Gorillaz

**Gorillaz** is an English virtual band formed in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. The band consists of four fictional members, Murdoc Niccals, 2-D, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs.

With Gorillaz, Albarn departed from the distinct Britpop sound of Blur, exploring a variety of musical styles like hip-hop, electronic, and world music. The band's 2001 debut album went triple platinum in the UK and double platinum in Europe, with sales driven by the success of their single "Clint Eastwood." Their second studio album, *Demon Days* (2005), was another major commercial success. It went six times platinum in the UK and double platinum in the US. Their third album, *Plastic Beach* (2010), received mostly positive reviews. The album features environmentalist themes, synth-pop elements, and an expanded roster of featured artists. Their fourth album, *The Fall*, was released as a download for members of the Gorillaz fan club on December 25, 2010, and had a physical release on April 19, 2011.

After a brief hiatus, Gorillaz returned with their fifth album, *Humanz* (2017). The album featured a list of artists, while its follow-up, *The Now Now* (2018), focuses musically on Albarn. In 2020, Gorillaz started the Song Machine project, a music-based web series with episodes that consist of standalone singles and accompanying music videos featuring different guests, collected into their seventh studio album, *Song Machine, Season 1: Strange Timez* (2020). Their eighth studio album, *Cracker Island* (2023), met with generally positive reviews as a refinement of their usual style.

The band has sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is cited by the Guinness World Records as the world's "Most Successful Virtual Band." They have won a Grammy Award, two MTV Video Music Awards, an NME Award, and four MTV Europe Music Awards. They have been nominated for 11 Brit Awards and won Best British Group in 2018.

## History

### Creation (1998-2000)

Damon Albarn first met Jamie Hewlett in 1990 when Graham Coxon, a fan of Hewlett's work, asked him to interview Blur, which Albarn and Coxon had just formed. The interview was published in Deadline magazine, home of Hewlett's comic strip, Tank Girl. Hewlett initially thought Albarn was "arsey, a wanker..." and despite becoming acquaintances with the band, they often did not get on, especially after Hewlett began seeing Coxon's ex-girlfriend Jane Olliver. Despite this, Albarn and Hewlett started sharing a flat on Westbourne Grove in London in 1997.

The idea for Gorillaz came about when Albarn and Hewlett were watching MTV. Hewlett said, "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." Albarn recalled the idea similarly, saying, "This was the beginning of the boy band sort of explosion... and it just felt so manufactured. And we were like, well let's make a manufactured band but make it kind of interesting." The band was originally called "**Gorilla**" and the first song they recorded was "Ghost Train," which later released as a B-Side on their single "Rock the House."

### Gorillaz (2001-02)

From 1998 to 2000, Albarn recorded for Gorillaz's self-titled album in his newly-opened studio, 13 in London and Geejam Studios in Jamaica. The sessions resulted in the band's first release, the EP *Tomorrow Comes Today*, released on November 27, 2000. The EP consisted of tracks that later appeared on the album and also included the band's first music video for "Tomorrow Comes Today," which introduced the virtual band members.

With Gorillaz, Albarn embarked on a creative journey that allowed him to explore genres beyond Blur's repertoire, including hip-hop, dub, and Latin music. This exploration proved to be liberating for him, as he revealed, "One of the reasons I began Gorillaz is I had a lot of rhythms I never thought I could use with Blur. A lot of that stuff never really seemed to manifest itself in the music we made together as Blur." Initially, Albarn started working on the album independently. However, he later sought the assistance of American hip-hop producer Dan "the Automator" Nakamura to serve as the album's producer. Albarn explained his decision, stating, "I called Dan the Automator in after I'd done more than half of it and felt it would benefit from having somebody else's focus. So I just rang him and asked whether he was interested in helping me finish it off." Albarn and Nakamura had recently collaborated on Deltron 3030, the debut album by the hip-hop supergroup of the same name, which featured rapper Del the Funky Homosapien and DJ Kid Koala. Nakamura enlisted both artists to contribute to the completion of Gorillaz material. Del appeared on two tracks, including the lead single "Clint Eastwood," while Kid Koala provided turntable contributions to various songs. The album also featured collaborations with esteemed artists, further highlighting Gorillaz's inclination for collaboration. These included Ibrahim Ferrer of Buena Vista Social Club, Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto, and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club. These collaborations set the stage for the project's future endeavors, which would become a defining characteristic of Gorillaz. The culmination of these creative collaborations and genre exploration resulted in a rich and diverse musical tapestry that defined the Gorillaz sound, setting them apart as an innovative and boundary-pushing musical project.

*Gorillaz*, released on March 26, 2001, swiftly became a commercial triumph, leaving an indelible mark on the music industry. The album made an impressive debut, reaching #3 on the UK Albums Chart and #14 on the US Billboard 200. Its global appeal was undeniable, as it went on to sell a staggering 7 million copies worldwide. The phenomenal success of the lead single, "Clint Eastwood," propelled the album's popularity to new heights. This chart-topping sensation, accompanied by its distinctive blend of alternative rock and hip-hop, resonated deeply with audiences across the globe. The album's impact was further solidified by three other remarkable chart-topping singles: "19-2000," "Rock the House," and the previously released "Tomorrow Comes Today." Each single featured a music video directed by Hewlett. Hewlett also helmed the design of the band's website, which presented as an interactive tour of the band's fictional "Kong Studios" home and recording studio, featuring interactive games and explorative elements. Following the release of the album, the band embarked on a brief tour of Europe, Japan, and the United States to support the album. During the tour, a live band featuring Albarn played completely obscured behind a giant screen, onto which Hewlett's accompanying visuals were projected. In a unique twist, the voice actors of the virtual band members also made appearances at select shows and engaged with the audience, creating the illusion that the fictional band was present on stage. In later interviews, Albarn described the band's first tour as difficult due to the limitations imposed by the band playing behind a screen: "For someone who had just spent the last ten years out front being a frontman [with Blur], it was a really weird experience. And I have to say, some nights I just wanted to get a knife and just cut [the screen] and stick my head through." The album was followed by the B-sides compilation, G-Sides, released on December 12, 2001.

