Track two of the album Flüstern macht gemeinsam. 

FDL#03. 
Release: Autumn 2014.

www.federleicht.be

die Nachtstunde - 02 Im Fernblau (FDL#03)

John Zorn - Dance Exotique

Penguin Cafe's critically acclaimed second studio album, released 17th February 2014. 
The Red Book is the culmination of two years work that has seen Arthur Jeffes - son of original composer and Penguin Cafe Orchestra founder Simon Jeffes - investigate whole new areas of sound and vibrancy, alongside his eclectic collection of musicians and characters, marking an ambitious extension from their debut ‘A Matter of Life’ (2011).

The catalyst for the new recording came about when Jeffes worked on a project with the International Space Orchestra and NASA Ames in 2012, out of which came the pieces Aurora and 1420, which have since been beamed into space as part of NASA’s Kepler project. These touchstones marked a satellitic beginning for a new album, a collection of songs that return to earth to undertake a rich, cross-continental, musical journey.

The Red Book (FINAL MASTERED)

1420

Penguin Cafe's critically acclaimed second studio album, released 17th February 2014. 
The Red Book is the culmination of two years work that has seen Penguin Cafe investigate whole new areas of sound and vibrancy, making full use of the eclectic collection of musicians and characters, marking an ambitious extension from their debut ‘A Matter of Life’ (2011).

The catalyst for the new recording came about when Jeffes worked on a project with the International Space Orchestra and NASA Ames in 2012, out of which came the pieces Aurora and 1420, which have since been beamed into space as part of NASA’s Kepler project. These touchstones marked a satellitic beginning for a new album, a collection of songs that return to earth to undertake a rich, cross-continental, musical journey.

(the roaring of a) Silent Sun

Penguin Cafe is a continuation by Arthur Jeffes of the ideas and music that his father, Simon Jeffes the English composer and musician, created with the enduring and ever-evolving concept of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.

During the first two years the new band were touring and playing the original music and they were writing and performing new pieces as they emerged. This record is a collection of some of these pieces, released in 2011.

Penguin Cafe release their new album 'The Imperfect Sea' in 2017, accompanied by international touring.

visit us www.penguincafe.com | www.arthurjeffes.com

follow us www.facebook.com/ThePenguinCafe | twitter.com/thepenguincafe

Copyright Editions Penguin Cafe Ltd 

4 The Fox And The Leopard

Concert Program, originally released in 1995, was the eighth PCO album in 19th years. It is both a live album, recorded in a studio setting, and a compilation, reprising selections from the two decades of Penguin Cafe Orchestra music, from early 'Air a Danser' and 'Music for a Found Harmonium' through 'Cage Dead', from the later released recording, Union Cafe.

Penguin Cafe release their new album 'The Imperfect Sea' in 2017, accompanied by international touring.

visit us www.penguincafe.com | www.arthurjeffes.com

follow us www.facebook.com/ThePenguinCafe | twitter.com/thepenguincafe

Copyright Editions Penguin Cafe Ltd


1 - 9 Telephone And Rubber Band

1 - 5 Numbers 1 - 4

1 - 3 Organum

Pre-order 'The Imperfect Sea' on Vinyl, CD and DL here: phonofile.link/the-imperfect-sea

The iconic Penguin Cafe join the Erased Tapes family and open a brand new chapter to their unique world with new album The Imperfect Sea – out on Erased Tapes 5th May 2017.

A penguin stands in the middle of a scorching desert, far away from its natural habitat. This mirrors composer Arthur Jeffes’ journey and exploration into a new musical territory. Penguin Cafe have evolved into something of their own at the hands of Arthur who started the band in 2009 with the continuation and homage to his father’s legacy, to the late Simon Jeffes’ Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Now, their upcoming album echoes reminiscent sounds that embrace the new.

The album title refers to a saying by his father that “we wade in a sea of imperfections…”, reflecting upon the idea that beauty can be found amongst the chaos. “If there is a narrative to the album it’s coming to the acceptance of the imperfections in all aspects of life; moreover, the recognition that these imperfections and tiny randomnesses are in fact what make up the best parts”, Arthur explains. This has also been highlighted by the striking cover artwork designed by FELD under the art direction of label founder Robert Raths, resembling a lone figure adapting to and accepting its surrounding environment.

Predominantly self-composed, the new album also features covers of electronic works by Simian Mobile Disco and Kraftwerk, along with a re-working of Simon's 'Now Nothing'. Arthur has developed from the traditional folk and jazz heritage Penguin Cafe Orchestra is known for into another realm of blissful ambience and dance music, recreated using strictly acoustic elements.

“For this album I wanted to effect a departure from where we’d been up to now. The idea was to create a musical world that would feel familiar to an audience more used to dance records but stay true to our own values. So we replaced electronic layers with real instruments: pads with real string sections, synths with heavily-effected pianos, and atmospheric analogue drones with real feedback loops ringing through a stone and a piano soundboard.”

