GORILLAZ: The Now Now Album Thread

[Sledge Hammer]

I don't understand what Damon is doing right now with a new Gorillaz album and a new TGTB&TQ album both coming out this year. His comments recently suggest he'll continue touring with Gorillaz. Does that mean TGTB&TQ will just drop and album followed by another 12 years of nothing? I hope not. Gorillaz need to be put to bed, and soon.

I agree about Gorillaz and thought the last album was abs crap, but Tom you raved about it? glad you saw the light I guess.

[bugman]

i still like humanz a lot but i'd like to hear more, more, more 2-d on new one.

[aldamasta]

Based on Ode to Idaho (and to an extent, Hollywood) I am very much looking forward to the new album. More 2d is always a good thing, the best tracks on Humanz had great Damon parts.

[Pavlich]

I don't understand what Damon is doing right now with a new Gorillaz album and a new TGTB&TQ album both coming out this year. His comments recently suggest he'll continue touring with Gorillaz. Does that mean TGTB&TQ will just drop and album followed by another 12 years of nothing? I hope not. Gorillaz need to be put to bed, and soon.

The idea of momentum, cycles, or making sense is completely foreign to any Albarn project. His marketing is appalling. I understand he does things on whims and when they make sense, and as a collaborator with nothing to gain he generally waits until everything aligns, and blaming him for weird scheduling isn't fair as... it's not totally his job... but at the same time you're just as likely to get a surprise release album tomorrow as you are to get some drawn out media campaign that ends up with a new Gorillaz album without any shows, music videos, or attention afterwards. And then him announcing the next GBQ album a week later. There's no rhythm, rhyme, nor reason.

There was a lot of hype behind the idea of Humanz and despite the record fundamentally being bad with a few okay singles, they didn't even market it well. This is a world where marketing is free and powerful for big acts such as them, and where you don't need billboards or print to get the name out there... just some deleted photos on social media and a website change.

There's every chance neither record is close to finished or both have been in the can for a while. Albarn is a luddite and does not get the importance of a release schedule and hype. If he wasn't already rich and living in Chelsea or Kensington he'd be so fuckin poor and irrelevant.

[tender]

I don't understand what Damon is doing right now with a new Gorillaz album and a new TGTB&TQ album both coming out this year. His comments recently suggest he'll continue touring with Gorillaz. Does that mean TGTB&TQ will just drop and album followed by another 12 years of nothing? I hope not. Gorillaz need to be put to bed, and soon.

The idea of momentum, cycles, or making sense is completely foreign to any Albarn project. His marketing is appalling. I understand he does things on whims and when they make sense, and as a collaborator with nothing to gain he generally waits until everything aligns, and blaming him for weird scheduling isn't fair as... it's not totally his job... but at the same time you're just as likely to get a surprise release album tomorrow as you are to get some drawn out media campaign that ends up with a new Gorillaz album without any shows, music videos, or attention afterwards. And then him announcing the next GBQ album a week later. There's no rhythm, rhyme, nor reason.

There was a lot of hype behind the idea of Humanz and despite the record fundamentally being bad with a few okay singles, they didn't even market it well. This is a world where marketing is free and powerful for big acts such as them, and where you don't need billboards or print to get the name out there... just some deleted photos on social media and a website change.

There's every chance neither record is close to finished or both have been in the can for a while. Albarn is a luddite and does not get the importance of a release schedule and hype. If he wasn't already rich and living in Chelsea or Kensington he'd be so fuckin poor and irrelevant.

While I must agree on the appalling marketing for any Albarn project including Blur of course, but he is a hard working musician and I suppose all the touring and big Gorillaz festival dates are the way to go to finance his other smaller projects. Maybe management are set to making a lot of money in the least amount of time possible with not much care about fans or about the product the music. Marketing efforts always seem half-arsed. FFS they can´t even bother to handle a proper fan club.

But about The Good, The Bad & The Queen I do think that the involvement of Tony Visconti to have a proper release schedule ??? or is just that wishful thinking.

[KingLouieLouie76]

First, regarding "GBQ" touring....I don't know if they generated enough of a following to warrant an extensive tour (and that waned even further after the all the time that has elapsed since their first album). Also, would Tony and Paul be willing to spend a considerable amount of time on the road in the latter stages of their respective careers.

