Gorillaz-Unofficial Fanzine Issues #1 and #2

ISSUE 1# - APRIL 2018

welcome This is the first ever Gorillaz Unofficial Zine!

I am super excited to be introducing this issue. This is a zine created by Gorillaz fans for Gorillaz fans. It’s filled with art, editorials, interviews, and much more, all made by users of the GU discord. Our users are very talented and I am super excited to have a zine to showcase their wonderful talents. I am so proud of what we have been able to create, and that is all thanks to the wonderful GU community.

This zine was originally going to be made just to celebrate the Gorillaz Unofficial Discord’s one year anniversary, but it has become so much more! We hope to make more issues in the future. For now, please enjoy all this first issue has to offer! •

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Nicole

(GU ADM)

staff GU ADM Nicole

GU MODS Robert (Succ) Hughesta Hunce Roxy Tayter RadRighteous Mutant-Standard

ARTISTS Kirvia RotoDisk Azoo Semendayz Must RadRighteous Robert (Succ)

* Art by RotoDisk

WRITERS

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So, after many challenges, schedule changes and improvisations; I'm proud to say that this fanzine is done (the first issue, at least)! This is my first time doing layout design in this large scale, but, it was a big learning experience, and a great chance to work alongside wonderful people. All my thanks go to everyone who helped this zine exist the way it is now, and, also to you, who is reading this now!

ana

Hughesta Hunce Semendayz RotoDisk

EDITOR ana

DESIGN ana

(EDITOR)

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contents Issue #1 • April 2018

ARTICLES 8

Hughesta’s Top 5 most underrated Gorillaz songs

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The Finesse of The Fall

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Interview with Nicole

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Isolation Review

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Happy birthday, Damon Albarn!

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Top 6 Gorillaz remixes

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Humanz is not that bad ART SPREADS

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by RadRighteous

3

by Must

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16

19

22

26

30

4 - 5 by Robert (Succ) 14

by RadRighteous

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by Must

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by Robert (Succ)

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by RadRighteous

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by Kirvia

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by Robert (Succ)

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by RadRighteous

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by Robert (Succ)

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ART BY KIRVIA TEXT BY... take a guess.

Hughesta’s Top 5 most underrated Gorillaz songs 8

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Howdy. I’m not here right now to tell you what I think are the best Gorillaz songs. I’m here now to tell you what Gorillaz songs you don’t like enough. Gorillaz have a lot of songs, and they’re pretty much all real good, so here are my picks for the five songs you probably don’t like as much as you should.

Faust

Submission

Let’s talk about Faust. One of the most creeping, melodic, droning Gorillaz songs there is. It focuses its assault on the left channel, much like Starshine from the same sessions. A crushed bass and drum machine form the backbone of the track, while some light synths and keyboards flesh out the sound. This same section loops twice, with some harsher synths whirling the second time through. A quieter synth undercuts the keys during the final loop, and then Miho Hatori comes in with some gorgeous, ethereal vocals, while Damon chimes in with an english translation and brings the song (and the listener) to completion. Some really fun synths at the end of this track, and the unmastered version actually lets you hear them much more clearly.

There isn’t much to say about this one and I don’t know that it’s even particularly disliked making it very different from the rest of the songs I’ll be telling you about today - but a lot of people seem to pass it by. I’ve seen more people talk about Dub Dumb! This gorgeous, ivy-like track is the highlight of G-Sides and shouldn’t be overlooked by anybody who is serious about getting into the band’s discography.

(ft. Kelela & Danny Brown)

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Don’t try to hide away. I know you’ve been wrong, but I’m keeping calm. If you hate Submission, let me try to fix that. Submission isn’t necessarily widely hated so much as it is widely divisive. As one of several tracks on Humanz where Damon is kept restrained and in the background, it’s no surprise that a lot of people overlook this track. On first glance it might not sound particularly Gorillaz-y, and you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for some EDM/ pop track. But there’s a lot going on under the surface of Submission that makes it incredible interesting and exciting.

There are glitches in the synths, there are loops in the vocals, cracks in the facade.

Damon’s calling out to you from behind waves of Graham Coxon’s guitars, but he’s out of reach, warped into submission (ayyy) by wonky, vaguely unsettling power of the track. Kelela delivers a great performance on this track, but the song really kicks off once she fades away.

