Penguin Café brought the Barbicans three day event ‘Possibly Colliding’ to a joyous close on Sunday with a magical set that started forty minutes late but soon had the audience smiling. With their capacity to create vivid soundscapes that fill the mind with colour and precision yet simultaneously allow it to drift freely alone, Penguin Café could be the soundtrack to your life.
The whole weekend was curated by Nils Frahm, a super energetic Berlin-based musician who set out to ‘surprise people in the best possible way’ bringing together producers, composers and performers for this intriguing mix of music and visual arts. Sessions included ranged from Jack Wyllie’s organic analogue synth sounds, Britten Sinfonia Voices and the premiere of Benoit Toulemonde’s short film, Empty, scored by Frahm.
Anna Von Hausswolff was a challenging warm-up for Penguin Café with her blasts of dark electric sound and howling voices - ‘I’ll give your ears a rest now’ she laughed as Penguin Café’s fans began to escape through the back door.
Arthur Jeffes, son of Penguin Café Orchestra founder Simon Jeffes is an unprepossessing star, expressing a gentle reverence for his fathers work and an obvious delight in the music he’s now developing with his highly skilled group of young musicians. Classic works of his father’s such as ‘Telephone and Rubber Band’ and ‘Music from a found Harmonium’ kicked off the set, still sounding fresh as ever before they moved into exciting first performances from their new album, due to be launched in September.
Black Hibiscus with an irresistible Mexican kick was a personal favourite but it was a rich and varied set with something in there for everyone. It’s an exciting time for Penguin Café who continue to hit poignant and playful in just the right the measure.
Set-list
Air a danser
Telephone and rubber band
Catania
Rescue
Music for a found harmonium
Cantorum
Candide
Protection
Nothing really blue
Swing the cat
Perpetuum mobile
Beanfields
Landau
Black Hibiscus
Harry Piers
Salty Bean Fumble