On the day of release, the band will play a headline show at New York’s Le Poisson Rouge, commencing the beginning of this new adventure for Penguin Cafe.

The Imperfect Sea

Buy LP/CD/DL

Penguin Cafe - Ricercar

Initially being released as a limited 12" vinyl edition on Record Store Day 2017, it will be re-released on vinyl, CD and digital formats on June 16th due to popularity. Pre-order 'Umbrella' on EP/CD/DL: http://phonofile.link/umbrella

Worlds collide as the iconic Penguin Cafe and Japanese producer Cornelius' mutual admiration for one another led to them joining forces for this four-track Umbrella EP.

The pair crossed paths in 2012 when Penguin Cafe were touring in Japan, and Cornelius’ band Saryu Saryu supported them in Tokyo. Since then they decided to seize the opportunity to work together, and have reworked and reimagined existing tracks of their own, alongside two new Penguin Cafe songs.

“Meeting up with Cornelius in Tokyo felt like such good fate we kind of had to do something together. And this two-way remix worked great as we could work from different sides of the planet but still end up with something by us both. His electro vibes inspired us not just with Birdwatching but also Dull Sun and it's a path we carried on down with the new album.... so glad we did that.” — Arthur Jeffes

“I was listening to Penguin Cafe since high school so was excited to be able to collaborate with them.
When I went to see their show in Tokyo I was surprised that they performed Bird Watching at Inner Forest. It was an honor for me. If there is a chance to collaborate again, I look forward to that day.” — Keigo Oyamada (Cornelius)

The complimentary sounds of Penguin Cafe on piano and strings, merged with the electronic soundscape of Cornelius, form this special collaborative piece.

Umbrella EP

Buy 12"/CD/DL

Penguin Cafe - Solaris (Cornelius Mix)

Order 'Union Cafe' on LP/CD/DL: phonofile.link/union-cafe

Erased Tapes has the huge privilege of reissuing the original Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s last ever studio album Union Cafe including a first time vinyl edition — out now to coincide with the 20th Anniversary of founder Simon Jeffes’ passing in 1997.

It was 1972 in the South of France when Simon had an unfortunate experience with food poisoning which lead to a much more fortunate circumstance when a vivid dream, induced from his illness and depicting a dystopian future, conceived the Penguin Cafe; a charming place where solace, harmony, and the orchestra’s unique music could be found amidst brutal concrete structures and darkness. For the following 25 years, Simon carried out this vision bringing brightness into a world full of noise. Sadly, after his passing, the original orchestra disbanded, but the doors to this happy place reopened when his son Arthur decided to continue his father’s legacy under the name Penguin Cafe.

The continuation of the PCO began at London’s Union Chapel in 2007 when Arthur and the original musicians commemorated Simon 10 years after his death. Another 10 years forward, 2017 will see Penguin Cafe pay tribute to him once again at the Union Chapel on December 11th where they will perform Union Cafe in full – a union from all corners of this magical world.

Union Cafe was the fifth, and the last studio album by Penguin Cafe Orchestra. It was initially released in 1993 merely on cassette and CD, and will now be given a new breath of life, for the first time available on vinyl, and another chance to reach old and new fans alike.

“Union Cafe was the last studio album recorded by the original Penguin Cafe Orchestra and marked a move towards a definitive English pastoral sound combined with larger string arrangements set against longer solo piano pieces. With this last album they got even closer to the PCO idea of squaring the circle of intellectually challenging modern music that is still actually beautiful. For me this has always been a contender as my favourite PCO album, and the fact that it never ended up on vinyl was more to do with the way things were in the early 90s, and chance rather than it being deliberate. So in that sense this release is righting an old wrong. The slow development of the pieces means that you can really get lost in them and vinyl is of course the perfect way to do that.” — Arthur Jeffes

Arthur very kindly gave access to the original Union Cafe painting that currently lives in his North London home studio, created by Arthur’s mother Emily Young and now photographed by Alex Kozobolis for this special reissue edition.

Union Cafe

Buy 2LP/CD/DL

Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Kora Kora

The Official home of Penguin Cafe on Soundcloud. 

Penguin Cafe was founded by Arthur Jeffes in 2009, after bringing together a talented and disparate group of musicians including members of Suede and Gorillaz, to perform his father Simon Jeffes’ legacy of world-renowned Penguin Cafe Orchestra music, ten years after his untimely death in 1997. 

2019 sees Erased Tapes present Handfuls of Night — the highly anticipated follow-up to Penguin Cafe’s much applauded 2017 album The Imperfect Sea — inspired by the Antarctic, Arthur Jeffes’ journey following in Scott’s footsteps and our penguin friends that reside there.

Handfuls of Night is out on October 4th amid a string of UK live dates, before taking the album on a worldwide tour in 2020 with more dates to be announced

1 - 9 Telephone And Rubber Band

Penguin Cafe

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