Damon gets animated about Gorillaz future
A NEW Gorillaz film and TV show are in the works.
Workaholic Damon Albarn released the virtual group’s seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, in October with guests including Sir Elton John and The Cure’s Robert Smith.
Now, the cartoon band – Murdoc, 2-D, Russel, and Noodle – which Damon does the music for, and Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett illustrates, will be branching out to even more mediums.
Having done a deal with Netflix to make a film featuring Gorillaz’ back catalogue, Damon, 52, said: “We have been trying to make a film since 2006.
“We have been through many film studios. It’s a very different world.
“But we are signed up to do it, so presumably we are doing it. It would be amazing to have a fulllength Gorillaz film.
“I would love that. I would love to see an hour and 20 minutes of Jamie’s animation.”
Before Christmas, Gorillaz also created three lockdown gigs with live music, animation and guest performers.
It was the group’s first live stream and Damon hints he will consider rolling
out a second season of Song Machine as a hybrid TV show while he decides what he’ll do in 2021.
While the Covid pandemic has stopped live gigs, Damon kept on doing in 2020 what he’s been doing best since fronting Blur in the 90s – making music.
He said: “I have just carried on working. I haven’t stopped working. I have done an opera in Paris, I have made an album, I did the virtual live shows.
“It’s not ideal. None of it has been ideal.
“But I think the secret to this year was to be as adaptable as possible.
“I suppose our model has always been very fluid. We have made it work for us as much as we can really.”
Damon hopes that by the summer of 2021 live concerts and festivals will be able to take place again in Britain. But if the wait goes on for much longer, live music culture could change.
He added: “We stand perilously on the abyss of a digital avatar where, you know, we slowly become insignificant.”