NEWS
Manchester trio GoGo Penguin surprise release live EP 'From the North – GoGo Penguin Live in Manchester'
08 April 2024
Some buildings are more than just bricks and mortar, they carry their history with them and their ghosts within them. One such building is the Old Granada Studios in Manchester, an iconic studio complex, right in the heart of Manchester, and during the heyday of regional TV broadcasting (70s-90s) home to the legendary Granada Television and it’s most famous export the soap opera Coronation Street.
‘From the North’ was Granada Television’s original strapline, an institution that prided itself on a strong northern identity. This is where Manchester music champion Tony Wilson handed live TV debuts to many local bands, perhaps most famously Joy Division back in 1978. The old Granada TV building and its iconic sign was a prominent part of the Manchester skyline until it closed in 2013. Following the closure, the studios became a temporary home to Low Four Studios, whilst both Mr Scruff and 808 State took up residence in the building, the latter in the old Granada transmission suite.
GoGo Penguin - From The North both celebrates that heritage and captures the Manchester-based trio at an exciting moment within their trajectory. The opportunity came out of the blue when the band were invited back to do a live session in summer 2023. Now operating as Versa Studio 4, the band felt that the studio had played a significant part of their own musical history – they had already filmed a performance in front of a live audience in 2016 and recorded their 2018 album A Humdrum Star there - and wanted to document both the space and also the fast-developing relationship with newest member, drummer Jon Scott. The decision was taken to get the cameras up close so fans can both see and hear the band at work.
“When we were first asked if we’d like to do a live session at the Old Granada Studios, we jumped at the chance. The rumours around Manchester were that it was now defunct and due to be demolished or turned into something else entirely. Not one of us thought we’d set foot in this room again. This was the room where, ever since we first stepped into it, we fell in love with the live room. We thought it had brilliant acoustics and the space had a lot of character and a fascinating history. The studio has remained largely unchanged from when it was built in 1962. According to local legend, The Beatles rehearsed in this very same room before their debut live television performance”.
For the session the band decided to revisit a couple of tracks from Between Two Waves, their first EP on XXIM Records. The first track Wave Decay, features a slightly different arrangement to the original recording where Chris scrapped the muted piano and Nick played the Moog Grandmother synthesiser for the solo section instead of the double bass. And Ascent(also from Between Two Waves) has subtly evolved through gigging since its release. The rest of the material on this record is taken from their latest album Everything Is Going to Be OK.
“As the music was still fresh for us, it was nice to play it all live together in the same room. Every track that we recorded that day has made it onto the record and we’re very happy to share our return to this studio with you”.
GoGo Penguin
From The North - GoGo Penguin Live in Manchester
XXIM/Sony
Track List:
Wave Decay
Ascent
Friday Film Special
Everything Is Going To Be Ok
An Unbroken Thread Of Awareness
You’re Stronger Than You Think
Parasite
Chris Illingworth (piano, synth, Make Noise Strega),
Nick Blacka (double bass, bass guitar, Moog Grandmother)
Jon Scott(drums)
Film by Low Four
Camera - Ben Harrison, Adrian Lambert, Dan Parrott and Tobenn Whitaker
Lighting - Adrian Lambert
Director & Editor Dan Parrott
Recorded at Studio 4, Versa Manchester Studios, June 14th & 15th 2023
Mixed at Low Four Studio, Manchester, 2nd, 3rd & 6th Oct 2023
Recorded, mixed & produced by Joseph Reiser & Brendan Williams
Assistant engineer - Lee Aston
‘From the North’ was Granada Television’s original strapline, an institution that prided itself on a strong northern identity. This is where Manchester music champion Tony Wilson handed live TV debuts to many local bands, perhaps most famously Joy Division back in 1978. The old Granada TV building and its iconic sign was a prominent part of the Manchester skyline until it closed in 2013. Following the closure, the studios became a temporary home to Low Four Studios, whilst both Mr Scruff and 808 State took up residence in the building, the latter in the old Granada transmission suite.
GoGo Penguin - From The North both celebrates that heritage and captures the Manchester-based trio at an exciting moment within their trajectory. The opportunity came out of the blue when the band were invited back to do a live session in summer 2023. Now operating as Versa Studio 4, the band felt that the studio had played a significant part of their own musical history – they had already filmed a performance in front of a live audience in 2016 and recorded their 2018 album A Humdrum Star there - and wanted to document both the space and also the fast-developing relationship with newest member, drummer Jon Scott. The decision was taken to get the cameras up close so fans can both see and hear the band at work.
“When we were first asked if we’d like to do a live session at the Old Granada Studios, we jumped at the chance. The rumours around Manchester were that it was now defunct and due to be demolished or turned into something else entirely. Not one of us thought we’d set foot in this room again. This was the room where, ever since we first stepped into it, we fell in love with the live room. We thought it had brilliant acoustics and the space had a lot of character and a fascinating history. The studio has remained largely unchanged from when it was built in 1962. According to local legend, The Beatles rehearsed in this very same room before their debut live television performance”.
For the session the band decided to revisit a couple of tracks from Between Two Waves, their first EP on XXIM Records. The first track Wave Decay, features a slightly different arrangement to the original recording where Chris scrapped the muted piano and Nick played the Moog Grandmother synthesiser for the solo section instead of the double bass. And Ascent(also from Between Two Waves) has subtly evolved through gigging since its release. The rest of the material on this record is taken from their latest album Everything Is Going to Be OK.
“As the music was still fresh for us, it was nice to play it all live together in the same room. Every track that we recorded that day has made it onto the record and we’re very happy to share our return to this studio with you”.
GoGo Penguin
From The North - GoGo Penguin Live in Manchester
XXIM/Sony
Track List:
Wave Decay
Ascent
Friday Film Special
Everything Is Going To Be Ok
An Unbroken Thread Of Awareness
You’re Stronger Than You Think
Parasite
Chris Illingworth (piano, synth, Make Noise Strega),
Nick Blacka (double bass, bass guitar, Moog Grandmother)
Jon Scott(drums)
Film by Low Four
Camera - Ben Harrison, Adrian Lambert, Dan Parrott and Tobenn Whitaker
Lighting - Adrian Lambert
Director & Editor Dan Parrott
Recorded at Studio 4, Versa Manchester Studios, June 14th & 15th 2023
Mixed at Low Four Studio, Manchester, 2nd, 3rd & 6th Oct 2023
Recorded, mixed & produced by Joseph Reiser & Brendan Williams
Assistant engineer - Lee Aston
