GoGo Penguin

GoGo Penguin
GoGo Penguin logo
GoGo Penguin logo
Background information
OriginManchester, England
Genres
Years active2012 (2012)–present
Labels
Members
  • Chris Illingworth
  • Nick Blacka
  • Jon Scott
Past members
  • Rob Turner
  • Grant Russell
Websitegogopenguin.co.uk
GoGo Penguin performing at Porgy & Bess in Vienna in November 2018
GoGo Penguin performing at Jazz Alley in Seattle in June 2024

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 2026, they have released seven studio albums, two EPs, and three live albums.

History

GoGo Penguin formed in Manchester, England, in 2012.[citation needed] 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,[citation needed] 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

Past

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
UK
 AUT
 BEL
(FL)
 BEL
(WA)
 FRA
 GER
 NL
 SCO
 SPA
 SWI
Fanfares ——————————
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—7412410093120897382
A Humdrum Star
  • Released: 9 February 2018
  • Label: Blue Note
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 7375461921184112869—79
GoGo Penguin
  • Released: 5 June 2020
  • Label: Blue Note
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 ——8320011429—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

YearAlbumLabel
2019 Ocean in a Drop (Music for Film) Blue Note Records
2022 Between Two Waves XXIM Records

Live albums

YearAlbumLabel
2016 Live at Abbey Road
2020 Live from Studio 2
2024 From the North: Live in Manchester XXIM Records

Remix albums

Year Album Label
2021 GGP/RMX Blue Note Records

Notes

  1. ↑ GoGo Penguin did not enter the UK Albums Chart but peaked at no. 20 on the UK Albums Sales Chart.
  2. ↑ GoGo Penguin did not enter the Dutch Album Top 100 but entered the Dutch Vinyl 33 chart at no. 12.
  3. ↑ Everything Is Going to Be OK did not enter the UK Albums Chart but peaked at no. 33 on the UK Albums Sales Chart.
  4. ↑ Everything Is Going to Be OK did not enter the France Albums Chart but peaked at no. 79 on the French Physical Albums Chart.
  5. ↑ Necessary Fictions did not enter the UK Albums Chart but peaked at no. 39 on the UK Albums Sales Chart.
  6. ↑ Necessary Fictions did not enter the France Albums Chart but peaked at no. 64 on the French Physical Albums Chart.

References

  1. ↑ Lindsay, Bruce (15 March 2014). "GoGo Penguin: v2.0". All About Jazz. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  2. ↑ Eyles, John (2012). "Music – Review of GoGo Penguin – Fanfares". BBC. Archived from the original on 26 November 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  3. ↑ Hasted, Nick (23 January 2014). "GoGo Penguin v2.0 review". JazzwizeMagazine.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  4. 1 2 Heward, Emily (12 September 2014). "Mercury Prize 2014: Manchester jazz trio GoGo Penguin suitably 'chuffed' with nomination". Manchester Evening News. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "Blue Note France signs U.K. Trio GoGo Penguin". Blue Note Records. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "A Humdrum Star (2018)". Blue Note Records. 2 April 2015. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  7. ↑ GoGo Penguin Music (3 April 2020). "GoGo Penguin – Kora". YouTube. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  8. ↑ Baber, Andy (22 September 2014). "Album review of GoGo Penguin album v2.0". musicOMH. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  9. ↑ "GoGo Penguin". Low Four. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  10. 1 2 Nocturnal Ghost (23 February 2014). "GoGo Penguin :: v2.0 (Gondwana)". Igloo Magazine. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  11. ↑ Pickup, Oliver (12 December 2012). "Gogo Penguin". Crack Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  12. ↑ Pallant, Adrian (8 March 2014). "'v2.0' – GoGo Penguin". AP Reviews. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  13. ↑ Janssen, Guillaume (19 September 2014). "GoGo Penguin: v2.0". Spellbinding Music. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  14. ↑ Mann, Ian (22 August 2014). "GoGo Penguin – v2.0". The Jazz Mann. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  15. ↑ Lewis, John (1 February 2018). "Contemporary album of the month – Laurie Anderson/Kronos Quartet: Landfall – Best of the rest". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "Gogo Penguin songs and albums – full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  17. ↑ "Discographie Gogo Penguin – austriancharts.at". austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  18. ↑ "Discografie Gogo Penguin – ultratop.be". ultratop.be. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  19. ↑ "Discographie GoGo Penguin – ultratop.be". ultratop.be. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  20. ↑ "lescharts.com – Discographie Gogo Penguin". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  21. ↑ "Discographie Gogo Penguin". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  22. ↑ "Discografie Gogo Penguin" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  23. ↑ "spanishcharts.com – Discography Gogo Penguin". spanishcharts.com. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  24. ↑ "GoGo Penguin – hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "GoGo Penguin | Album Discography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  26. ↑ "Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl - Vinyl 33 - 20/06/2020". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  27. ↑ "Top Albums – SNEP". SNEP. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  28. ↑ "Top Albums – SNEP". SNEP. Retrieved 18 November 2025.