Dear reader, how old are you? Don't worry, the question doesn't merit an answer, not if you don't want one... The important thing is that if you're reading this, you know Gorillaz. Come on, you even have several of their songs on multiple playlists. Or, in your childhood you may have enjoyed an album by this British band; who in the late 90's and the first years of the new century (XXI) absolutely revolutionised three aspects of the music industry: music videos, 2D animation, and the melody of classic Britpop in a new, more harmonious, composed pop with subtle airs of childish freshness, but without its naivety and innocence. Friends, this band, seriously, is legendary.
I'm not exaggerating, and you know it very well. Maybe, kids of this time, don't know about the importance that music videos had less than two decades ago for all of us, late (and not so late) members of the Millennial Generation. It wasn't strange, not knowing the name of the band or artist you liked but recognising the video from a distance? Although, this post is not about the transcendence of videos in the old cable TV; but about Gorillaz as disruptive phenomena and as a memory for hundreds of thousands of people. Especially, but not limited to, those of us who went from the transition from Blur and Oasis to this mysterious but fascinating group of animations...
Have you heard of Daft Punk? Haha... You see, the concept of the "fake mystery" is one of marketing's best ways of almost impulsively provoking two things: interest, and capturing the public's attention. Today, we all know the faces of artists like Slipknot or the French boys of Daft Punk themselves, but at their peak, at their "prime" as the boys say nowadays, what abounded were theories, elocumbrations of the why of their facades? All, very intentionally, I might add, fed the attention of us music lovers who not only admired these electronic, pop and rock bands, but also followed them.
Gorillaz, for example, belongs into this "false mystery" category. And there are several differences between what we can notice with these guys, and in comparison with what is abundant in the market... First of all, the voice. It is strangely familiar, close to us, almost like a Deja Vu, something we have already experienced but we don't know for sure how to explain it in detail? The reason for this curious closeness is because those of us who were between 9 and 14 years old at the end of the 90's and the beginning of the 2000's, without knowing it, were already influenced by the aura of bands like Blur. With their worldwide hit song "Song 2" they conquered every space on the planet, and whose vocalist....
Yes, he is the same vocalist who, not long after, together with some friends, started a fusion project that he had had in mind for some years. Thus, together with a brilliant manager and the rhythms that influenced this talented and world-famous vocalist (with Blur, pioneer of Britpop), Gorillaz was born... And how can we explain the sound of this band? Well, it's a total challenge... Why? Because for me, from my perspective, they don't have a genre.... They can easily be categorised as fusion, because they have periods of artistic exploration that include multiple sounds and genres: from 80's rap to instrumental jazz...
Similar to what many other bands with the same musical currents and influences did at the time, Gorillaz stands out from the rest for being totally fresh and with a proposal that touched the heartstrings of all of us, who consumed music in droves and who today, as a metaphor for Dark, are the future of those kids from the past, remembering, loving and highlighting this band, as well as many others. In "19-2000" one of Gorillaz' most fun, irresistible and addictive tracks, they warned us "It's the music that we choose". I couldn't agree more...
"Feel Good INC", "Dirty Harry", "Clint Eastwood", "Rock the House", "Tarantula", "Dare", "Tranz", "Oh Melancholy Hill", songs that are epic, famous, unforgettable and that are in our brains but primarily in a friendly and kind place in our hearts.... I don't know about you, but with Gorillaz I feel the same way as with Oasis, they are bands that you can hardly ever hate... You may not like them at some point but you will never hate them. They are not excessively talented, good and always have something to offer you... Just take a little look at how they do at their gigs and the reception from the audience. Good lads make fabulous music.
