Gorillaz perform at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on December 16, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty)
Gorillaz are an anomaly in pop music.
The group, created by songwriter Damon Albarn and animator Jamie Howlett, have been making some of the most eccentric, unpredictable songs of the 2000s, with hits like “Feel Good Inc.” (2001), “Clint Eastwood” (2001), and “On Melancholy Hill” (2010) among several others. What makes them stand out even more than their sound, however, is the fact that they are a “virtual band,” meaning that they’re portrayed not by human beings, but by four animated characters: 2-D (keyboard and vocals), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar, vocals), Noodle (guitar, keyboards), and Russell Hobbs (drums).
Get ready for the online event of the century – a live audience with me, Murdoc Niccals…
Thanks to our comrades over at @EBnet, you can watch me and 2D live on the sofa and ask us anything you want…
This animated limitation has kept Gorillaz for giving interviews or promoting their albums in the traditional sense. That is, until now. Today, the band will be doing the unthinkable by appearing in an interview with BBC Radio 1’s MistaJam. Animated characters 2-D and Murdoc Niccals will answer questions pertaining to their upcoming album Humanz. The conversation will be live and on camera for the first time ever, and will air this morning at 10 a.m. Eastern (7 a.m. PST). How can you watch it? By going to the group’s YouTube page, or watching the live stream below. In the meantime, you can submit questions to the chat section that you’d like 2-D and Niccals to answer during the interview.
Humanz is scheduled for release on April 28th, and will feature a stunning array of guest features, including Pusha T, De La Soul, Carly Simon, and Danny Brown. Check out the full tracklist, and the music video for “Saturnz Barz,” below.
01. Ascension (feat. Vince Staples)
02. Strobelite (feat. Peven Everett)
03. Saturnz Barz (feat. Popcaan)
04. Momentz (feat. De La Soul)
05. Submission (feat. Danny Brown & Kelela)
06. Charger (feat. Grace Jones)
07. Andromeda (feat. D.R.A.M.)
08. Busted And Blue
09. Carnival (feat. Anthony Hamilton)
10. Let Me Out (feat. Mavis Staples & Pusha T)
11. Sex Murder Party (feat. Jamie Principle & Zebra Katz)
12. She’s My Collar (feat. Kali Uchis)
13. Hallelujah Money (feat. Benjamin Clementine)
14. We Got The Power (feat. Jehnny Beth)
Deluxe edition bonus tracks:
15 The Apprentice (feat. Rag’n’ Bone Man, Zebra Katz & RAY BLK)
16 Halfway To The Halfway House (feat. Peven Everett)
17 Out Of Body (feat. Kilo Kish, Zebra Katz & Imani Vonshà)
18 Ticker Tape (feat. Carly Simon & Kali Uchis)
19 Circle Of Friendz (feat. Brandon Markell Holmes)
