Gorillaz
19 vinyl records found
Gorillaz is a virtual band project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, built around four fictional animated characters. The project blends hip hop, electronic music, dub, punk and world music through constant collaboration with guest artists, making each album a distinct sonic statement.
About Gorillaz
The concept emerged as Albarn and Hewlett's commentary on pop music and media culture, with recording for the debut album spanning 1998 to 2000. That self-titled debut in 2001 found immediate commercial traction, anchored by the single Clint Eastwood, and established the template for the project's cross-genre approach. Demon Days arrived four years later and expanded the audience significantly with Feel Good Inc., Dare, Dirty Harry and El Manana reaching substantial chart positions and MTV rotation.
Plastic Beach in 2010 marked a shift toward broader collaborative storytelling with environmental themes, followed immediately by The Fall, recorded largely on portable equipment during touring. After internal tensions created a hiatus, the project resumed in the mid-2010s with Humanz in 2017 and The Now Now in 2018, the latter scaling back guest contributions to emphasize Albarn's vocal presence. The Song Machine project introduced a web series format with episodic singles, culminating in the 2020 album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez. Cracker Island arrived in 2023 to positive reception, while The Mountain in 2026 drew inspiration from Indian musical traditions and received widespread critical praise.
Gorillaz performances have evolved from early shows with musicians hidden behind animated visuals to full live presentations with visible band members. The project has accumulated Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and NME recognition alongside consistent Brit Award nominations. The Groove Hunter currently tracks 12 editions spanning the catalog, including Cracker Island, The Now Now, The Mountain, Gorillaz, Plastic Beach and Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, providing collectors multiple entry points into Albarn's distinctive virtual universe.