Graham comes in harsher than ever, giving us his best and most disgusting guitar solo since Blur’s 13, and Danny Brown jumps in with an alltime best Gorillaz rap verse, really selling the hopelessness and despair felt by so many at the state of the world today. “Trying to make ends meet with a week of no sleep, it’s like a cycle that never ends”, he raps over collapsing synths and broken guitars. By the time Kelela comes back in for the final hook, those distorted synths

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completely overtake the track, pummeling you with an awesome wave of sound and energy, all while the choir in the background provides you a heavenly respite from the hellish onslaught of the music. Just a ripper of a track. A+.

Colombians I don’t think Colombians is an outstanding track. Not by a long shot. This Super Deluxe exclusive tune is one of the most abrasive, out-

there, and wild Gorillaz cuts ever released. But while it may not be spectacular, this track is particularly reviled by many fans, to the point of downright absurdity. It definitely deserves a fairer shake, and I suppose this article is the closest I’ll get to convincing anybody to give it one. This song is weird.

It sounds like Damon Albarn was carrying a jigsaw puzzle of Aphex Twin stems and then fell down some stairs. It sounds like Damon dropped his iPad while programming a robot bird voice and then just left the chart the way it turned out. But it only sounds like that at first. If you lend the song an ear, you’ll find that it’s actually very deliberate. It reminds me a lot of Double Bass in a way - a repetitive instrumental based around finding new ways to keep the same few sounds interesting throughout its duration. The higher pitched ‘balloon’ synths, as they’ve come to be known, play out some interesting riffs and melodies as the song progressing, and the drum/bass beat the song is comprised around is constantly changing. What you hear at the end of the track is very different from what you hear at the start, but it progresses there very naturally.

There’s even a fun little bit towards the end where the drums basically get annoyed at their rhythm and demand to be switched up. It’s an interesting track, and while I wouldn’t put it on a playlist or anything it’s certainly better than some other Gorillaz experiments like Samba at 13.

Halfway To The Halfway House (ft. Peven Everett) This is one of my all time favorite Gorillaz songs, and perhaps one of the most powerful things Damon has ever recorded. While it’s the only song on Humanz’ Deluxe Edition that doesn’t have Damon on it at all, it makes up for his absence by filling the open spaces jampacked with the Humanz Choir. Peven delivers one of the best performances of his life, singing about rapturous ecstacy and the fear and beauty of death, while the music creates an incredibly uneasy and uncertain landscape. It’s almost what I imagine death would sound like. The song only gets more desperate as it goes along, with the once calm and collected choir screaming and

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shrieking about mercy and their ‘Cherryade fountain,’ which Peven has said is a “sacred place that everybody wants to go.”

The song is at once horrific and rapturous, and just listening to it is a very spiritual and powerful experience unlike any other Gorillaz song, perhaps excepting Demon Days.

I can’t say enough good things about this track, I really could go on all day. I love Peven screaming behind the choir when they overtake him, I love his lyrics, I love the mixing of the choir, completely surrounding you with their fervor. I love the “Play piano, I’ll sing mercy” section. I love the bridge.

I love the desperation the choir has when they sing “I’ve gotta get out!” I love the homage to Punk during the intro. I love the sound of a button being pressed during the early portions of the song, and the terrifying synth squelch towards the end of the first verse. I love the title’s implication that death, while a release from life, is just another form of imprisonment. I love Halfway to the Halfway House, and so should you.

The Speak-It Mountains The Fall is a misunderstood album. For a lot of people, it’s just ‘the iPad album,’ or the album Damon slapped together to get out of his contract with EMI, and to a certain extent those are both true. It’s more than that though, because due to the reclusive nature of its recordings, and the time period and locations of its creation, it’s actually one of Damon’s most personal albums.

It’s a memento of a terrible tour, a tour where he fought and split up with the person who had been his best friend for decades, a tour where some poor financial decisions led to the premature conclusion of something Damon had been planning for many years.

The Fall is not a look into America during the Plastic Beach Tour, it is a look into Damon’s mind while these events played out. Of all the songs on the record, it’s actually the instrumental drone of The Speak-it Mountains that is perhaps the most revealing of Damon’s mental state at the time.The Speak-It Mountains was recorded towards the end of the tour, on October 24th in the mountains of Denver. The song seems to

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be about High Altitude Sickness, a nasty little effect of traversing those mountains that leads to illness, mental instability, and even death as a result of the thin air. That progression can be heard throughout the song. As more time is spent in the mountains (as told by the upward count in the vocal), the sounds become more shocking and unsettling, and everything starts to fall apart. Once the count reaches ‘Seven,’ the music abruptly stops and we hear a bloodcurdling scream before Aspen Forest fades in to relax us.

