Monkey See, Monkey Do A Virtual Chat With Gorillaz
Filter Mini, April 2005
By now you’ve heard that old, crusty adage—or any of its mind-numbing variations—a gazillion times: ’tis better to be seen, not heard. Seeing is believing. What you see is what you get.Thing is, in the world of song, we flip the script—or, at least, the score. Our eyes become our ears—the true gateway to the soul. Beauty, truth and love are elastic by definition, infinite by dimension. A boundless periphery is not only imaginable, it’s inevitable. When you first see Gorillaz, it’s like, whoa. Because if there ever was such a thing as a “band of miscreants” (which, let’s be honest, if we’re talking about popular musicians and not real-life hooligans, ranks up there with “saviors of rock and roll” as one of the silliest misnomers in hipster music-crit lingo), these rascals look—and act—the part. Take self-proclaimed super-bassist Murdoc, whose snaggletoothed scowl and purple-raven mop underscores his black heart and even blacker mind. The drummer, known simply as Russel, bears an uncanny resemblance to King Kong, except he has no eyeballs. Even de facto frontman 2D and the diminutive Noodle have that unmistakable glint in their eye, the one that says: “We’re here, but we’re not really here.” Now, listen to Gorillaz. They’re chaos personified, which is exactly how music with some intangible dimension or definition should be. 2D opens those piquant pipes of his, and your remembrance of what’s tangible, what’s describable tumbles into the void. Sometimes, there’s an ensemble-production feel to Demon Days—the group’s proper follow-up to their self-titled, madcap masterpiece—where everything is in its right place (think “Feel Good Inc.” from the new album, “Clint Eastwood” from the last); melodies you can shine your shoe to, snatches of drums, bass, guitar coalescing into a single, towering beat. Fortunately, those moments are few and far between.The rest of the songs screech and drift and crash and burn—in other words, the band’s spitting image. And even if you already knew that, well, sometimes, it’s better to see (or hear) for yourself.
On the first album, Noodle was sort of under the radar and she seemed to like it that way. Now she’s taken on a central role, even being touted as the vision behind Demon Days. What changed?
Russel: It was Noodle who first got back to our H.Q., Kong Studios. She had been in Japan, searching for the truth behind her history. She always suffered from amnesia since we’d known her—when she first arrived in a FedEx crate to our rehearsal room.
Noodle: Once my memory had been regained, it caused an explosion in my senses! Now understanding so much about the world and Western culture, I was filled with an urgency to complete these songs—to make a statement.
Murdoc: Well yeah, but the next time my senses “explode,” you better hope I’m in control of the mixing desk.
How did you manage to bring aboard such an eclectic lineup? Dennis Hopper and Ike Turner?!
Murdoc: We hired Dennis from a looky-likey agency.
Noodle: This is not true. Fate throws people together for a reason. Our paths first crossed with Mr. Dennis Hopper when we met at an awards show. I approached him and introduced myself and he revealed that he had some of the Gorillaz tunes already, so there was a connection.
Russel: The song that we asked him to narrate on the album is a cautionary tale about a society of innocents whose peace and way of life is put under a great strain due to the dark nature of people infiltrating them, trying to overtake them.
Noodle: We asked Mr. Hopper to read this and because of his history and personality, he seemed the most relevant person to deliver it.
Murdoc: Russel got friendly with Ike after Ike looked after him when Russ went cuckoo.
Russel: I’ve always had an admiration for his early work—it’s real easy to forget how much Ike Turner gave to music. Rocket 88 in 1951 is widely regarded as being the first true rock and roll record. But it was when I lost my senses briefly that Ike looked after me, and then gave us this piece of music for our record.
Murdoc likes to be the man, doesn't he? How does the rest of the group feel about his constant ego-tripping?
Murdoc: Hey! Watch your lip, sunshine. If you’ve got it mate, you may as well display it.You can call it egotripping, or in other circles you could call it a correct level of self-esteem.
Russel: I guess every band needs someone with Murdoc’s kind of attitude. Besides, it’s a little like complaining about gravity. It can't be changed and it’ll just bring you down.
Noodle: I think Murdoc is a clown, with his attitude. Very comical! He only sees himself, but that is why I like him so much, as he is a unique and individual character. It is best not to take him too seriously.
