GoGo Penguin

Part of Norwich Jazz Festival.

Mancunian, Mercury-nominated trio GoGo Penguin have a sound which defies easy definition. Fusing jazz, classical minimalism, electronica, and cinematic flair, their music pulses with rhythm, texture and emotional depth.

Bassist Nick Blacka, pianist Chris Illingworth and drummer Jon Scott create a sonic world that’s unmistakably their own – cascading piano patterns, propulsive basslines, and driving drums that together form a kind of acoustic-electronic symphony.

Their powerful new album, Necessary Fictions, finds the band digging deep to uncover, in their own words, “our integral, authentic qualities at this moment in time.” The result is some of their boldest music yet, shimmering with modular synths and electric bass, gliding spectacularly from acoustic instrumentation into electronica, with drums often leading the charge. The album draws on influences from techno, krautrock, and ambient minimalism, yet remains unmistakably their own: honest, intricate, and deeply human.

On stage, their chemistry is electric, each performance a living dialogue between three expressive, fearless musicians. Whether you come from jazz, classical, or electronica, you’ll find something to fall in love with at a GoGo Penguin gig.

Support comes from Daudi Matsiko.