gorillaz

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett created a virtual group with cartoon characters, sunshine in a bag, and a genre blending mix of electronic, hip hop, reggae, acid, punk, latin, and rock. The fictional cartoon band consists of 2D (lead vocalist, keyboard), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (guitar, keyboard, and occasional vocals) and Russel Hobbs (drums and percussion). In reality Blur's Damon Albarn brought in Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, Kid Koala, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Afro-Cuban singer Ibrahim Ferrer, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori, and Tom Tom Club's Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz to provide the musical background to Hewlett's animated videos. The album sold ten million copies worldwide, reaching number three on the UK chart and number fourteen in the US.

Albarn considers the concept to be an alternative to a celebrity obsessed culture: "Amongst kids and teenagers which comprise the bulk of its success, it’s because it’s something that’s an alternative but I don’t know if they initially make connections between its sort of being the sort of antithesis of everything else that seems to be out there, I don’t know. I mean for us it was – and a will continue to be – such a liberating exercise really because you can go either way. Jamie and I work together in a very kind of isolated parallel with each other. We’re very good friends but we don’t invade each others space at all. We’ve basically got a given where everything I do he likes and everything he does I like – doesn’t matter what that is."







http://gorillaz.com/

The music for 'Clint Eastwood' was inpired by Ennio Morricone's theme from 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'. The song features raps by Del tha Funkee Homosapien. It reached number one in Italy, Norway, and Spain and was a top five hit on charts all over the world.

"Picture you getting down in a picture tube,

Like you lit the fuse.

You think it's fictional? Mystical, maybe.

Spiritual hero who appears in you to clear your view when you're too crazy.

Lifeless, to those the definition for what life is."

'19-2000' features Miho Hatori and Tina Weymouth. The single topped the charts in New Zealand and made it to number six in the UK.

"There's a monkey in the jungle

Watching a vapor trail

Caught up in the conflict

Between his brain and his tail

And if time's elimination

Then we got nothing to lose

Please repeat the message

It's the music that we choose"

'Rock the House' also features Del tha Funkee Homosapien.

"I wanna get down lower than Atlantis

Going toe to toe with an enchantress

Get funkier than funkadelic wearin' pampers

While you eggheads is on the wall preparin' answers

Sharing transcripts while we over here

Dipping and dancin'

Rhythm romancin'"

'Tomorrow Comes Today'

"Don't think I'm not all in this world

The camera won't let me go

And the verdict doesn't love our soul

The digital won't let me go"

Gorillaz  
full album:



All songs by Damon Albarn except where noted

1. "Re-Hash" 3:37
2. "5/4"  2:39
3. "Tomorrow Comes Today" 3:12
4. "New Genious (Brother)" Albarn, Odetta Gordon 3:57
5. "Clint Eastwood" (featuring Del the Funky Homosapien) Albarn, Teren Jones 5:39
6. "Man Research (Clapper)"  4:32
7. "Punk" Albarn 1:36
8. "Sound Check (Gravity)" 4:40
9. "Double Bass" 4:44
10. "Rock the House" (featuring Del the Funky Homosapien) Albarn, Jones, Dan Nakamura, John Dankworth 4:08
11. "19-2000" 3:27
12. "Latin Simone (¿Qué Pasa Contigo?)" (featuring Ibrahim Ferrer) Albarn, Ibrahim Ferrer, Lázaro Villa 3:36
13. "Starshine" 3:31
14. "Slow Country" 3:35
15. "M1 A1" Albarn, John Harrison 3:54
bonus tracks
16. "Clint Eastwood" (Ed Case and Sweetie Irie refix edit) Albarn, Jones Dan the Automator, Damon Albarn 3:42
17. "19-2000" (Soulchild remix) Albarn   3:33