Gorillaz Returns to Plastic Beach Chaturbate
After establishing themselves in the new millennium’s pop culture zeitgeist with their chameleonic LPs Gorillaz and Demon Days, British “virtual band” Gorillaz returned to Plastic Beach in 2010.
The album is more playful and joyful than its predecessors. It also features a wider sonic palette. Orchestration and ambience are prominent, while the likes of Snoop Dogg and Welsh singer Gruff Rhys appear throughout.
1. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
In their most modern incarnation, Gorillaz cartoonist Jamie Hewlett and Blur frontman Damon Albarn create a world of astounding visual whimsy. On first glance, this world might not be of interest to classic rock lovers. This very modern mash-up of hip-hop wordplay, Swedish electro-pop, chamber orchestration and traditional Syrian/Arabic music might initially be too sprawling and boundary pushing to sit comfortably with the Gorillaz template first sketched out on Demon Days.
But what makes Plastic Beach work is the way in which it brings together this disparate set of styles. It’s a testament to the skills of Danger Mouse and Albarn that they can take the likes of Snoop Dogg, Mos Def and Bobby Womack and have them blend with their own madcap ideas.
The loose enviromental theme runs throughout the album, with the band imagining a wasteland littered with cheap, ephemeral products. It’s an intriguing conceit, but one that’s ultimately overshadowed by the sheer quality of the music. This album takes the concept to new heights. From glam stomp (Glitter Freeze) to mournful soul (Some Kind of Nature), this album is a masterpiece. A truly outstanding record.
2. Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc.
The Gorillaz are well known for their non-traditional approach to music. The band members don’t appear on stage, instead they are displayed as cartoon characters that interact with the crowd through lighting and other visual tricks. This is a cool concept that allows the group to explore a world that they can then display in their music videos and live performances.
Feel Good Inc comes from their second album Demon Days. This is a song that features De La Soul and really showcases the diversity of the Gorillaz’s musical style. The instrumental is a fusion of hip-hop and funky rock, with 2D singing the chorus and the Funky Phantom rapping the verses. The Phantom alternates between rapping at the audience or about Russell to show how crazy he really is.
The Gorillaz are a very interesting band and their work is definitely worth checking out. They are one the most creative bands of the 2000s, and their unique style should be appreciated.
3. Gorillaz – Monkey: Journey to the West
After two successful albums under the name of their virtual band Gorillaz Blur’s Damon Albarn, and artist Jamie Hewlett, teamed up to create this modern retelling an ancient Chinese story. Although it has only been seen in limited engagements, and has yet to reach a larger audience, critics have praised the dazzling blend of visual spectacle and music.
The picaresque story centers on an irrepressible band of pilgrims, including the monkey hero Monkey, who embarks upon a harrowing adventure through stymieing obstacles and menacing characters in search of holy scriptures in India. The production combines traditional Chinese opera, Chinese rock, and tricky world beats. Chen Shi-Zheng is the choreographer and has a command of all technical resources. The cast includes performers like the penetrating Huo Yuanyuan, and acrobats that seem to float in midair.
It is difficult to empathize emotionally with the characters, as this is a “cartoon opera” in the same sense that Gorillaz is a band. But the music is soaring, and Albarn has composed an expansive score, with a plethora of Chinese instruments — both stringed and percussive — and Western electronic sounds.
4. Gorillaz – Carousel
After Demon Days and Feel Good Inc, the third album from Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s animated collaboration band was a bit of a surprise. It was a record which seemed to embrace the band’s zaniness, and told a story that had more depth than previous albums.
The songs are also more varied than ever before with guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, Mos Def, Lou Reed, Mark E Smith and Barry Gibb among others. The album is a departure for Gorillaz, but it still maintains their comically horror show image.
It’s a good thing too because the songwriting on this one is better than anything that came before it, with more purpose and a sense of story-telling. It’s an amazing achievement, that if they continue in the same vein on their next few records (hopefully Humanz and then whatever Song Machine turns into) should see Gorillaz as a true world creators.
5. Gorillaz – The Now Now
Gorillaz, the British virtual band, is back with a new dose of gilded escape. The co-creator, Damon Albarn of Blur and graphic designer Jamie Hewlett of Tank Girl had a lot of things to say about the upcoming album. They referred to it as “the Gorillaz base at Point Nemo – a remote island that is made entirely of plastic debris.”
Albarn’s The Now Now includes guest appearances by George Benson, Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano, Snoop Doggy, and James Blake, among others. However, Albarn aimed to make a less ambitious album this time. The tracks on The Now Now – Humility, Lake Zurich, Sorcererz, Hollywood and Tranz – are simple, yet melodically adept and plainly enjoyable.