Gorillaz

Gorillaz formed in London in 1998, Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett creating a virtual band — four animated characters — as a vehicle for Albarn's musical experiments. The concept was simultaneously a commentary on celebrity culture and a genuine creative project. The debut single 'Clint Eastwood' (2001) was an immediate phenomenon — a hip-hop track with a ghostly hook that was unlike anything else in British music.

The self-titled debut (2001) was Mercury Prize nominated. 'Demon Days' (2005) was the masterpiece — 'Feel Good Inc.', 'DARE', 'Dirty Harry', and 'Stylo' were all extraordinary. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. Albarn's ability to collaborate with artists from across the musical spectrum — De La Soul, Danger Mouse, Neneh Cherry, Mos Def — gave Gorillaz a range that few acts could match.

Gorillaz have continued to release albums with remarkable consistency. 'Plastic Beach' (2010), 'Humanz' (2017), 'The Now Now' (2018), 'Song Machine' (2020) — each a different approach to the same basic concept. Albarn's restlessness and Hewlett's visual imagination have kept the project vital for over two decades.