walking upstream…
Gorillaz
photo: raph_ph · cc by 2.0 ↗Gorillaz
Gorillaz is a virtual band conceived in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn of Blur and artist Jamie Hewlett of the comic Tank Girl, fronted by four animated characters — the vocalist 2-D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodle, and drummer Russel Hobbs. Their self-titled 2001 debut fused dub and hip-hop rhythms with alternative rock and electronic pop, and the project became a magnet for cross-genre guests, from rappers to soul singers to electronic producers. Across albums like 'Demon Days' and 'Plastic Beach,' Gorillaz turned the mash-up sensibility into a signature, using the cartoon frontline as a frame for restless stylistic collaboration.
the sound in question
2001
Clint EastwoodGorillaz
walk the tributaries ↓
De La Soul1980s–90s · Hip hop / Alternative hip hop / Jazz rap
De La Soul collaborated directly with Gorillaz, guesting on the Grammy-winning single 'Feel Good Inc.' (2005) — the trio's cackling intro and rap verse open and anchor the track — and again on 'Superfast Jellyfish' (2010). Beyond the credits, the group's playful, sample-collage approach to hip-hop is the kind of loose, genre-agnostic aesthetic Gorillaz built their sound around.
listen: upstream & here
1989
Me Myself and IDe La Soul
2005
Feel Good Inc.Gorillaz
listen forThrow on De La Soul's 'Me Myself and I' right before 'Feel Good Inc.' — hear the same relaxed, conversational rap cadence and off-kilter humor, then catch De La Soul's own voices returning on the Gorillaz track, from the maniacal opening laugh into the verse.
Talking Heads1980s · New wave / Art punk / Post-punk
Gorillaz share Talking Heads' habit of grafting funk and global rhythms onto art-rock, topped with a deadpan, sing-speak vocal that hovers just outside the groove rather than belting over it. The nervy, danceable-but-detached feel of the early Gorillaz singles sits in the same lineage of arty pop built on jittery rhythm and cool, conversational delivery.
listen: upstream & here
1981
Once in a LifetimeTalking Heads
2001
19-2000Gorillaz
listen forPlay Talking Heads' 'Once in a Lifetime' and then '19-2000' — both ride a bouncing, motorik funk pulse under a dry, almost spoken vocal, so the song feels propulsive and disoriented at the same time.
Kraftwerk1970s · Electronic / Krautrock / Synth-pop
The more melancholic, machine-driven side of Gorillaz — a simple synth melody over a steady electronic grid, tender rather than cold — descends from Kraftwerk's melodic electronic pop, which turned drum machines and synthesizers into a vehicle for wistful, humane feeling.
listen: upstream & here
1981
Computer LoveKraftwerk
2010
On Melancholy HillGorillaz
listen forSet Kraftwerk's 'Computer Love' against 'On Melancholy Hill' — both float an aching, unhurried synth line over a patient electronic pulse, making the machine tones sound lonely and warm at once.