Photo: Mark Gregson

With their much-anticipated seventh album Necessary Fictions arriving next month, and following the mesmerizing lead single ‘Fallowfield Loops’, GoGo Penguin have unveiled a second single, ‘What We Are and What We Are Meant to Be’. The previous single introduced us to the album’s expanded textures and modular synth explorations, and their new offering pushes even further into the band’s present mindset. Stripped of improvisation and driven by a steady, dance-influenced bass synth, it’s perhaps their most direct and unadorned piece to date. As bassist Nick Blacka puts it, “It’s really simple, really melodic”, continuing:

“It’s not showboating, like ‘Hey, look at all the chops we’ve got, and how great we are!’ There’s not even any improvisation in it. Bass-wise, it’s just got a bass synth like a dance track. There’s still a part of me that’s like, ‘What are people going to think?’ Then there’s another part that just thinks, ‘Fuck it, they can think what they want! This is what we want to make right now, and it feels authentic.’”

Alongside the new single, the Manchester trio shared an accompanying video directed by longtime collaborator Rich Williams. Watch the video below and get ready for Necessary Fictions, out on June 20th through XXIM/Sony.