I think this song is about Damon, cooped up on a bus traveling through Denver, losing his mind as his relationships crumble and his band goes broke. This was perhaps the low point of the tour for him, and he seems very defeated and lost.

The song previous to this on The Fall is Amarillo, which ends with Damon begging for human affection. After that, Damon doesn’t speak for a full three songs, only making an appearance to hum sporadically on Aspen Forest.

He was at his wits end. I do think the song has another meaning, however. It may be about the Mount Everest Disaster of 1996, where eight people were caught in a blizzard while climbing Mount Everest and lost their lives due to the combination of High Altitude Sickness and horrific conditions. The scream after the spoken “Seven,” more than just representing Damon’s unrest at the time, could be the scream of the eighth and final individual to perish in the disaster, as they realize they’re the only one left and there is no hope for them.

This is a good song. •

Here are some other underrated Gorillaz songs that I didn’t write about, but you should give another chance to if you aren’t fond of them right now: • HillBilly Man • Sex Murder Party • Hallelujah Money • The Swagga • Man Research (Clapper) • Charger (Pauline Black Alt)

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TEXT AND ART BY SEMENDAYZ

The Finesse of The Fall Now the talking Semen will preach to us The Fall is the greatest album ever made.

Better than Dark Side of the Moon, better than Seargant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club, and, at risk of alienating those who love me most, better than - yes - Let’s All Sing With The Chipmunks.

To so much as mention these plebeian creations while discussing The Fall is an offense to its very name.

Putting aside the wacky ol’ Semendayz persona, I’ve always had an odd affinity for The Fall; The final Gorillaz album I decided to devote my attention to, and, for some time, the album many assumed would be the last in Gorillaz’ discography. Compared to its fellow albums, Fall immediately stood out as - for lack of better word - distant. Where you may expect another groovy Clint Eastwood, happy-go-lucky DARE, or tense Stylo, Fall instead offers a haunting oddity such as the droning Shytown, or the otherworldly Aspen Forest. It makes almost no attempts whatsoever to adhere to the accessible grounding present through most of Gorillaz’ history; standing as an experiment in and of itself.

The Fall’s difference stems from it’s very inspiration - an obsessive attitude toward loneliness and modern-day confusion that has painted most of Albarn’s post-2010 works. Fall’s notably more personal nature brings us closer to the core musical concept of “Gorillaz” than ever before - allowing us to peer into the unrestrained

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creativity of Albarn’s mind, hidden by the avatar of 2-D. Through each track, we drown in the buzzing, unconscious mind of a man lost between the many stresses of the world; death, separation, love, and the always impending pressures of eternity. As it searches for peace across the cultural wastelands of America, it blends into an almost Dub-like slog; glancing from city to city, lifestyle to lifestyle, human to human. Detroit shows us the joyous, colorful bliss of positivity - finding a childish levity in what ought to be an intimidating atmosphere. Hillbilly Man dives into the sticky leather seats of a smoky club, drinking the pain away as the music pounds into your skull. Shytown acquiesces to a suppressed anxiety - huddling, terrified, aching for escape.

Bobby in Phoenix, conversely, pats us on the back; the world is as wide as it is frightening, but in the end, that anomalous nature is the very beauty of living.

The Fall is, to my eyes, Albarn’s most “raw” album - Democrazy’s sincerity, with Everyday Robot’s emotional build. As we see the world through 2-D’s bleached eyes, we reflect it within the mind of an overworked, overdrawn Albarn; bringing us closer to his beloved “Demon Days” than ever before. If Humanz is the beginning of an apocalypse, The Fall is the bleak end; the acceptance of fate, and fear of death.

And what better way to represent death itself, than with a toy pickle? •

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Ar t b y R a d R ig ht e o u s

Ar t b y M u st

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ART BY ROTODISK TEXT BY HUGHESTA AND NICOLE

“Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, even if they’re incorrect.”

Hello, faithful readers!

Non-canon Noodle here, interviewing the supreme queen leader of Gorillaz-Unofficial in the modern era, Nicoru-chan! Anyone running a fan-site dedicated to my band needs to be 100% on the level, or Murdoc will get angry, so I’m here to make sure she’ll be safe from his smelly, dirty wrath.

Noodle: Hello Nicoru! It’s great to finally meet you! I’ve actually been following your blog for some time, at gorillaz-art.tumblr.com! It’s a great way to see the latest pictures of me that I haven’t gotten a pass at yet.

