Rather than succumb to the usual solo-project indulgences, Blur frontman Damon Albarn teamed up with animator Jamie Hewlett in 1998 to create Gorillaz – a prefab cartoon virtual anti-boy band.
The ‘band’ comprised the fictional characters 2-D, Murdoc, Russel and Noodle, and their sound came courtesy of Albarn, producer Dan ‘the Automator’ Nakamura, rapper Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, sundry sampled sources and various members of Tom Tom Club, Cibo Matto and Buena Vista Social Club.
Songs like the dub-rap-rock mutation Clint Eastwood and its catchier two-step Rast remix brought back the exuberance missing from Blur’s last album, 13.
