General Questions
Pulse, March 2001
With cartoon-to-feature film projects as popular as ever (i.e., "Josie & the Pussycats," "Scooby Doo"), who would be ideal choices to play each of the Gorillaz in a motion picture? (I hear that Damon fellow has had some on-screen experience--opposite Robert Carlyle, no less!)
2D: Scooby Doo Zombie Island was amazing! They should make a live-action version of that with George Romero at the helm. Are they still gonna do a film of Resident Evil? That would be top banana.
Murdoc: Top banana? You do witter on like a prick sometimes. In answer, I guess I would need to be played by a young Cassevettes, or maybe a Pacino, only an artist of that stature and talent would be able to approach my depth and raw energy. I’m sure that Henson's Creature Shop could knock up a convincing 2D in a couple of hours, they’ve had enough experience with Muppets to do him with their eyes closed.
Any chance of Gorillaz doing a guest spot on The Simpsons?
Russel: We’re no Aerosmith, but I’d love to try some of Apu’s Slushies and Chili Dogs from the Kwik-E-Mart.
2D: I’d be a bit uncomfortable around all those TV actor types.
I used to watch more than my shares of cartoons growing up. Did you all watch much live-action programming?
Murdoc: My dad was in the movie business. He played the child catcher in the porno version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Bang.
Are any cultural differences apparent when Gorillaz work together?
Russel: There’s an amount of that between the four of us, but it‘s really a positive thing for our sound. It’s the humans who work with us on the project, not to mention those who come into contact with us from the media, that have the biggest culture shock on entering our animated alter-world. When they get their heads around it though, they really begin to buzz.
Murdoc
Do you play any double bass?
Murdoc: Yeah man, I play the double bass on track nine of our album, it’s entitled Double Bass. Funny that.
How will you respond to the inevitable speculation that artists including Dan the Automator and Damon Albarn are the Svengalis behind Gorillaz?
Murdoc: Listen, everybody is trying to cash in on our heat, mine in particular. I’ve seen the interviews with these people in the press and on TV and for the most part they’ve given me the respect that is due for putting their careers back on the map. For the record, I’ll only say this just once, this is my band. My band!
What better describes your and 2-D's relationship - friction or fusion?
Murdoc: Confusion reigns supreme when you have anything to do with that walking advert for birth control. Everyone knows that front men are vacuous, spoon-fed stooges who emblazon TV screens, magazine covers and bedroom walls for nanoseconds before winding up as embittered showbiz has-beens who can’t even do their own laundry now that their ex-management will no longer return their calls.
2D: You’re always so confrontational Murdoc, it’s not a competition you know.
Murdoc: Oh, but it is, my simple friend!
2D
Are you related to Massive Attack's 3D?
2D: Nah, he’s a friend of mine though. We wrote a track together for Horace Andy, which was an amazing experience as Horace has always been one of my heroes.
Is it ever hard to focus on your art when the girls are so mad about you?
2D: There’s never been a history of heart problems in my family.
What better describes your and Murdoc's relationship - friction or fusion?
Murdoc: I think you might be aiming a bit high with your line of questioning.
2D: Yeah. Thanks Murdoc, sometimes you just can’t help but be nice to me, can you?
Russel
Were any drummers or drum machines particularly influential on your playing?
Russel: The Last Poets had tight percussion, and you can never go wrong with The J.B.'s.
What are your feelings about Stateside Hip-Hop-Pop?
Russel: That is no small subject, it's my life you know, and where do you start with anything that is central to who you are? There’s always gonna be some fools who try and cash in on an art form, but Hip-Hop is by the people for the people and of the people, so because of that truth will always find a way to be heard through Hip-Hop. I got to say though, since I’ve been in England I’ve been tuning into some styles that are bad. Phi Life and Cypher are really cool, I love the rap they did for us on their mix of Clint Eastwood, and Mark B and Blade are tough. English Hip-Hop isn’t given the credit it’s due man, those guys and others too numerous to mention are solid, they don’t get the backing they deserve but they’ve been into it since time. Now that Hip-Hop from my homeland is the dominant global art form, I hope that they can get some much-needed record company support. You all should check them out.
Does your musical training ever clash with the other Gorillaz's DIY approach?
Russel: I just get John Cage on their ass’ when needs be. There’s always room for experimentation in music.
Noodle
Is it ever difficult for you to do late-night club gigs on account of your age?
Noodle: Sometimes I have to stay up past my bedtime, and that makes me very tired. Sometimes 2D has to stay up past his bedtime, that makes him very tired too. Murdoc never seems to need to go to bed. He works until very late in his studio. Sometimes he is in a very good mood, sometimes very bad.
Are there times when your guitar and martial arts skillz come together?
Noodle: They are one and the same, both effortlessly expressing the Tao.