Nicole: Thank you Noodle! It’s great to meet you too! This is my first interview... I’m a little nervous. I’m so glad to hear that!

I actually started gorillaz-art as a personal archive, believe it or not! I had a hard drive full of Gorillaz photos I saved over the years, and wanted to be able to sort them by phases and by which members were in the photos.

I thought Tumblr’s tagging system was perfect because I could add multiple tags per photo.

It seems almost over night one day I had 100 followers then 1000, and now I have over 30,000! I’m surprised this took off so well, but I pride myself in being an easily accessible site for all official art. Nothing against fan art though!

I love it.

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So, how do you like living in Japan, and what do you like to do there?

I absolutely love it! I’m currently living in a small town in Osaka. I initially planned on coming here for maybe one or two years, and it’s almost been two and I don’t think I’ll be heading back home (to Canada) any time soon. I absolutely love the people here! I’m working as an assistant language teacher at two elementary schools and one junior high school. It’s such a rewarding job working with the kids!

Did you have trouble keeping up with your blog and adjusting to your new lifestyle when you first moved?

I honestly did (and still do have trouble!).

I used to use my blog most when i procrastinated in university but now I have nothing to procrastinate from... so I often neglect my blog.

My goal is to go through all of it and update

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to higher res images where I have them.

What inspired you to take the reigns of Gorillaz Unofficial from 2J, and start a Discord server?

I guess I missed the community and noticed no new users could join the board (before it went down... again...) and wanted a place where old and new users could come together and discuss the band. I decided to start a discord server and borrowed the GU name.

So tell me Nicole, what makes this band worth investing in such a large fanbase?

God... I wish I knew. I’m not exactly sure what pulls me or others towards Gorillaz so hard. I’ve enjoyed many bands at the level I enjoy Gorillaz but never felt so invested in the community.

I guess for me when I was younger it was fun getting into the art side of the fan base. From the art side I felt community and really liked that feeling. I think this band has the advantage of being both an artistic and musical fan base.

Some love the music only and don’t mess much with the art side, and vice versa. I think that’s what makes it so worthwhile.

Have you heard from 2J (the original creator and owner of Gorillaz Unofficial) since you started the discord server?

Actually I have! He used to chat a lot in the server when it was first made. He sadly doesn’t come around anymore, but still interacts with me and some other community members on social media.

My favorite Gorillaz song is Strobelite. How does this make you feel?

Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, even if they’re incorrect.

Outside of Gorillaz, who are your favorite artists doing work today?

Recently I got really into Brockhampton! love those guys. I really like Death Grips and I am super hype for their new album. Always a fan of Kanye and Kendrick.

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How do you feel about the way the world is going? Our last album is about the uncertainty and fear in these modern times. Do you feel more optimistic than we do about the trajectory of our planet and its people?

I’m the biggest pessimist around. Super negative, so it’s safe to say I’m not more optimistic, but I do have hope; the world will need a huge change and overhaul though.

Do you think that the individual person has a future in today’s society? Lately so much of social media has involved tethering yourself to causes, and joining groups and fanpages.

It’s wonderful to unite for a good cause, but it makes me ask the question: What does it mean to be a single person in the modern world? Do you think there’s any value left in individualism?

I think in the modern world it’s so easy to feel absolutely isolated. Seeing people on social media seeming to always be out having fun, while you’re at home behind a screen.

I think it’s important to realize that sometimes it’s just an act and everyone probably feels isolated as well.

It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that sometimes being alone is completely okay!

We need alone time to learn about ourselves, but having the constant reminder on social media makes that a tough thing to realize.

I think more now than ever individualism is so important because we get so easily lost in it all.

What’s your favorite color?

Light pink! But, I often gravitate towards black clothes!

Thank you for answering my questions in this interview! It was a real pleasure catching up with you! I have to go finish work on our upcoming album, which is due in May, but hopefully once it’s wrapped up you and I can catch up again, maybe over drinks?

That was great! So glad to have had the opportunity to talk with you! super excited for this album! Totally, let’s do drinks soon! •

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TEXT AND ART BY ROTODISK

Isolation Review There is really no honest way, or even a perfect word, to describe just how beautiful and enticing Kali Uchis’ voice is – she puts her entire heart and soul into everything she does, and Isolation definitely shows this. The six years were worth the wait in my opinion, and it also shows even more of how seriously Kali takes her passion and the art she creates. As soon as the album introduces itself with Body Language, it was like I was instantly taken to a different, peaceful place – one of pure relaxation, like in a rainforest or on the beach.

