Gorillaz

The Gorillaz are a collaborative project by Blur front-man Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett (creator of Tank Girl), involving four animated characters -- 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel -- who make up the hip-hop band. Given the alter-persona notion of Gorillaz, videos are a mix of cartoon, realism, and sound, which explore ideas of artifice and authenticity in music. The idea for Gorillaz grew out of viewing MTV and the realization that a majority of the content was manufactured for consumption.

Albarn was joined by Dan the Automator, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Kid Koala -- all members of hip-hop collective Deltron 3030 -- for the release of the Tomorrow Comes Today EP in 2000. The record helped to generate a media buzz about the band, with everyone keen to know who was behind the enigmatic newcomers. This was built on by the single “Clint Eastwood” which was a Top 10 hit in the UK and helped prepare the ground for the debut album. In 2001 the album Gorillaz was released, containing a mix of influences including rock, pop and electronica. It was a huge critical and commercial success and went on to sell seven million copies.

At the end of 2001 they collaborated with an Eminem-less D12 and ex-Specials member Terry Hall on the free download track “911”, which would later appear in the film Bad Company.

In 2005 the single “Feel Good Inc.” was released, reaching No.2 in the UK and earning a nomination for the Grammy’s Record of the Year. On the back of the single’s success, the album Demon Days was released, debuting at No.1 in the UK charts. Another eclectic mix, the album featured collaborations with Shaun Ryder, De La Soul, Neneh Cherry and Dennis Hopper (who provides a narration to one of the tracks). The album was another huge seller, going multi-platinum in the US and UK, and receiving five Grammy nominations.

Plans for a tour in 2006 had to be sidelined due to the prohibitive expense and technical limitations involved in touring with an animated band. An album of B-sides and remixes, D-Sides, was released at the end of 2007.

2010 saw the release of Plastic Beach and Gorillaz headlining the Coachella Music Festival, Denmark's Roskilde Festival, and Glastonbury. Their live line-up features Albarn, Hewlett as well as two members of The Clash; Mick Jones and Paul Simonon. They frequently welcome guests to their stage shows, adding to the idea that the band is a collaboration and greater than the sum of their individual parts.