Turner, who was replaced by Jon Scott. Also in 2021, they released the album GGP/RMX and followed it with Everything Is Going to Be OK in 2023. Necessary Fictions came out in 2025.
Musical style The band's music features breakbeats, minimalist piano melodies, powerful basslines, electronica-inspired drums, and anthemic riffs. Their music also incorporates elements of trip-hop, jazz, rock, and classical.
Critics have compared GoGo Penguin to Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Massive Attack, and Brian Eno, as well as modern classical composers Shostakovich and Debussy or contemporary minimal music composers like Philip Glass.
Band members Current Chris Illingworth – piano Nick Blacka – double bass Jon Scott – drums
Past Rob Turner – drums Grant Russell – double bass
Discography Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions UK AUT BEL(FL) BEL(WA) FRA GER NL SCO SPA SWI Fanfares Released: 19 November 2012 Label: Gondwana Formats: CD, LP, digital download — — — — — — — — — — v2.0 Released: 17 March 2014 Label: Gondwana Formats: CD, LP, digital download — — 64 — — — — — — — Man Made Object Released: 5 February 2016 Label: Blue Note Formats: CD, LP, digital download 72 — 74 124 100 93 120 89 73 82 A Humdrum Star Released: 9 February 2018 Label: Blue Note Formats: CD, LP, digital download 73 75 46 192 118 41 128 69 — 79 GoGo Penguin Released: 5 June 2020 Label: Blue Note Formats: CD, LP, digital download — — 83 200 114 29 — 40 — 26 Everything Is Going to Be OK Released: 14 April 2023 Label: XXIM Formats: CD, LP, digital download — — — — — 54 — 33 — — Necessary Fictions Released: 20 June 2025 Label: XXIM Formats: CD, LP, digital download — — — — — — — 68 — 58 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
EPs Year Album Label2019Ocean in a Drop (Music for Film)Blue Note Records2022 Between Two WavesXXIM Records
Live albums Year Album Label2016Live at Abbey Road2020Live from Studio 22024From the North: Live in ManchesterXXIM Records
Remix albums YearAlbumLabel2021GGP/RMXBlue Note Records
Notes
References
External links
GoGo Penguin 14 September 2018 NPR Tiny Desk Concert performance