Picking a favorite and a least favorite song is, without a doubt, excruciatingly tough. I honestly enjoyed every single song on this album. Flight 22, if I had to pick, would be my favorite off Isolation. I love the airplane safety introduction, it makes me feel like I am relaxing in a dimly lit plane cabin sipping a martini and enjoying my life. The instrumentals are nice and upbeat, and of course Kali compliments them ever so wonderfully. After the Storm with Tyler the Creator and Bootsy Collins is, of course, another amazing piece on Isolation – the trio does a splendid job working together in harmony and I adore the overall chillout feel.

Isolation has this incredible sultry, hypnotic feel to it where some moments are more chill, while others make me want to bop my head ever so happily. From the jazzlike tempos to the soft, mesmerizing vocals that could make an entire field of flowers blossom, Isolation is a statement of Kali’s hard work, creativity, and originality. •

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Ar t b y R o b er t ( Su c c )

Ar t b y R a d R ig ht e o u s

ART BY RADRIGHTEOUS INTRODUCTION BY HUNCE

Happy birthday, Damon Albarn!

The “Damon Appreciation Article” Talented musician, frontman and expensive bell owner of Gorillaz Damon Albarn has turned 50 last March. The man has put out over 30 albums with the projects he worked on over the years, and has written a couple of musicals and operas in his spare time. There's no other way (I’m so sorry for this joke) to celebrate a musical genius’e 50ths year on Earth than have fans pick out their favorite songs of his.

Editor’s note: This article was inspired by the similar one Q Magazine did in their May 2018 issue. And, let’s pretend this zine was released in March...

BLUR, MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH (1993)

INTERMISSION chosen by Hunce I really enjoy ‘Intermission’ for a couple reasons. The fact that this song was sneakily put on in the middle of the album as a hidden track for the song ‘Chemical World’ off the album Modern Life is Rubbish and its addition to the album was possibly an afterthought.

Intermission is a nice two minute and a half jam that starts out with Damon playing a nice little tune on a piano and then slowly descends into a fast pace chaos once Graham Coxon starts playing the guitar. The song then later speeds up so fast it just goes of rails until it picks itself back up where it once started with Damon on the piano.

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GORILLAZ, DEMON DAYS (2005)

EVERY PLANET WE TICKER TAPE REACH IS DEAD Must GORILLAZ, HUMANZ (2017)

chosen by Robert (Succ)

Demon Days has some of Gorillaz’s best work on it, and Every Planet We Reach Is Dead is probably the first Gorillaz song that really got me hooked on this band. The mix of piano, synth, and that sexy, sexy guitar is a recipe for a song that has a unique somber yet sleazy sounding feel, one that is distinct even among the varied work of Gorillaz. Damon’s love-lorn lyrics are solid and fit the soundscape that has been created very well. This song paints a vivid picture in my mind, which consists of a late-night seedy bar with few patrons, dimly lit and a place where time seems to be a little slower than the rest of the world. I’m sure this song would be improved with some alcohol as well.

Someone take me to that bar.

GORILLAZ, DEMON DAYS (2005)

DEMON DAYS

chosen by

I would never say Gorillaz’s newest album ‘Humanz’ is exactly my favorite of their albums, it has its problems for sure but then again, most things do and that’s a good thing. But one of it’s biggest highs of all the tracks in my eyes is on the album’s deluxe edition, with a little song titled ‘Ticker Tape’. A song that brings flavors and trademarks from each phase of the band’s life, this slower tune gives us the breather that the album really needs and it’s incredibly welcomed.

The song is about a ticker tape parade where nobody comes out, and that makes it tragic in a way, but the beauty of Damon’s crooning yet melancholic vocals mixed with Carly’s gentle vocals (with backing from Kali) makes it one of the most beautiful on the album but also in the entire discography. It gives us the profound lyrics that Damon is known for, plus some nice live bass from the band’s former bassist Junior Dan, it’s a very nice mix of the best of each phase’s more somber side and that is why it just may be my favorite of Damon’s work. (For now that is, keep shittin’ them out you beautiful man)

chosen by Jordan Powers

I must say, it is very difficult to pick one particular favorite Damon song, but if I had to choose, then my favorite Damon song out of his entire discography is Demon Days.

