Gorillaz were, from the very beginning, as much conceptual art as they were a musical group. A collaboration between Albarn and visual artist Jaimie Hewlett, the project was conceived as a “virtual band” that could comment on the empty and manufactured nature of popular culture. They quickly expanded into videos, books, comics, and games which detailed a complex and surreal mythology and engaged with a variety of social and political issues.

But Plastic Beach took this to a new level. Damon Albarn's encounter with plastic pollution at Hallsands Beach inspired the album's meditations on the Anthropocene – an epoch marked by significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems. The book positions Plastic Beach as a concept album that reflects on the Anthropocene, combining commentary on environmental degradation and consumer culture with attempts to imagine a future beyond the rapacity and destructiveness of this era.

'The Mountain' is Gorillaz 9th studio album. The album is a collection of 15 new tracks featuring artists and collaborators including: Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Gruff Rhys, Idles, Jalen Ngonda, Johnny Marr, Kara Jackson, Omar Souleyman, Paul Simonon, Sparks, Trueno and Yasiin Bey; as well as the voices of Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper, Mark E. Smith, Proof and Tony Allen. Produced by Gorillaz, James Ford, Samuel Egglenton, Remi Kabaka Jr. and Bizarrap (Orange County), The Mountain was recorded in London, Devon, Miami, Jaipur, Mumbai, New Delhi and Rishikesh; and features artists performing in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba.

The artwork for 'The Mountain' sees Jamie Hewlett’s distinct, yet ever-evolving, style illustrate the world of Gorillaz with an ever more detailed and beautiful intricacy across a series of hand-drawn illustrations. Circumstances find Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, 2D and Noodle in India, where our heroes are immersed in the rhythms of mystical music-making as they navigate the mountainous terrain of this thing called life.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Mountain (feat. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash)
2. The Moon Cave (feat. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda And Black Thought)
3. The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)
4. The Hardest Thing (feat. Tony Allen)
5. Orange County (feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson And Anoushka Shankar)
6. The God Of Lying (feat. IDLES)
7. The Empty Dream Machine (feat. Black Thought, Johnny Marr And Anoushka Shankar)
8. The Manifesto (feat. Trueno And Proof)
9. The Plastic Guru (feat. Johnny Marr And Anoushka Shankar)
10. Delirium (feat. Mark E. Smith)
11. Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman And Yasiin Bey)
12. The Shadowy Light (feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash)
13. Casablanca (feat. Paul Simonon And Johnny Marr)
14. The Sweet Prince (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr And Anoushka Shankar)
15. The Sad God (feat. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna And Anoushka Shankar)

Released in November 2000, the 'Tomorrow Comes Today' EP returns to celebrate 25 years of Gorillaz. Pressed on 140g white and blue colour-in-colour 12” vinyl for the first time, the EP is housed in a single sleeve featuring the original cover artwork. Side 1 includes the singles 'Rock The House' and the title track 'Tomorrow Comes Today', both of which later appeared on Gorillaz' self-titled debut album. Side 2 features a rare English-language version of 'Latin Simone' alongside '12D3', completing the EP. Each vinyl is individually hand pressed, making every copy unique.

TRACK LISTING

1. Tomorrow Comes Today
2. Rock The House
3. Latin Simone
4. 12D3

Gorillaz started the year with Episode 1 - ‘Momentary Bliss ft. slowthai and Slaves’ - of Song Machine, a whole new concept from one of the most innovative bands around. Now, six episodes in, Noodle, 2D, Murdoc and Russel have visited Morocco and Paris, London and Lake Como, as well as travelling all the way to the moon, and Gorillaz is ready to bring you the full collection titled Song Machine: Season One - Strange Timez, out on 23rd October 2020.

