Gorillaz Website Plastic Beach: A Journey to New Creative Horizons

In an exclusive interview with The Observer, Jamie Hewlett revealed that the creative duo behind Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and himself, have been working on a new project called Carousel. This ambitious undertaking promises to be even more complex and challenging than their critically acclaimed debut, Monkey. As Hewlett humorously noted, 'We've started work – I've done a lot of visuals and Damon's done a lot of music but we haven't figured out how they're going to fit together.'

Carousel represents a natural evolution for the Gorillaz brand, which has grown from its humble beginnings as an animated project featuring fictional characters to a full-fledged organization dedicated to creating new and innovative projects. In fact, Hewlett emphasized that the group is no longer limited to just four animated characters, but rather a collective of individuals who share a common creative vision.

The idea behind Carousel is reminiscent of the Who's cinematic endeavors, such as Tommy and Quadrophenia, where the band presented their work without direct involvement from its members. Similarly, Gorillaz has reached a point where the creators themselves are stepping back to allow new voices and perspectives to emerge within the organization.

Fast-forward to November 2007, when Damon Albarn revealed in an interview with Q that his top priority for 2008 was working on the next Gorillaz project, which wouldn't be called Gorillaz. It wasn't until February 2008 that Hewlett elaborated on this concept, stating, 'I think the idea behind it is that it's like how the Who presented their movies – Tommy and Quadrophenia and so on.'

The end result of this creative experiment was Plastic Beach, the group's third studio album. Released in 2010, Plastic Beach marked a new era for Gorillaz, as they explored new sounds and collaborated with an array of talented artists. The album's eclectic mix of genres and styles served as a testament to the group's willingness to push boundaries and challenge themselves creatively.

In conclusion, the journey from Carousel to Plastic Beach is a perfect example of how Gorillaz continues to innovate and evolve as an organization. By embracing new ideas and perspectives, they have managed to maintain their creative spark while remaining true to their artistic vision. As Hewlett noted, 'It's my ideal model – Gorillaz is a group of people who gave you this, and now want to give you new stuff.

Gorillaz website plastic beach