Gor, Blimey We've Won
The Sun, January 2006
DAMON ALBARN means serious monkey business with the second album from his cartoon super-group.
He's teamed up with DJ Danger Mouse to produce a work which swings from hip-hop and drum n' bass to rock. The diversity is remarkable and the assorted collaborations are a huge success. Neneh Cherry, Roots Manuva and even Hollywood legend Dennis Hopper appear. However the Shaun Ryder rap Dare was the real standout track, a full-throttle dance thriller and No1 single. It was always going to be album of the year and as soon as you listened, yes you agreed. SFTW rates: Dare and Don't Get Lost In Heaven.
To celebrate their SFTW win, Gorillaz gave JACQUI SWIFT an exclusive interview.
Congratulations on being SFTW's Album Of The Year. Is Demon Days the record of your career?
Russel: Without a doubt it's the record of our career to date. It's only our second album. The first album was the best we could do at the time, and stands as a great document to where we were then. But Demon Days is bigger, It'll stand the test of time. It's deeper and there's more to gain from it. But that ain't knocking the first record.
Murdoc: Hey, well, what an honor, you know. Aside from your mix-up between us and whatshisface from Blur, I'm flattered. Growing up, The Sun shaped the whole way I think politically, especially about Linda Lusardi, Jackie Degg and, er, Kathy Lloyd - great artists. Actually I get most of my current affairs info from your News In Briefs section. Tiny bite-sized nuggets of compact news info. Brilliant.
Did you expect the success?
Noodle: Success for us was about making the right album, the correct album. It is heart-warming so many people recieved it so well, but for us it was definitely a case of making the appropriate musical statement, that displayed an understanding of the real soul of music. We had to make sure the artists who collaborated with us were properly placed. And for that reason I knew it was successful before it was even released.
Murdoc: Aside from all that rubbish, there's some monster tunes on the album.
What's been the high point with Gorillaz in 2005?
Russel: The highlight of the year for me was watching Gorillaz play the Manchester International Festival. We had so many fantastic musicians appearing that played on the Demon Days - Roots Manuva, Ike Turner, Dennis Hopper, Shaun Ryder, Neneh Cherry, De La Soul ... everyone. A real one off.
Are you a fan of awards? What did the MTV award mean?
Murdoc: Personally I couldn't give a crap about them because I know how the game works, but they impress other people and that's useful. Having said that, who else are you gonna give it to? Gorillaz are the best band in the world. Fact!
Is it true that's the end of Gorillaz live, though?
Russel: Not at all. We're planning something really spectacular, along the lines of the EMA performance but bigger.
You had some amazing people on Demon Days. How did you get them on board?
Murdoc: We whistled and they all came running.
You resurrected Shaun Ryder's career with Dare's No1. But do chart positions mean anything?
Murdoc: It was a great day - a great day for music and wonderful new chapter in the history of the world. It speaks volumes for the taste of the nation if we can be chart-toppers.
Noodle: And Shaun Ryder is an authentic legend. If you had seen the reaction he got in Manchester you'd know that there's such an enormous amount of love for him out there. The Happy Mondays gave people such a good soundtrack to their youth and people are grateful.
Did you ever get nerves working with the great Ike Turner?
Noodle: No, not at all. To be honest, we sent the tapes of our tracks to him and he played his part on top of them. He loved the sound and the whole idea of Gorillaz. When he came over to play Manchester he was as excited and humble as every other performer. He celebrated his 74th birthday on the last night and the thrill of the audience got out of seeing this legend was so vibrant, so vital.
Gorillaz are often categorised as a dance band yet you've said you hate that term. How would you describe them?
Murdoc: Them? Listen, even as the thug I am, I know enough to say what we do is unclassifiable. We take something out of every type of music, film, book, anything and put it into what we do. We're a brand on our own. How do I describe us? We're Gorillaz, man, the best.
What's next for Gorillaz?
Murdoc: We're on course to do the full hi-tech stage show. What we did at the EMAs this year is gonna pale in comparison to what we're going to unleash in 2007.
Russel: Murdoc's right. We're getting commitments from people to stage something that should change the whole definition of what live concerts can be. People always make these kind of claims but Gorillaz are the only band on the planet that can back it up.
What's your album of the year?
Russel: Late Registration, Kanye West. He is hip-hop's new maestro at the top of his game.
Murdoc: For me it's Goldfrapp's Supernature. Yeah Baby! I need an “Oooh La La”! I like this band 'cos they're proper electro gram filth with keyboards. The singer's got an outstanding set of vocal cords and a really individual style. Also, right, her name's Alison Goldfrapp - same as the band! What are the chances of that!
