The beginning of a virtual band that came to break paradigms.
It was 1998, Damon Albarn continued to trace part of the Britpop line that stood out in that decade with Blurby signing essential albums in the genre such as parklife either The Great Escapeand in which little by little his desire to break out of the artistic mold that he had with the London group would be noticed.
However, during that same decade, Albarn met the artist and illustrator Jamie Hewlett, and after a night in which they both stared MTVthey had the idea of starting a new project with greater creative freedom and that did not follow the areas of the music industry, which they both criticized at that time.
And that's how it was born Gorillazwhere we also met for the first time 2-D, Noodle, Russell and Murdoccharacters who little by little would earn their place in popular culture at the beginning of the millennium, mixing animation and music, far from the melodies and compositions that Albarn wrote with Blur.
Although, the band's first release occurred in November 2000 with the release of the EP Tomorrow Comes Todayit was not until March 26, 2001 when the project officially released its first self-titled album.
Gorillaz It stood out for its mix of genres, making it a striking and eclectic project. Rap, hip-hop, trip-hop, lo-fi and even the use of samples were some of the elements that can be found in any of the 15 tracks that made up this debut, and that would be the anchor that would mark his unmistakable sound stamp for future releases.
Just listen to tracks 1 and 2, “Re-Hash” and “5/4”to notice the sound change that Albarn sought to execute. Subsequently, we reach the first strong point of the album with “Tomorrow Comes Today”whose music video, directed by himself Jamie Hewlettshowed the characters of Gorillaz in different images of iconic places and streets of London. A track which was chosen as the last single from the material, but which made up their first EP released in November 2000, which contained four songs that would later be part of the final cut of their self-titled album.
The album would continue its lean towards trip-hop and chill with “New Genius (Brother)”and then reach “Clint Eastwood”, one of the tracks most emblematic of both his debut and his career. The song features the participation of From the Funky Homosapien in the iconic rhymes, in addition to appearing in the official video as a ghost. The animation + music aesthetic and collaborations already defined the sonic direction of the project at that time.
The album does not just stay at that high point and offers songs of all kinds: from louder moments (“Punk”), passing through chillier passages (“Sound Check”), caressing trip-hop (“Double Bass” and “Slow Country”) and even with a nod to the rhythms of the Caribbean in a more relaxed mood (“Latin Simone”). All without forgetting compositions that would become iconic in his career as “Rock the House”with the sampling of the theme of John Dankworth, “Modesty Blaise,” and the always joyful “19-2000”which Soulchild would remix months later with an equally rewarding result on a sonic level.
The career of Gorillaz marked a point of ambition and sound experimentation for Damon Albarn at the beginning of the millennium. As time went by, the number of collaborations and hits would increase with each release. But before all that, there was always a point that started it all, and that self-titled album by Gorillaz It continues to be remembered and celebrated a quarter of a century after its launch.
