Description
Gorillaz was created by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and animator Jamie Hewlett, who is best known as the co-creator of the British comic book Tank Girl. The two had met in the early '90s and became friends. Towards the end of the decade, the members of Blur were off doing other projects and guitarist Graham Coxon had quit the band.
In 1997, Hewlett and Albarn, after each ending long-term relationships, decided to share a loft and during their cohabitation, they came up with the idea to create Gorillaz while watching MTV. In a July 2005 interview with Wired magazine, Hewlett said, "One day, we were home watching MTV with our eyes just kind of glazed. Because 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 added, "We're the generation whose stars come from Pop Idol and celebrity-wrestling shows. And it's all a bit like a cartoon, really."
Even though there are four members of Gorillaz (2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs), Albarn had many collaborators to create a sound that was a far cry from Blur's music. The 15 tracks coalesce for a fun rollercoaster ride of electronic, hip hop, alternative rock, and Latin music that one would not think went well together, but it works thanks to producer Dan the Automator's steady hand. What makes Gorillaz succeed is that Albarn and company didn't just make music—they created an experience. Not only in terms of the music on this by now classic album, but also in terms of marketing, Gorillaz was way ahead of its time.