He's teamed up with DJ Danger Mouse to produce a work which swings from hip-hop and drum n' bass to rock. The diversity is remarkable and the assorted collaborations are a huge success. Neneh Cherry, Roots Manuva and even Hollywood legend Dennis Hopper appear. However the Shaun Ryder rap Dare was the real standout track, a full-throttle dance thriller and No1 single. It was always going to be album of the year and as soon as you listened, yes you agreed. SFTW rates: Dare and Don't Get Lost In Heaven.
To celebrate their SFTW win, Gorillaz gave JACQUI SWIFT an exclusive interview.
Congratulations on being SFTW's Album Of The Year. Is Demon Days the record of your career?
Russel: Without a doubt it's the record of our career to date. It's only our second album. The first album was the best we could do at the time, and stands as a great document to where we were then. But Demon Days is bigger, It'll stand the test of time. It's deeper and there's more to gain from it. But that ain't knocking the first record.
Murdoc: Hey, well, what an honor, you know. Aside from your mix-up between us and whatshisface from Blur, I'm flattered. Growing up, The Sun shaped the whole way I think politically, especially about Linda Lusardi, Jackie Degg and, er, Kathy Lloyd - great artists. Actually I get most of my current affairs info from your News In Briefs section. Tiny bite-sized nuggets of compact news info. Brilliant.
Did you expect the success?
Noodle: Success for us was about making the right album, the correct album. It is heart-warming so many people recieved it so well, but for us it was definitely a case of making the appropriate musical statement, that displayed an understanding of the real soul of music. We had to make sure the artists who collaborated with us were properly placed. And for that reason I knew it was successful before it was even released.
Murdoc: Aside from all that rubbish, there's some monster tunes on the album.
What's been the high point with Gorillaz in 2005?
Russel: The highlight of the year for me was watching Gorillaz play the Manchester International Festival. We had so many fantastic musicians appearing that played on the Demon Days - Roots Manuva, Ike Turner, Dennis Hopper, Shaun Ryder, Neneh Cherry, De La Soul ... everyone. A real one off.
Are you a fan of awards? What did the MTV award mean?
Murdoc: Personally I couldn't give a crap about them because I know how the game works, but they impress other people and that's useful. Having said that, who else are you gonna give it to? Gorillaz are the best band in the world. Fact!
Is it true that's the end of Gorillaz live, though?
Russel: Not at all. We're planning something really spectacular, along the lines of the EMA performance but bigger.
You had some amazing people on Demon Days. How did you get them on board?
Murdoc: We whistled and they all came running.
You resurrected Shaun Ryder's career with Dare's No1. But do chart positions mean anything?
Murdoc: It was a great day - a great day for music and wonderful new chapter in the history of the world. It speaks volumes for the taste of the nation if we can be chart-toppers.
Noodle: And Shaun Ryder is an authentic legend. If you had seen the reaction he got in Manchester you'd know that there's such an enormous amount of love for him out there. The Happy Mondays gave people such a good soundtrack to their youth and people are grateful.
Did you ever get nerves working with the great Ike Turner?
Noodle: No, not at all. To be honest, we sent the tapes of our tracks to him and he played his part on top of them. He loved the sound and the whole idea of Gorillaz. When he came over to play Manchester he was as excited and humble as every other performer. He celebrated his 74th birthday on the last night and the thrill of the audience got out of seeing this legend was so vibrant, so vital.
Gorillaz are often categorised as a dance band yet you've said you hate that term. How would you describe them?
Murdoc: Them? Listen, even as the thug I am, I know enough to say what we do is unclassifiable. We take something out of every type of music, film, book, anything and put it into what we do. We're a brand on our own. How do I describe us? We're Gorillaz, man, the best.
What's next for Gorillaz?
Murdoc: We're on course to do the full hi-tech stage show. What we did at the EMAs this year is gonna pale in comparison to what we're going to unleash in 2007.
Russel: Murdoc's right. We're getting commitments from people to stage something that should change the whole definition of what live concerts can be. People always make these kind of claims but Gorillaz are the only band on the planet that can back it up.
What's your album of the year?
Russel: Late Registration, Kanye West. He is hip-hop's new maestro at the top of his game.
Murdoc: For me it's Goldfrapp's Supernature. Yeah Baby! I need an “Oooh La La”! I like this band 'cos they're proper electro gram filth with keyboards. The singer's got an outstanding set of vocal cords and a really individual style. Also, right, her name's Alison Goldfrapp - same as the band! What are the chances of that!