Gorillaz

Gorillaz is a virtual band created by Damon Albarn of the Britpop band Blur and Jamie Hewlett, who co-created the comic book Tank Girl. The band features four animated members: Stuart “2-D” Pot (vocals, keyboard), Murdoc Niccals (bass), Noodle (lead guitar and occasional vocals), and Russel Hobbs (drums and percussion). Murdoc was inspired by Keith Richards from a photo by David Bailey, and 2-D was based on a friend of Damon and Jamie’s.

The project began as both an experiment and a commentary on popular media, inspired by Hewlett and Albarn binge-watching MTV while living together in London. Hewlett remarked:

“If you watch MTV for too long, it’s a bit like hell – there’s nothing of substance there. So we got this idea for a cartoon band, something that would be a comment on that.”

Gorillaz’s music videos depict the adventures of the band members, with the music developed around them being in specific environments for each album. The albums weave together to form a consistent and continuous story.

The band’s music involves collaboration with various musicians, with Albarn being the only constant musical contributor. Their style is broadly alternative rock but embraces a wide array of influences, including Britpop, dub, hip-hop, and pop music. Gorillaz is often known for blurring genre lines.

Their self-titled debut album, Gorillaz, was released in 2001, selling over seven million copies. Its most popular single, “Clint Eastwood” (feat. Del the Funky Homosapien), remains one of their most recognized songs.

Demon Days, their second album, topped the UK chart and includes guests like Shaun Ryder and MF DOOM. This album primarily is set on a floating island, seen in the videos for “Feel Good Inc”, “El Mañana”, and “Dare.”

Following a four-year break, the band came back with Plastic Beach, featuring collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Kano, and the now late musicians Bobby Womack, Mark E. Smith, and Lou Reed. Its standout single was “Stylo”, which was also remixed by Labrinth and Tinie Tempah. In 2011, the band released The Fall, recorded entirely on an iPad while touring for Plastic Beach.

Fans refer to Phase 4, which started in late 2016 when the band’s social media became active again. On March 23, 2017, Albarn premiered four new tracks on BBC Radio and announced Humanz would release in April 2017.

Their sixth album, marking Phase 5, called The Now Now, was released on June 29, 2018.

Under the ‘Song Machine’ project, Gorillaz released the first of nine monthly ‘episodes’ in January 2020, consisting of music videos with various guest artists. This series culminated in their seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez.

The eighth studio album, released on February 24, 2023, is titled ¨Cracker Island." It includes two music videos and numerous features from artists like Beck, Thundercat, Tame Impala, and more. This phase also included the monthly "Stuart Potcast" podcast hosted by 2-D and a new Discord server.