JOSE_MAT:
London, United Kingdom (1998 – present)
The Gorillaz are a british virtual band formed in 1998 by Damon Albarn of Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl. They had the idea to create the band while watching MTV in their London flat and originally intended to call the project Gorilla. They are currently in hiatus.
The band consists of four fictional band members: 2-D (vocals, keyboard), Murdoc Niccals (bass), Noodle (guitar, vocals), and Russel Hobbs (drums). These characters only appear in animated form and are not alter-egos of real people, as is often mistakenly assumed. There is an extensive fictional back-story behind these band members, written by Albarn and Hewlett. Their albums, several of their music videos, and their autobiographical book Rise Of The Ogre all tell the saga. Damon Albarn is the only permanent musical contributor to the band, which is also a collaboration between various musicians. Their style is broad with a large number of alternative influences including rock, hip-hop, and electronica.
They have released four studio albums: Gorillaz (2001), Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010) and The Fall (Also in 2010). Additionally, they have put out two B-side collections, G-Sides (2001) and D-Sides (2007), and a reggae remix of the Gorillaz album entitled Laika Come Home (2002). The band has also released three DVDs: Phase One: Celebrity Takedown, Demon Days: Live at Manchester Opera House, and Phase Two: Slow Boat To Hades. At the end of 2010, Gorillaz released their next album, The Fall, which was recorded during their US ‘Escape to Plastic Beach’ tour. It is promoted as being the first album made entirely on iPad. The album is streamed on the Gorillaz website.
Gorillaz – Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and pictures at Last.fm
http://www.last.fm/music/Gorillaz