Gorillaz are close to finishing their new album. Damon Albarn is wrapping up the lyrics, melodies, and the full visual artwork. Alongside the music, they are creating an 8-minute fully hand-drawn animated video, using old-school techniques inspired by classic Disney films. This is meant as a statement against the saturation of AI in modern art.

The album is described as a multicultural “manifesto” with multiple sonic sections. The project includes recordings from different parts of the world:

Jaipur, India, where they recorded a 40-piece brass band in a tiny chaotic room.

Buenos Aires, where they collaborated with Trueno, an artist discovered by Damon’s daughter.

The manifesto of the album is written in five languages: English, Hindi, Spanish, Yoruba, and Arabic.

A central emotional theme of the album is loss. It features posthumous vocals and recordings from several artists who were part of Gorillaz’s history, including Proof (D12), Bobby Womack, Mark E. Smith, and Dave from De La Soul. This connects back to one of the earliest ideas of Gorillaz: that Russell would be a medium who could “reanimate” voices and spirits from the past.

They also discuss the challenges of today’s digital age, where audiences constantly suspect everything of being AI or NFT, and reflect on how different it would be for someone like Eminem to emerge in the current era.

Looking ahead, Gorillaz hope to bring their art exhibition to Los Angeles and plan a special mountain show next year.

The interview ends with humour and strong chemistry between Damon, Jamie, and Zane, with Jamie jokingly declared “the winner” of the interview.