More Apes

To continue the theme of the Gorillaz, my musical obsession of the moment...

The virtual aspect of the band is pretty well known, it even has a Guinness World Record (highest record sales by a virtual band). For those who don't, though, the project (not band) was created by Damon Albarn of Blur (the "woo hoo" guy, if you don't know), and Tank Girl comic artist Jamie Hewlett.

However, one would then assume that there is a "band" and that they just lend their voices and instruments to the animation, which is not true. In truth, the Gorillaz are a project, which is solely the creation of the above two, and the remainder of the "band" consists of guest artists. Guest artists who do not receive credit for their work, other than being a Gorilla for a day. Such artists include Ike Turner, of all people.

To my knowledge, there are only two bands/artists which have received a credit on a Gorillaz song besides the Gorillaz themselves, those being Phi Life Cypher (on my personal favorite song "The Sounder"), and D12, sans Eminem, on the 9/11 tribute appropriately titled "911." Those who think there's a specific person who plays Russell or Noodle or Murdoc is incorrect, because the music is played by different artists every song. 2D is very nominally Damon, due to the fact that 2D is the band's "lead singer," and Damon sings on almost every song (noted exceptions such as Faust.) There are speaking roles for all of them, which are played by specific people, but few of them are consistently those characters on the tracks. Side note 1: 2D is not voiced, speaking, by Damon. Side Note 2: Noodle was actually created because of Damon's work on the first album with the adorementioned Cibo Matto alumna.

For those who might be interested, Gorillaz live shows consist of two large screens. The first, being huge, generally plays some animation or other eye candy. The second is a backlit screen of the "band" playing, being whatever the current "live" incarnation is of the band. Damon is about the only consistent presence in these performances.

A few artists have gotten other roles. The one most people will recognize, such as that is, is Del, The Funky Homosapien, who performs the rap on "Clint Eastwood," the band's only nominal hit in the States. Watching the video, Del appears very spirit-like from the head of Russell through the video.

Several people get credit for remixing Gorillaz songs (Phi Life Cypher remixed "Clint Eastwood," for example), the most notable being The Space Monkeyz, who even got their own whole album of remixes ("The Space Monkeyz vs. Gorillaz").

But no other band I've seen has generated such an eclectic mix of songs, part of the reason I like them. One can make a CD of nothing but Gorillaz songs, and span quite a few musical genres, from the more hip-hop-esque "911" and "The Sounder" to more disco/pop inspired "Dare," to a soulful, almost gospel song in "Demon Days" to an almost folksy sound on "12D3" to the poppy "19-2000," most known as "that song from the commercial," it's very difficult to pin down exactly what it is the Gorillaz do. Most of their songs have some kind of techno type feel to them, but not all. Heck, they even have the almost undefinable defined, in an almost Primus-esque "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head."

Being a huge fan of quirky music, the Gorillaz may be one of my favorite bands ever. And, of course, by "quirky" I mean "well done, but weird." Weezer is quirky, but it's crap. Sorry. But it is.