To mark the release of their new album, The Mountain, Gorillaz have dropped a stunningly animated short film.
Don’t speak to me of the Britpop explosion, Gandalf; I was there. And I was also a mad fan of British sci-fi comic 2000 AD and the work therein by one Jamie Hewlett. So I was predisposed to dig Gorillaz, the weird virtual band project by Hewlett and Blur’s Damon Albarn. And now, much to my delight, comes not only a new album, The Mountain, but a brand spankin’ new short animated film, The Mountain, The Moon Cave & The Sad God, directed by Hewlett himself and featuring the members of Gorillaz off on yet another oddball journey.
As per the presser, “…the animated epic follows the adventures of band members Noodle, Murdoc, 2D and Russel as they journey across India and explores album themes from the journey of life to the thrill of existence.
“Circumstances now find Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, 2D and Noodle in India, having made their way to Mumbai with the help of four fake passports courtesy of a New York business acquaintance of Murdoc. The band has turned its back on international pop stardom, with our heroes now immersed in the rhythms of mystical music-making, as they navigate the mountainous terrain of this thing called life.”
Check it out here:
Hewlett co-created the short film with Max Taylor and Tim McCourt of BAFTA-nominated London-based animation studio THE LINE, working for18 months to make a “hand-crafted homage to the golden era of 2D animation” that draws on “the visual language and timeless aesthetic of 1960s animated features.” It’s a 2D film, too, which gladdens my heart, working in a digital/analogue hybrid and employing hand-painted backgrounds, real materials, practical effects and period-accurate technological limitations.
The result, as you can see, is impressive as all hell.
Gorillaz will embark on The Mountain Tour in Manchester on March 20, with dates set for Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Cardiff, Nottingham, Liverpool, Belfast, Dublin, and London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Hit up the official site for more info.
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