GoGo Penguin

The piano trio has been one of the most durable, beloved, and flexible formats in jazz history. Manchester-based GoGo Penguin turns this most venerable construct on its ear, infusing direct influences from contemporary electronic music and modern classical concepts into their singular ensemble approach that has earned well-deserved raves from all corners of the music world.  

The band’s hypnotic, swirling grooves are acoustic adaptations of pieces composed with sequencing software, and rely as much on additive development and dynamic contrasts as improvisation, with pianist Chris Illingsworth’s powerful melodic statements anchored by Nick Blacka’s thunderous bass and the skittering break-beat rhythms of drummer Jon Scott.  

The strength of their first two independent albums and magnetic live performances led to inclusion on Rolling Stone’s list of “20 Great New British Artists to Watch,” as well as a deal with Blue Note Records, who released their 2016 breakout, Man Made Object.  

Fast forward to the present — the band are riding high from their eighth release, the 2025 XXIM Records album Necessary Fictions, which integrates a wider sonic spectrum through modular synthesizers, and have recently released the follow-up Call to the Void, a three-track EP that dives still deeper into electronic experimentation. 

Pushing the jazz trio form in unprecedented new directions, GoGo Penguin truly sounds like nothing else on Earth.