2D: Especially as I think it’s more to do with my good singing voice that really makes this band so special.
Murdoc: You wish.
What is the extra element that Danger Mouse brings to the proceedings? 2D said the new album sounds “like someone has taken the first album and colored it in.” How much of that is Danger Mouse responsible for?
2D: He held the magic markers, while I made the tea.
Russel: Danger Mouse took on the role of the fifth Gorilla. For a period there, a whole mind-meld situation was going on.
Noodle: Despite the obvious difference in height, Mr. Danger Mouse and myself look at things from a very similar angle. He has a similar understanding that music is alive, that a track of any stature has a soul and that soul must be brought to the forefront.
Russel: You can see from the work he did before on The Grey Album that he has this ability to make unusual ideas work…to make something new, fresh and vibrant. That’s why Noodle first chose him as the producer. She could spot a similar spirit.
Is “Dirty Harry” meant to be a successor to “Clint Eastwood”?
Murdoc: No, it's just meant to prompt that kind of question. But I tell you what, I got so sick and tired of answering Clint Eastwood-based questions last time ’round…and now we’ve done it to ourselves again.
2D: Yup. It’s hard to Escape from Alcatraz.
Is it just me or does 2D sound more...grown-up?
Murdoc: It’s just you. 2D’s incapable of growing up.
2D: Well, look. I haven’t told anyone this before, but I had a sort of, like, epiphany when I was down in Eastbourne. I’d been on a diet of pistachio peanuts and cheap sulphate, but in the early hours of the morning I was, like, visited by this white light. I could tell instantly that this was some grand visitation, sort of…holy, like. It gave me a new sense of purpose. I knew instantly that I had a destiny to follow.
Murdoc: I think you’re just mental, you know that.
2D: Well I know you all think I’m a bit dim, but even a stopcock tells the right time twice a day.
Russel: See? There’s no real change.
When should we expect the next worldwide Gorillaz tour?
Murdoc: You can start expecting now. Whether it happens or not that’s another thing. I don’t get out of bed for anything under 50K.
Russel: Everything’s under wraps until we reveal the next monster production. It’s gonna involve fiery dogs, dancing elephants, mirrors, swordfights and magic screens, and 3D C.G. action so clear you’re gonna genuinely feel the force of a 200-foot cartoon stomping on your senses.
Murdoc: Touring can be great fun, but if you don’t watch yourself it can kind of take you over.You become one of these bands that live like…drunken pirates, permanently sailing the oceans of the world, playing... drinking...playing...pillaging. Actually, that sounds great. Where do I sign up?
Would it be possible to, like, get an accompanying video for every single track on the album?
Russel: Hey, speak to Jamie-he loves making videos and given the budget, I think he’d love to do it.
Murdoc: I don’t get it? What are we talking about—just for you, personally? Well, I dunno, let’s see.The last one cost £250,000. So looking at that, per track, for all 15 songs, that’s around... £3.75 million. So have a look down the back of your sofa. Unbelievable. This guy’s actually asking favors after he called me a bully and an ego-tripper. Fucking cheek!
On the first album, Noodle was sort of under the radar and she seemed to like it that way. Now she’s taken on a central role, even being touted as the vision behind Demon Days. What changed?
Russel: It was Noodle who first got back to our H.Q., Kong Studios. She had been in Japan, searching for the truth behind her history. She always suffered from amnesia since we’d known her—when she first arrived in a FedEx crate to our rehearsal room.
Noodle: Once my memory had been regained, it caused an explosion in my senses! Now understanding so much about the world and Western culture, I was filled with an urgency to complete these songs—to make a statement.
Murdoc: Well yeah, but the next time my senses “explode,” you better hope I’m in control of the mixing desk.
How did you manage to bring aboard such an eclectic lineup? Dennis Hopper and Ike Turner?!
Murdoc: We hired Dennis from a looky-likey agency.
Noodle: This is not true. Fate throws people together for a reason. Our paths first crossed with Mr. Dennis Hopper when we met at an awards show. I approached him and introduced myself and he revealed that he had some of the Gorillaz tunes already, so there was a connection.
Russel: The song that we asked him to narrate on the album is a cautionary tale about a society of innocents whose peace and way of life is put under a great strain due to the dark nature of people infiltrating them, trying to overtake them.