On December 7, 2001, the band released their first non-album single, "911," a collaboration with the hip-hop group D12 (without Eminem) and singer Terry Hall of The Specials about the September 11 attacks. During the 2002 Brit Awards, the virtual members of Gorillaz "performed" for the first time, appearing in 3D animation on four large screens along with rap accompaniment by Phi Life Cypher. The production reportedly cost £300,000 to create. The band was nominated for four Brit Awards, including Best British Group, Best British Album, and British Breakthrough Act, but lost any awards.

On July 1, 2002, a remix album titled *Laika Come Home* was released, featuring most of the tracks from *Gorillaz* remixed in dub and reggae style by the DJ group, Spacemonkeyz. On November 18, 2002, the band released the DVD *Phase One: Celebrity Take Down*, which contained all of the band's visual content along with other extras.

After the success of the debut album, Albarn and Hewlett briefly explored the possibility of creating a theatrical film centered around Gorillaz. However, Hewlett revealed that their interest waned as they began meeting with studios and engaging in discussions with Hollywood executives. The creative duo found themselves not aligning with the vision of these executives, leading them to lose enthusiasm for the project. In Hewlett's words, "We lost all interest in doing it as soon as we started meeting with studios and talking to these Hollywood executive types, we just weren't on the same page. We said, fuck it, we'll sit on the idea until we can do it ourselves and maybe even raise the money ourselves."

## Band members

### Virtual members

#### Current members

* Murdoc Niccals - bass, drum machine (1998-2018; 2018-present)
* 2-D - vocals, keyboards, melodica, rhythm guitar, piano, synthesizers (1998-present)
* Noodle - lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1998-2006; 2012-present)
* Russel Hobbs - drums, percussion, drum machine (1998–2006; 2012–present)

#### Former members

* Paula Cracker - lead guitar (1998)
* Cyborg Noodle - lead guitar, backing vocals (2008-10)
* Ace - bass (2018)

### Touring members

* Mike Smith – keyboards
* Cass Browne – drums, percussion, drum machine
* Darren Galea – turntables
* Simon Katz – lead guitar
* Junior Dan – bass (2001)
 2005–2006*(Demon Days Live)* | * Damon Albarn – lead vocals, piano, melodica
* Mike Smith – keyboards
* Cass Browne – drums
* Darren Galea – turntables
* Simon Tong – guitar
* Karl Vanden Bossche – percussion
* Simon Jones – rhythm guitar
 2010*(Escape to Plastic Beach Tour)* | * Damon Albarn – lead vocals, keyboards, piano, melodica, acoustic guitar
* Mike Smith – keyboards
* Cass Browne – drums, drum machine
* Simon Tong – lead guitar (replaced Jeff Wootton on some dates)
* Mick Jones – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
* Paul Simonon – bass guitar, backing vocals
* Jesse Hackett – keyboards
* Jeff Wootton – lead guitar
 2017–2018*(Humanz Tour and The Now Now Tour)* | * Damon Albarn – lead vocals, piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar
* Mike Smith – keyboards, backing vocals
* Karl Vanden Bossche – electronic drums, percussion
* Jesse Hackett – keyboards
* Jeff Wootton – lead guitar
* Gabriel Wallace – drums, percussion
 2020–22*(Song Machine Tour and World Tour 2022)* | * Damon Albarn – lead vocals, piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar
* Mike Smith – keyboards, backing vocals
* Karl Vanden Bossche – drums, percussion
* Jesse Hackett – keyboards
* Jeff Wootton – lead guitar
* Seye Adelekan – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
* Remi Kabaka Jr. – percussion
* Femi Koleoso – drums

### Studio albums

* *Gorillaz* (2001)
* *Demon Days* (2005)
* *Plastic Beach* (2010)
* *The Fall* (2010)
* *Humanz* (2017)
* *The Now Now* (2018)
* *Song Machine, Season 1: Strange Timez* (2020)
* *Cracker Island* (2023)

### Compilation albums

* *G-Sides* (2001)
* *D-Sides* (2007)
* *The Singles Collection 2001-2011* (2011)

### Extended plays

* *Tomorrow Comes Today* (2000)
* *iTunes Session* (2010)
* *Meanwhile EP* (2021)

## Tours

* *Gorillaz Live* (2001)
* *Demon Days Live* (2005)
* *Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour* (2010)
* *Humanz Tour* (2017-18)
* *The Now Now Tour* (2018)
* *Song Machine Tour* (2020-21)
* *Gorillaz World Tour 2022* (2022)
* *Gorillaz - The Getaway Shows* (2023)

## References

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