GoGo Penguin – Atomised: A Review

GoGo Penguin return to the scene with their 6th full-length album, a genre-defying self-titled piece that reconciles their jazz and electronica influences with classical tones. The Manchester trio – comprising of Chris Illingworth on piano, Rob Turner on drums, and Nick Blacka on bass guitar – have released the single ‘Atomised’ ahead of the album’s drop on May 1st.

Speaking about the making of the album, Turner describes the new album as “more sophisticated” and experimental. “We had quite simple lives in the past. We were younger, so there wasn’t so much drama, and there hadn’t been so many important events in our lives that fed into the music. This time, there’s a lot more facing the realities of becoming older, facing mortality, and watching people that you care about being very close to death. At the same time, Chris became a dad. The longer you live, the more complicated your reality becomes, so we felt our music had to reflect that.” GoGo Penguin is set to be a graduation of both their emotional and musical progression, finalised in a liberated and mature sound.

‘Atomised’, released on March 6th, is their first single from the upcoming album. The elegant merge of acoustic instruments with electronic backing showcases the group’s ability to constantly bend their sound. This track manages to retain a large element of personality through their blending of piano, drums and bass, sitting alongside the energising momentum of an electronic beat. Overall, ‘Atomised’ is successful in promoting the trios’ musically intelligent yet eclectic style.

GoGo Penguin will be released the 1st May 2020 via Blue Note Records.