Tonight is billed as the world premiere of 'Apophenia', a collaboration between Gogo Penguin and arts collective, Tenentnet.
Gogo Penguin start off as more piano led than previous performances I've seen. The elegant first couple of numbers are mostly piano and are almost classical. It is only on the third track when their jazz sensibilities start to run free. They are accompanied by beautiful, stylised images of the natural world such as coral, leaves and clouds, and there seems to be a great synergy between the music and the images. As the music becomes more dexterous and frantic so do the visuals. I'm often transfixed by the playing but this time round I'm equally captivated by the visuals. The footage of volcanos interspersed with chimneys spewing out pollution is deeply affecting. It all has a very modern feel as although it is jazz, it can also be seen as dance music interpreted by a piano jazz trio. Nick Blacka's double bass playing often gives it a 90s drum 'n' bass feel that brings Roni Size to mind. All the players are exceptional individually but they blend together amazingly well to create something incredible. I hope they keep using the visuals for future performances because they add an extra dimension to something that is already very special live.
Gogo Penguin *****
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