"Humanz" didn't have any obvious singles to me. Not really of the regular album tracks to me stood out compared to the ones on the deluxe edition. I am wondering if the Gorillaz are attracting newer legion of fans at this point. They played a select few festival dates here in the States last year and they appear to have more of a cult than mainstream following now.

Blur is still Damon's best project and I wish he would finally realize that. However, it's complex to gauge Alex's and Dave's overall excitement. We all know Graham would do anything for Blur to continue on properly.

[lumaka]

First, regarding "GBQ" touring....I don't know if they generated enough of a following to warrant an extensive tour (and that waned even further after the all the time that has elapsed since their first album). Also, would Tony and Paul be willing to spend a considerable amount of time on the road in the latter stages of their respective careers.

There's a Damon interview done in December in which he says that he'd like to play new TBTGTQ album live but the world tour is rather unlikely.

[stephen]

I am wondering if the Gorillaz are attracting newer legion of fans at this point.

From what I've heard the tour has been a prominently younger crowd.

[Pavlich]

Well the Gorillaz album still had singles that could have done well. Thought Andromeda was a fuckin banger and the crowds loved it, even without a festival. It has a Hotline Bling vibe to it.

GNQ will probably play small shows. You're kidding yourself if you think it wouldn't sell. Damon could come to Australia and sell out a 1000 capacity venue in Sydney and Melbourne based on his name, whereas in England he could do a 10,000 seater in London. His name is massive and a new project, a niche project, that'll get the punters in.

As for big projects making money for small ones? Eh. He owns his own studio and is so rich he doesn't need to worry about the cost of a project at all. I think he plays music for the fun, and tours because Gorillaz is a fun, collaborative project. Do not discount his love of pissed up collaboration.

[Forever Low Man]

I don't understand what Damon is doing right now with a new Gorillaz album and a new TGTB&TQ album both coming out this year. His comments recently suggest he'll continue touring with Gorillaz. Does that mean TGTB&TQ will just drop and album followed by another 12 years of nothing? I hope not. Gorillaz need to be put to bed, and soon.

You need to be put to bed and soon.

[stephen]

I don't understand what Damon is doing right now with a new Gorillaz album and a new TGTB&TQ album both coming out this year. His comments recently suggest he'll continue touring with Gorillaz. Does that mean TGTB&TQ will just drop and album followed by another 12 years of nothing? I hope not. Gorillaz need to be put to bed, and soon.

You need to be put to bed and soon.

[Rubi]

Wow, this is what happens when you check out of any Damon-related news for a while. A new Gorillaz album?? Never would have guessed that.

Had a quick listen to Hollywood, sounds catchy. Only two requisites from: 1) Don't record the goddamn album on an iPad again, and 2) more 2-D vocals! Let's stop it with the overabundance of guests. We don't need anther Humanz.

[bugman]

Wow, this is what happens when you check out of any Damon-related news for a while. A new Gorillaz album?? Never would have guessed that.

Had a quick listen to Hollywood, sounds catchy. Only two requisites from: 1) Don't record the goddamn album on an iPad again, and 2) more 2-D vocals! Let's stop it with the overabundance of guests. We don't need anther Humanz.

it was said somewhere that we will get 10-12 tracks and only 2 of them have guests. Rest is only 2-D

[Rubi]

Wow, this is what happens when you check out of any Damon-related news for a while. A new Gorillaz album?? Never would have guessed that.

Had a quick listen to Hollywood, sounds catchy. Only two requisites from: 1) Don't record the goddamn album on an iPad again, and 2) more 2-D vocals! Let's stop it with the overabundance of guests. We don't need anther Humanz.

it was said somewhere that we will get 10-12 tracks and only 2 of them have guests. Rest is only 2-D

I like that.

[KingLouieLouie76]

I am wondering if the Gorillaz are attracting newer legion of fans at this point.

From what I've heard the tour has been a prominently younger crowd.

Thanks for sharing that.... That's why Damon won't retire the Gorillaz as a vehicle if he is still attracting newer legion of fans. Unfortunately he's opted to retire Blur so it seems.