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May 18, 2021 Web Exclusive By Haydon Spenceley

The music of Gogo Penguin is so vivid, vital and vivacious that a remix album is a natural development for the British jazz mavericks. The band asked a bevy of high-profile friends and colleagues (Cornelius, Squarepusher, Portico Quartet, Yosi Horikawa, Manchester legends 808 State, rising star Shunya, James Holden, and more besides) to take apart and piece back together tracks from their spellbinding self-titled fifth album. The results will, it can be hoped, only open up their fine work to an even wider audience.

Take Machinedrum’s dance floor filling version of “Atomised,” one of the standouts from the album. It maintains the core character of the Gogo Penguin original but adds a flavor and intensity to the mix, which is quite something to behold. Similarly, Squarepusher’s version of “F Maj Pixie” begins as gently as the original before truly letting loose with breathtaking consequences and Portico Quartet bring their particular brand of ethereal atmospherics to bear on “Don’t Go.” This is a fine remix record which stands as a good album in its own right and should only send more listeners back to the source material, which can only be a good thing. (www.gogopenguin.co.uk)

Author rating: 7/10