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Rob Turner
Mammal Hands: Circadia
by David Bruggink
On their sixth full-length release, Mammal Hands moves from Manchester's Gondwana Records to the German jazz powerhouse ACT. The former indie label proved an excellent fit for their contemplative piano-saxophone-drums format, which draws from jazz, modern classical, and post-rock in a manner both sensitive and cohesive. ACT's association with the Esbjörn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.) makes the partnership feel logical, given Mammal Hands' own boundary-blurring trajectory. Since forming in 2012, the Norwich-based trio has distinguished itself among artists translating ambient, ...
Continue ReadingMammal Hands: Circadia
by Neil Duggan
The album title Circadia reflects themes of renewal and change rooted in the cyclical patterns of life. For the English trio Mammal Hands, change is the keyword: this sixth release marks a significant step in their evolution. Their move to the Act Music label represents a notable shift, one that may broaden their visibility while giving fresh impetus to their musical independence. Equally significant is the arrival of new drummer, Rob Turner, formerly of GoGo Penguin, who joined ...
Continue ReadingGoGo Penguin: GGP/RMX
by Geno Thackara
It was really just a matter of time. With the spirit of techno and trance being such an essential part of GoGo Penguin's musical makeup, the seeds of a remix project have been there all along; they often compose their songs with beat programs before deciding how to arrange them for an acoustic trio, and adding little sonic tweaks to their instruments is just as much a part of the process afterwards. It's perfectly apt that a range of clever ...
Continue ReadingGoGo Penguin: GoGo Penguin
by Geno Thackara
Calling GoGo Penguin a jazz group is sort of like calling Canada a big snowy place. Nobody would consider such a simple term adequate to describe the trio today, least of all the members themselves--bassist Nick Blacka explains that with album number five, GGP has “finally come to accept that we really just aren't a jazz band ... That has been really liberating and freeing for all of us." If anything, it's surprising that these three might have ever felt ...
Continue ReadingGoGo Penguin: Ocean in a Drop
by Geno Thackara
While William Blake saw the world in a grain of sand, and the poet Rumi wrote that each person is not a drop in an ocean but rather the opposite, GoGo Penguin's ever-expanding sonic world hints at similar multitudes yet to be experienced. It rarely sounds like “just" piano, bass and drums in these hands, and the scope of Ocean in a Drop doesn't feel limited by the brevity of its EP length. They hit the ground running and pack ...
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