Noodle: We asked Mr. Hopper to read this and because of his history and personality, he seemed the most relevant person to deliver it.
Murdoc: Russel got friendly with Ike after Ike looked after him when Russ went cuckoo.
Russel: I’ve always had an admiration for his early work—it’s real easy to forget how much Ike Turner gave to music. Rocket 88 in 1951 is widely regarded as being the first true rock and roll record. But it was when I lost my senses briefly that Ike looked after me, and then gave us this piece of music for our record.
Murdoc likes to be the man, doesn't he? How does the rest of the group feel about his constant ego-tripping?
Murdoc: Hey! Watch your lip, sunshine. If you’ve got it mate, you may as well display it.You can call it egotripping, or in other circles you could call it a correct level of self-esteem.
Russel: I guess every band needs someone with Murdoc’s kind of attitude. Besides, it’s a little like complaining about gravity. It can't be changed and it’ll just bring you down.
Noodle: I think Murdoc is a clown, with his attitude. Very comical! He only sees himself, but that is why I like him so much, as he is a unique and individual character. It is best not to take him too seriously.
2D: Especially as I think it’s more to do with my good singing voice that really makes this band so special.
Murdoc: You wish.
What is the extra element that Danger Mouse brings to the proceedings? 2D said the new album sounds “like someone has taken the first album and colored it in.” How much of that is Danger Mouse responsible for?
2D: He held the magic markers, while I made the tea.
Russel: Danger Mouse took on the role of the fifth Gorilla. For a period there, a whole mind-meld situation was going on.
Noodle: Despite the obvious difference in height, Mr. Danger Mouse and myself look at things from a very similar angle. He has a similar understanding that music is alive, that a track of any stature has a soul and that soul must be brought to the forefront.
Russel: You can see from the work he did before on The Grey Album that he has this ability to make unusual ideas work…to make something new, fresh and vibrant. That’s why Noodle first chose him as the producer. She could spot a similar spirit.
Is “Dirty Harry” meant to be a successor to “Clint Eastwood”?
Murdoc: No, it's just meant to prompt that kind of question. But I tell you what, I got so sick and tired of answering Clint Eastwood-based questions last time ’round…and now we’ve done it to ourselves again.
2D: Yup. It’s hard to Escape from Alcatraz.
Is it just me or does 2D sound more...grown-up?
Murdoc: It’s just you. 2D’s incapable of growing up.
2D: Well, look. I haven’t told anyone this before, but I had a sort of, like, epiphany when I was down in Eastbourne. I’d been on a diet of pistachio peanuts and cheap sulphate, but in the early hours of the morning I was, like, visited by this white light. I could tell instantly that this was some grand visitation, sort of…holy, like. It gave me a new sense of purpose. I knew instantly that I had a destiny to follow.
Murdoc: I think you’re just mental, you know that.
2D: Well I know you all think I’m a bit dim, but even a stopcock tells the right time twice a day.
Russel: See? There’s no real change.
When should we expect the next worldwide Gorillaz tour?
Murdoc: You can start expecting now. Whether it happens or not that’s another thing. I don’t get out of bed for anything under 50K.
Russel: Everything’s under wraps until we reveal the next monster production. It’s gonna involve fiery dogs, dancing elephants, mirrors, swordfights and magic screens, and 3D C.G. action so clear you’re gonna genuinely feel the force of a 200-foot cartoon stomping on your senses.
Murdoc: Touring can be great fun, but if you don’t watch yourself it can kind of take you over.You become one of these bands that live like…drunken pirates, permanently sailing the oceans of the world, playing... drinking...playing...pillaging. Actually, that sounds great. Where do I sign up?
Would it be possible to, like, get an accompanying video for every single track on the album?
Russel: Hey, speak to Jamie-he loves making videos and given the budget, I think he’d love to do it.
Murdoc: I don’t get it? What are we talking about—just for you, personally? Well, I dunno, let’s see.The last one cost £250,000. So looking at that, per track, for all 15 songs, that’s around... £3.75 million. So have a look down the back of your sofa. Unbelievable. This guy’s actually asking favors after he called me a bully and an ego-tripper. Fucking cheek!