Song Machine is the ongoing and ever-evolving process which has seen Gorillaz joined by an expanding roster of collaborators captured live in Kong Studios and beyond. The result is an expansive collection of tracks embracing a myriad of sounds, styles, genres and attitudes from a breath-taking line-up of guest artists including Beck, Elton John, Fatoumata Diawara, Georgia, Kano, Leee John, Octavian, Peter Hook, Robert Smith, Roxani Arias, ScHoolboy Q, Slaves, Slowthai, St Vincent and 6LACK.
To date the project has seen over 100million streams on all tracks already and the band’s biggest period of sustained growth across both listenership and fanbase growth. All this before the album has even been announced!

Virtual band Gorillaz is singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodle and drummer Russel Hobbs. Created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, their acclaimed eponymous debut album was released in 2001. The BRIT and Grammy Award winning band’s subsequent albums are Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (2011), Humanz (2017) and The Now Now (2018). A truly global phenomenon, Gorillaz have achieved success in entirely ground-breaking ways, touring the world from San Diego to Syria, winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: You will have heard a few of these already, but it's nice to finally have all of the disparate releases compiled into one handy to pop-on collection. The deluxe CD has even more of these fruitful collaborations with some of the most recognisable names in modern music. It's a diverse and entertaining selection, and one that will have fans keen for a follow-up.

TRACK LISTING

1. Strange Timez (feat. Robert Smith)
2. The Valley Of The Pagans (feat. Beck)
3. The Lost Chord (feat. Leee John)
4. Pac-Man (feat. ScHoolboy Q)
5. Chalk Tablet Towers (feat. St Vincent)
6. The Pink Phantom (feat. Elton John And 6LACK)
7. Aries (feat. Peter Hook And Georgia)
8. Friday 13th (feat. Octavian)
9. Dead Butterflies (feat. Kano And Roxani Arias)
10. Désolé (feat. Fatoumata Diawara) [Extended Version]
11. Momentary Bliss (feat. Slowthai And Slaves)

Deluxe CD And Deluxe Vinyl Box Set Tracklist:
Disc 1
1. Strange Timez (feat. Robert Smith)
2. The Valley Of The Pagans (feat. Beck)
3. The Lost Chord (feat. Leee John)
4. Pac-Man (feat. ScHoolboy Q)
5. Chalk Tablet Towers (feat. St Vincent)
6. The Pink Phantom (feat. Elton John And 6LACK)
7. Aries (feat. Peter Hook And Georgia)
8. Friday 13th (feat. Octavian)
9. Dead Butterflies (feat. Kano And Roxani Arias)
10. Désolé (feat. Fatoumata Diawara) [Extended Version]
11. Momentary Bliss (feat. Slowthai And Slaves)

Disc 2
12. Opium (feat. EARTHGANG)
13. Simplicity (feat. Joan As Police Woman)
14. Severed Head (feat. Goldlink And Unknown Mortal Orchestra)
15. With Love To An Ex (feat Moonchild Sanelly)
16. MLS (feat. JPEGMAFIA And CHAI)
17. How Far? (feat. Tony Allen And Skepta)

A brand new studio album from Gorillaz titled The Now Now will be released by Parlophone Records on 29th June.

The Now Now is 11 all-new songs from the World’s Most Successful Virtual Act, produced by Gorillaz, with James Ford and Remi Kabaka, and recorded in London, in February this year.

The album sessions for The Now Now saw the band largely eschewing guest stars, taking it back to the core creative crew: blue-haired, sweet-natured dreamer 2D on vocals; whip-smart Japanese badass Noodle on guitar; not forgetting Brooklyn-born philosopher and the meat–behind-the-beat Russel Hobbs on drums. And with Murdoc Niccals temporarily indisposed, bass duties on the new album have been taken up by erstwhile Gangreen Gang member Ace.

TRACK LISTING

1. Humility (feat. George Benson)
2. Tranz
3. Hollywood (feat. Snoop Dogg & Jamie Principle)
4. Kansas
5. Sorcererz
6. Idaho
7. Lake Zurich
8. Magic City
9. Fire Flies
10. One Percent
11. Souk Eye