While Damon’s strongest areas are usually within the context of the music itself, this song contains some of Damon’s most profound and thought provoking lyrics. It’s as personal as it is a reflection of the world around him, as it covers many of the struggle he’s encountered throughout his adult life and many of the demons in life as a whole, which is why it’s the perfect closer to sum up a phenomenal, timeless classic

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of an album whose message is just as relevant now as it was 13 years ago.

It’s a song with an important message of hope and optimism in a world with so much suffering and hardship, which makes it the perfect way to close such a consistently somber and dark album. With the optimism and brightness contrasting the rest of the album, the song is like the ‘answer’ to the questions being asked in the previous tracks. To this day, it is still one of the most beautifully poignant pieces of music that I’ve ever heard, and will surely stay that way for a very long time.

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BLUR, MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH (1993) BLUR, 13 (1999)

TRIMM TRABB

MISS AMERICA chosen by Mutant Standard

chosen by Hughesta 13 is an incredible significant album in Damon’s career. Recorded after a horrid breakup with his girlfriend, and during a time of intense personal conflict between the band member’s themselves, it’s the harshest, meanest, creepiest, and darkest album Damon Albarn had made at this point in his career, and even now it stands head and shoulders over some of the other darker records in Damon’s catalogue (The Fall, Everyday Robots) as the most sonically crushing. There are heavier songs musically on 13, and heavier songs lyrically, but no song combines the two as well as late-album cut Trimm Trabb.

The song starts with nothing more than an eerie piano and bass loop and some very ominous vocals. Once the main forward progression of the song kicks in, Damon delivers some of the most emotionally-bereft vocals of his career, as he talks about being a loner in a society that’s become more and more focused on flash and panache. The song grows in scale like a tapeworm, delivering more groove and subtle details as it goes further on and on and on and on, droning methodically and uncomfortably until it suddenly explodes in an awesome rebellion of noise and violence.

Damon’s lyrics don’t change, but his voice is filtered with menace and disgust, and as the ending draws nearer Graham Coxon turns his guitar into a wailing banshee, screaming into an empty void for love and warmth. But it doesn’t come, and the song ends the way it began, with eerie pianos, bass, and indiscernible vocals where the only clear meaning is regret.

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Miss America is my favorite Damon song because it conveys this weird sense of melancholy that I find charming and endearing when he does it, and it’s from my favorite Blur album.

“And that’s why you aren’t allowed to play the flute.”

BLUR, PARKLIFE (1994)

END OF A CENTURY chosen by ana It’s funny how much you can relate to a song written so long ago, a song about the coming of a new era... The years come and go, people change and grow, but the feelings and emotions continue the same.

I’m a big fan of Damon’s lyric writing, of his ability to transform feelings into words, and, I think End of a Century is a great example of both. Together with his delivery (and of course, with the rest of Blur) the song really expresses this strange feeling of loneliness and sadness, in which things that should be important just feel empty of meaning, and that hits close to home. It’s a very special song for me.

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MASSIVE ATTACK, HELIGOLAND (2010)

SATURDAY COME SLOW chosen by RotoDisk

Jamie Hewllet (artist, music video director, designer and many other things) has also turned 50 recently, on the 3rd of April of this year. He has created Phoo Action, and is the co-creator of Gorillaz and Tank Girl. In his spare time, Jamie has designed limited edition bottles for Absolut Vodka, worked on the opera Monkey’s Journey To The West with Damon Albarn and designed vibrators (I’m not kidding, look it up!).

I have heard many songs by our great overlord, Damon, that I thoroughly enjoy, but my favorite would have to be Saturday Come Slow from the album Heligoland. While this would generally be considered a Massive Attack song, Damon provides some of the most stunning vocals I have ever heard. Combined with Massive Attack’s beautiful, moving instrumentals, this track instantly tugged my heart strings and took me to a magical place.

My favorite lyric from this song would have to be, “In the limestone caves…” because I automatically envisioned myself in a limestone cave thanks to Damon and Massive Attack’s ambient, breathtaking and mesmerizing duet.

BLUR, THINK TANK (2003)

WE GOT A FILE ON YOU choosen by RadRighteous So imagine this: you’re listening to the already amazing album Think Tank, with such bangers and tasty tracks, when, between two tasty tracks, there is this small 45 second song, with a badass build-up, some badass guitars, and lots of yelling, which by association, is badass.

It almost feels like a theme song for a stylized action cartoon in the early 2000’s.

I love it and I love you reader, but not enough to keep writing. Sorry.

