The term ‘virtual band’ was popularized by Gorillaz in 2001 with the release of their self-titled album, essentially meaning any group whose members are not corporal musicians but animated characters.
Who are Gorillaz?
Gorillaz are an English virtual band formed in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: 2-D ( vocals, keyboards ), Murdoc Niccals ( bass guitar ), Noodle ( guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Russel Hobbs ( drums ).
Why did Hewlett Albarn create Gorillaz?
Hewlett had recently broken up with Olliver and Albarn was at the end of his highly publicised relationship with Justine Frischmann of Elastica. The idea to create Gorillaz came about when Albarn and Hewlett were watching MTV. Hewlett said, “If you watch MTV for too long, it’s a bit like hell – there’s nothing of substance there.
How did gorillas get their name?
The band originally identified themselves as ” Gorilla ” and the first song they recorded was “Ghost Train”, which was later released as a B-side on their single “Rock the House”. The band’s visual style is thought to have evolved from The 16s, a rejected comic strip Hewlett conceived with Tank Girl co-creator Alan Martin.
What is a virtual band?
The term virtual band was popularized with Gorillaz in 2000. However, the concept of the virtual band was first demonstrated by Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1958, when their creator, Ross Bagdasarian, accelerated recordings of his own voice to achieve the “chipmunk voice”. There have since been numerous virtual bands that have recorded material.
Is Gorillaz pop music?
The band primarily consists of four fictional members: 2-D (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (guitar, keyboards, vocals), and Russel Hobbs (drums)….
| Gorillaz | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Alternative rock art pop electronic hip hop trip hop |
| Years active | 1998–2012, 2015–present |
| Labels | Parlophone Virgin Warner |
What type of music does Gorillaz use?
The band’s music is a collaboration between various musicians, Albarn being the only permanent musical contributor. Their style is broadly alternative rock but includes a large number of other influences including Britpop, dub, hip-hop, and pop music. Gorillaz is often noted for obscuring the lines of what defines a genre.
Are Gorillaz real?
You can still have songs on the radio and sell a bunch of albums even if you continuously push yourself to be strange, dark, and a little twisted. Gorillaz are virtual beings, and yet they are continuously one of the realest acts on the market.
When was Gorillaz released?
Gorillaz was released on 26 March 2001 and was a major commercial success, debuting at #3 on the UK Albums Chart and #14 on the US Billboard 200, going on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide, powered by the success of the “Clint Eastwood” single.
What was gorillas first song?
The band originally identified themselves as “Gorilla” and the first song they recorded was “Ghost Train” which was later released as a B-side on their single “Rock the House” and the B-side compilation G-Sides.
What do the Gorillaz stand for?
The band originally identified themselves as “Gorilla,” which could be a play on the word “guerilla,” coming from the words guerilla warfare – which is a term used to describe underhand and un-open warfare tactics.
Is Gorillaz a real band?
Gorillaz is a British electropop band consisting of 2D (born: May 23, 1978 [age 44] ), Russel Hobbs (born: June 3, 1975 [age 47] ), Murdoc Niccals (born: June 6, 1966 [age 56] ), and Noodle (born: October 31, 1990 [age 32] ), all of whom are fictional animated characters.
Who makes Gorillaz?
Gorillaz is a virtual band created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett that consist of four fictional animated band members: 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs and Noodle . The band was created by Damon Albarn, frontman of the Britpop band Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, the co-creator of the comic book series Tank Girl.
Why are they called gorillas?
1. Anonymity The band originally identified themselves as “Gorilla,” which could be a play on the word “guerilla,” coming from the words guerilla warfare – which is a term used to describe underhand and un-open warfare tactics. This makes sense when you consider we were never really meant to know who was behind the project…
Why are Gorillaz so popular?
Instead, Gorillaz were originally created to be explored through the internet (a new medium at the time), and were intended for an older audience than the cartoon bands before them, while the quality of their actual musical output was usually more of an attraction to their fans than their existence as cartoon characters.
Is Noodle from Gorillaz a robot?
Cyborg Noodle was created by Murdoc on Plastic Beach with the use of the real Noodle’s DNA samples he gathered from the crash site where the El Mañana music video was filmed. This robot clone was given the job of playing the guitar on the Plastic Beach album as well as being Murdoc’s personal bodyguard.
