Penguin Cafe have announced a 10th-anniversary reissue of their debut album ‘A Matter of Life… 2021’ (29 April via Erased Tapes). Before its 2011 release, Arthur Jeffes had been touring and playing the original music of his father, Simon Jeffes, the English composer and musician who created the enduring and ever-evolving concept of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He also added a few new pieces as they emerged. A 2009 live album (CD+DVD), recorded at The Royal Albert Hall, presented these pieces side by side for the first time. A Matter of Life followed in 2011.
Besides being completely remastered and pressed on vinyl for the first time, this reissue also features a brand new 2021 recording of the lead single ‘Harry Piers’, which commemorates Arthur’s late father and Penguin Cafe Orchestra founder.
Co-producer and art director Robert Raths: “When I asked Art to dig out the original recordings in order to give them the sonic treatment they deserved, it just so happened that the session file for the most important piece was missing — his ode to his father. A brief moment of panic was shortly followed by the realisation that this might be a sign, a chance to record the glorious new form this song has naturally developed into over the years. I had this strong memory of seeing Arthur genuinely reach out to Simon through the piano, which had to be captured for others to witness.”
Arthur: “I originally wrote Harry Piers to play at my dad‘s memorial service 24 years ago, and I played it at the end of pretty much every gig (and soundcheck) we’ve done since, so I’ve probably played it hundreds if not thousands of times since we originally released A Matter of Life… So when we decided to reissue the album, Robert and I both felt it would be fun to record an up-to-date version of this song, because it has changed over time and it continues to evolve. So while this is still very much the same tune, I think it has a lot more nuance and detail that reflect the years that have passed since 2011”.
Talking about the album, Arthur says, “it’s been really lovely to come back to these old friends — and with this re-issue we’ll be bringing them all out to play live again. Now four albums on, and with our new home at Erased Tapes, it makes a lot of sense for us to go back and pull this record out and brush it off for today”.
The original cover artwork featured a painting by Emily Young depicting father and son as an Emperor Penguin and young boy. This generational concept lives on in the new artwork – UK photographer and long-time collaborator Alex Kozobolis was sent to visit Arthur in his second home in Tuscany. Robert Raths’ concept for this was to not only re-enact the original painting by Emily Young but to express the generational change by putting Arthur and his daughter in place of the little boy and the emperor penguin.
Tracklisting:
1. ‘That, Not That’
2. ‘Landau’
3. ‘Sundog’
4. ‘The Fox and the Leopard’
5. ‘Finland’
6. ‘Pale Peach Jukebox’
7. ‘Harry Piers 2021’
8. ‘Two Beans Shaker’
9. ‘From a Blue Temple’
10. ‘Ghost in the Pond’
11. ‘Coriolis’
Credits:
Arthur Jeffes – piano/ring mod/cuatro/dulcitone/ukulele/bass/percussion/harmonium/penny whistles/prayer bowl
Neil Codling – ukulele/piano/cuatro/harmonium
Vincent Greene – viola/violin/guiro
Pete Radcliffe – percussion
Rebecca Waterworth – cello/paper percussion
Darren Berry – violin
Andy Waterworth – double bass/bass guitar
Tom Chichester Clarke – cuatro/ukulele/melodica
Des Murphy – ukulele/cuatro/glockenspiel
Cass Browne – percussion
Oli Langford – violin
Pre-Order A Matter of Life…2021 (out 29 April) here: https://penguincafe.bandcamp.com/album/a-matter-of-life-2021