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GORILLAZ, D-SIDES (2007)

ROCKIT chosen by Semendayz

My favorite Albarn song - as well as Gorillaz song, for that matter - is Rockit. Rarely do you see a song so willingly experimental, that it actively devalues itself. Meaningless lyrics, droning music, hardly any soul whatsoever; a perfect mirror image of the pop music it intends to parody. ...Wait, I just remembered Doncamatic exists.

That counts, right?! •

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TEXT BY HUNCE A RT B Y R O T O D I S K L O N G T I T L E ( t h a t n e e d e d t h e u s e o f a n e w f o n t ) B Y R O B E RT ( S U C C )

Top 6 Gorillaz remixes Because 5 is Arbitrarily Too Little and 7 is Arbitrarily Too

Much

Over the course of 18 years more than 90 Gorillaz remixes were made (not counting the ones from Spackemonkeyz ). As a fan of most of these, I thought it would be nice to make a list ranking my personal top 6 Gorillaz remixes. I am not including any from the Gorillaz Sound System or the Spacemonkeyz album Laika Come Home on the list, because Gorillaz were heavily involved with the making of said remixes and I am not including any that were made by fans or were unauthorized by the label.

DARE (Chab Remix)

You would think a remix of ‘DARE’ with the word “Chab” tagged on it would sound like obnoxious shit, but thats where you’re wrong.

The dirty synth and the sped up percussion alone makes the Chab Remix really a really good boppin’ tune alone. Rosie Wilson and Shaun Ryder’s vocals go along well with the song while the main synth line pops in as a little treat.

19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)

The ‘19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)’ is probably one of the most successful Gorillaz remixes.

Instead of making the song a completely different animal (which most remixes do) it adds a layer of polish. The additional piano and synths on the track is a great addition along with the percussion.

Even though I slightly like the original version of ‘19-2000’ slightly more, I have to admit that the Soulchild remix is much more exciting in a way.

Dirty Harry (Chopper Remix)

This remix almost breaks the rules of the list since it was done by two thirds of The

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Spacemonkeyz. I am including the Chopper Remix of ‘Dirty Harry” anyways, just because Gorillaz were not as involved with the making of this one as much as with the songs on Laika Come Home.

The Chopper remix for me marks a rare occasion when it comes to Gorillaz remixes… It’s actually a rare occasion for remixes in general; where the remix is better than the actual song.

Unlike the original version of ‘Dirty Harry’, the kids aren’t the main focus of the song; Instead it’s Bootie Brown’s verse that takes center stage.

The funky beat that comes with a cowbell on the side accompains Bootie’s verse better than the original version of the song which was loud; “too much” for the lack of a better phrase in my opinion. What also makes this track great is the funky bass and guitar which gives it a groovy vibe that makes the song much more enjoyable.

Empire Ants (Miami Horror Remix)

Did you know Plastic Beach had 40 remixes?

I’m gonna be honest, there were probably better remixes that I could’ve picked from Plastic Beach but, after listening to all of them, they kind of all

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slowly blended together with a few standing out for either being horrifically bad (which we will get to on some later date) or really good but not good enough for a a top 6 list. Anyways, let’s talk about the remix.

I believe the Miami Horror remix of ‘Empire Ants’ suits the “sit back, relax and, watch plastic swirl around the ocean as the sun sets while brooding about how fucked the planet is” vibe that Plastic Beach got going. The remix uses Yukimi Nagano’s verse effectively with the bright poppy syths going on in the background. The track uses other elements of the song sprinkled along the song. For example, the guitar and high pitched synth from the original version appears in breath segments of the song. The song slows down in the middle with Damon’s verse and quickly kicks back in with Yukimi’s verse on repeat.

As someone who wasn’t too excited to dig in through the Plastic Beach remixes, ‘Empire Ants (Miami Horror Remix)’ (along with a few other gems I found) made me not regret doing that for this list.

El Manana (Metronomy Remix)

In the Gorillaz fandom you would only find people that love or hate the Metronomy remix of ‘El Manana’. The loud and chaotic synth is very off putting to some people which is understandable.

The reason why I enjoy the Metronomy remix is because of the controlled mayhem it brings to the

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song. What makes this remix enjoyable for me is the last half where the synths slowly build up and get louder as it just deafens your ear in a good way.

For some weird reason I can see the Metronomy remix working well with the music video for ‘El Manana’; I believe that because everytime I hear the synths escalate I can imagine the windmill getting shot up and being taken down.