The hipper cat: Doraemon or Hello Kitty?
Noodle: Meowth.
Much thanks!
Noodle: Yoshi.
2D: Scooby Doo Zombie Island was amazing! They should make a live-action version of that with George Romero at the helm. Are they still gonna do a film of Resident Evil? That would be top banana.
Murdoc: Top banana? You do witter on like a prick sometimes. In answer, I guess I would need to be played by a young Cassevettes, or maybe a Pacino, only an artist of that stature and talent would be able to approach my depth and raw energy. I’m sure that Henson's Creature Shop could knock up a convincing 2D in a couple of hours, they’ve had enough experience with Muppets to do him with their eyes closed.
Any chance of Gorillaz doing a guest spot on The Simpsons?
Russel: We’re no Aerosmith, but I’d love to try some of Apu’s Slushies and Chili Dogs from the Kwik-E-Mart.
2D: I’d be a bit uncomfortable around all those TV actor types.
I used to watch more than my shares of cartoons growing up. Did you all watch much live-action programming?
Murdoc: My dad was in the movie business. He played the child catcher in the porno version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Bang.
Are any cultural differences apparent when Gorillaz work together?
Russel: There’s an amount of that between the four of us, but it‘s really a positive thing for our sound. It’s the humans who work with us on the project, not to mention those who come into contact with us from the media, that have the biggest culture shock on entering our animated alter-world. When they get their heads around it though, they really begin to buzz.
Murdoc
Do you play any double bass?
Murdoc: Yeah man, I play the double bass on track nine of our album, it’s entitled Double Bass. Funny that.
How will you respond to the inevitable speculation that artists including Dan the Automator and Damon Albarn are the Svengalis behind Gorillaz?
Murdoc: Listen, everybody is trying to cash in on our heat, mine in particular. I’ve seen the interviews with these people in the press and on TV and for the most part they’ve given me the respect that is due for putting their careers back on the map. For the record, I’ll only say this just once, this is my band. My band!
What better describes your and 2-D's relationship - friction or fusion?
Murdoc: Confusion reigns supreme when you have anything to do with that walking advert for birth control. Everyone knows that front men are vacuous, spoon-fed stooges who emblazon TV screens, magazine covers and bedroom walls for nanoseconds before winding up as embittered showbiz has-beens who can’t even do their own laundry now that their ex-management will no longer return their calls.
2D: You’re always so confrontational Murdoc, it’s not a competition you know.
Murdoc: Oh, but it is, my simple friend!
2D
Are you related to Massive Attack's 3D?
2D: Nah, he’s a friend of mine though. We wrote a track together for Horace Andy, which was an amazing experience as Horace has always been one of my heroes.
Is it ever hard to focus on your art when the girls are so mad about you?
2D: There’s never been a history of heart problems in my family.
What better describes your and Murdoc's relationship - friction or fusion?
Murdoc: I think you might be aiming a bit high with your line of questioning.
2D: Yeah. Thanks Murdoc, sometimes you just can’t help but be nice to me, can you?
Russel
Were any drummers or drum machines particularly influential on your playing?
Russel: The Last Poets had tight percussion, and you can never go wrong with The J.B.'s.
What are your feelings about Stateside Hip-Hop-Pop?
Russel: That is no small subject, it's my life you know, and where do you start with anything that is central to who you are? There’s always gonna be some fools who try and cash in on an art form, but Hip-Hop is by the people for the people and of the people, so because of that truth will always find a way to be heard through Hip-Hop. I got to say though, since I’ve been in England I’ve been tuning into some styles that are bad. Phi Life and Cypher are really cool, I love the rap they did for us on their mix of Clint Eastwood, and Mark B and Blade are tough. English Hip-Hop isn’t given the credit it’s due man, those guys and others too numerous to mention are solid, they don’t get the backing they deserve but they’ve been into it since time. Now that Hip-Hop from my homeland is the dominant global art form, I hope that they can get some much-needed record company support. You all should check them out.
Does your musical training ever clash with the other Gorillaz's DIY approach?
Russel: I just get John Cage on their ass’ when needs be. There’s always room for experimentation in music.
Noodle
Is it ever difficult for you to do late-night club gigs on account of your age?
Noodle: Sometimes I have to stay up past my bedtime, and that makes me very tired. Sometimes 2D has to stay up past his bedtime, that makes him very tired too. Murdoc never seems to need to go to bed. He works until very late in his studio. Sometimes he is in a very good mood, sometimes very bad.
Are there times when your guitar and martial arts skillz come together?
Noodle: They are one and the same, both effortlessly expressing the Tao.
The hipper cat: Doraemon or Hello Kitty?
Noodle: Meowth.
Much thanks!
Noodle: Yoshi.