A Matter of Life... 2021 (Remastered) Penguin Cafe

• 1 That, Not That 04:24
• 2 Landau 04:55
• 3 Sundog 02:32
• 4 The Fox and the Leopard 03:02
• 5 Finland 04:56
• 6 Pale Peach Jukebox 05:02
• 7 Harry Piers 2021 04:05
• 8 Two Beans Shaker 02:02
• 9 From a Blue Temple 08:40
• 10 Ghost in the Pond 04:08
• 11 Coriolis 02:04
• Total Runtime 45:50

Info for A Matter of Life... 2021 (Remastered)

Penguin Cafe are back with a lovingly produced 10th anniversary reissue of their debut album, titled A Matter of Life… 2021. Besides being completely remastered and pressed on vinyl for the very first time, the record also features a brand new 2021 recording of lead single Harry Piers, a song commemorating Arthur Jeffes’ late father and Penguin Cafe Orchestra founder Simon Jeffes.

A Matter of Life… 2021 is a chance for a classic example of the beauty that’s found in collaboration to reach fresh ears, and an opportunity to breathe new life into fan favourites. The album, performed by a mix of personalities — including Neil Codling of Suede and, on percussion, Cass Browne of Gorillaz — incorporates the aesthetics of the original PCO, seasoned into a confident and redefined style, maintaining that quintessentially English sound, but adding a fresh direction and a sense that they are evolving into something new and very much their own.

“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” — Arthur Jeffes

Arthur Jeffes, piano, ring mod (2), cuatro (4, 6, 10), dulcitone (3, 10), ukulele (1, 8, 10), bass (3), percussion (1, 3, 8), harmonium (9), penny whistles (10), prayer bowl (5)
Vincent Greene, viola, violin (6, 8), güiro (9)
Andy Waterworth, double bass, e-bass
Rebecca Waterworth, cello, paper percussion (9)
Des Murphy, ukulele (4, 6, 8, 10), cuatro (8), glockenspiel (2)
Neil Codling, ukulele (4), piano (10), cuatro (6), harmonium (2)
Darren Berry, violin (2, 6, 8, 10)
Oli Langford, violin (2, 5, 11)
Tom Chichester-Clark, cuatro (4), ukulele (6), melodica (2)
Cass Browne, percussion (10)
Kathryn Tickell Northumbrian, pipes (2)

Digitally remastered

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

Arthur, a talented composer in his own right, quickly began to create new and unique genre-defying music, blending classical instruments like violins and cellos with unexpected elements like ukuleles and melodicas, the spellbinding philosophy of the Penguin Cafe always in his mind.

The 2024-2025 UK & Ireland Tour ‘Penguin Cafe performs Music from the Penguin Cafe Orchestra’ pays homage to the original PCO music featuring performances of classic compositions that have been captivating listeners for decades. Audiences can expect to hear beloved works like ‘Music from a Found Harmonium’ and ‘Perpetuum Mobile’ delivered with the ensemble’s signature warmth and inventiveness. This tour not only celebrates the enduring legacy of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra but also showcases the continued evolution of their sound under Arthur Jeffes direction. To commemorate the tour Universal Music has re-released all of the original PCO albums on limited edition Vinyl, and the original iconic PCO album cover paintings by Emily Young are available to own as limited edition art prints for the first time.

Booklet for A Matter of Life... 2021 (Remastered)