When it comes to GoGo Penguin, the band are excitingly undefinable. Their music is an eclectic mix of classic jazz instrument and style, alongside the contemporary addition of synth, drum-and-bass and modern production. The three-person group is at its most simple, made up of a drummer, Rob Turner, double bassist, Nick Blacka, and pianist, Chris Illingworth. Yet when you listen to their music, its layers and complexity make it seem as if there is a whole orchestra involved.

This ambiguity in genre is something that Illingworth himself stressed in our conversation. The problem with such an over attempt do define one's genre is that it can often be limiting. For GoGo Penguin, their priority is to be as “free and open as possible”. In order to make their music they need to exist outside of these barriers.

Their approach to their work is experimental, and they utilise the individuality within each track to work into an overarching theme for their albums. When speaking to Chris, he highlighted the importance of recognising those who listen to their music based upon each individual track on shuffle, and those who listen to their albums in their whole form. The band has evidently worked to complement both these listening approaches. The intention is to create “a progression and story” that creates a sense of fulfilment. This has been a successful formula and the band’s work has been increasingly recognised and well received, most noticeably in 2014, when their album v2.0 was nominated for the Mercury Prize, alongside groups such as Young Fathers and FKA Twigs.

Speaking to students in Cambridge, the band was a popular name. This is interesting because, as basic as this sounds, it is unusual to find a band popular with younger people without spoken word that isn’t exactly drum-and-bass or deep house. GoGo Penguin’s repertoire displays incredible instrumental creativity and ability, without any vocals. This makes them a uniquely peaceful listening experience, and is on the ‘studying’ playlists of multiple friends of mine. Despite this lack of vocals, the music is exciting, and with fun and unusual names for each track. When asking how the band come up with these names, it seems they are often the starting point for their music development. The track names is “where the inspiration for the music comes, and there is a story behind it”. My favourite of these stories is told to me by Chris, who explains how ‘Garden Dog Barbeque’ (from the album v2.0) was inspired by a reoccurring dream where dogs were hosting a barbeque, and the dogs ended up cooking themselves. A slightly disturbing idea, yet the song is intriguing but also suitably playful for its inspiration.

One of the best representations of the band’s ability is found in their 2016 digital album release, Live at Abbey Road. As Chris described, there is something so special about playing in such an iconic venue. The profound history of the place is potentially overwhelming, but it seems that when you are caught up in that experience it “doesn’t feel particularly over the top or anything extravagant” – there is something humbling about such a reputable location. Filmed in front of a small audience, it is an intimate and unique representation of their whole repertoire and is a work that should not be missed.

Currently, the band are resting up before they travel to Slovakia and Slovenia to perform shows. Following this, they are returning to the UK and are playing at the Cambridge Junction on 28th October. When asking what to expect of the performance, there is a sense of ambiguity. When it comes to GoGo Penguin, “people tend to find their own interpretation of what we do”.  In this subjectivity, the band appreciates the diversity in their audience. While their music is unique, there is something familiar about their styles and instruments it employs, so people are able to find “something that appeals to them, something already inside of them that they can enjoy and reflect on in the gig.” While Chris is careful in how “cheesy” it may sound, there is “something for everyone” in their music. They are an exciting, original and inspired band, whose music is a must-listen-to.