DARE (DFA Remix)

It was done by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem so therefore it’s good. Anyways that’s the list I hope you enjoyed it... But no really the DFA remix of ‘DARE’ is really good. Some dislike it for it’s 12 minute track duration which is understandable.

The track kicks off with an organ synth that stays throughout the duration of it in a continuous stream as it slowly grows more chaotic. Damon’s backing vocals being moved to the front gives the remix a somewhat more raw energy to the song along with the synths to the track. The percussion being accompanied with the cowbell was additoned to the track making it more boppable (boppable? Is that the right word for this? Fuck, it’s good enough). The main organ synth gets more chaotic towards the end of the track and once it ascends to its climax, a burst of energy is released.

It’s good to know that James Murphy worked with Gorillaz more directly six years on ‘DoYaThing’ along with Andre 3000. •

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ART BY ROBERT (SUCC) AND AZOO TEXT BY HUGHESTA (WITH COMMENTARY BY AZOO)

Humanz is not that bad And Hugh can and will prove it.

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Shhh, shh shh shh… I know what you’re thinking. “He’s at it again, in article form!” You’re rolling your eyes, you’re turning the page, you’re calling your congressman. Relax. Take your coat off. Stay a while. Thaaaaaat’s it, nice and easy now. Daddy’s here. Would you like a drink?

White Russian, perhaps? Coming right up, my friend… Because that’s what you are, a friend.

We’re all friends here… and Humanz is a better friend than you. Let me tell you why.

Azoo says...

HUMANZ WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU

Now that’s the nature of any record, isn’t it? It’ll always there for you, seducing hapless listeners into just one more go-around. One more fuck and it could own you, that’s the thought. But, have you always been there for it? If your first listen to Humanz wasn’t largely positive, or if you didn’t like Hallelujah Money when it first released, or if you’re just a cold cynical bastard without love in your heart, perhaps you haven’t gone back to it very often.

Perhaps you’ve grown biased towards certain parts of the whole, or even the whole of the album itself.

Perhaps you were upset that ‘2D’ wasn’t crooning in your ear for the majority, so you put Busted & Blue and Andromeda into a little box and put the rest out with the dirty linens. That’s okay, no one’s judging… but it’s not very friendly to act like that, now is it? Look over yonder, what do you see? The sun is rising, and Humanz is shining brightly, begging you for another chance. No matter what mood you’re in, the album will have something for you.

Feeling lonely? Throw on Busted and Blue or Submission. Are you amped up on amphetamines and questionable energy? Throw on Momentz or Submission. Do you just want to groove? Throw on Sex Murder Party or Submission. Trying to go absolutely wild? Give Submission a spin! Humanz has been given some flak for retaining a similar soundfont throughout, consisting almost entirely of electronics, but really it’s quite varied. While almost every sound is synthetic in origin, they add onto the different tracks in very different ways, and lend almost every song a very different feel. Humanz will always be there no matter what you’re feeling, and it’ll lend you a helping hand. I can’t say that you have treated it with as much decency and warmth.

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*Lucifer, probably.

HUMANZ IS A GOOD TIME

Let’s face it, old chap. You’re a bit of a downer. Always ranting and raving about your lady problems with tears in your eyes and a drink in your hand. We get it mate, you aren’t happy with the way things are. But you forget, this is a party and you’re really killing the vibe.

Check out that Humanz guy over there, in his amazing technicolor t-shirt. He’s having a great time, the personified life of this party!

Sure, the nukes may be dropping outside, and he won’t let us forget that, but he’s not letting that stand in the way of our good time! Hey, what is he… I don’t believe it! Even while providing so much energy and good-timegoof-gas to this gathering, he’s still making time to check in with everybody individually and make sure they’re feeling okay! This man isn’t just a good time, he’s a goddamned saint! Oh shit, he’s coming this way. Be nice to him, will ya? He only wants to make you feel better…

HUMANZ HAS A BIG DICK

Just look at the size of it!

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Azoo says... * And when I want a drink, I go to the fridge.

HUMANZ ISN’T SELFISH

What do you mean, you’re not gonna share your juice box? I want a juice box! You’ve got three juice boxes, asshole! You’re not even thirsty! I’m gonna go hang out with Humanz instead, he always shares his toys! When I want funk he gives me Strobelite, when I want rock he gives me Charger, when I want disco he gives me Andromeda. He’s always got something for me!

Sure, maybe all the rooms in his house look the same, but they all feel different.

I don’t know if he’s got something going on with his air conditioning or what, but even if he’s got the exact same furniture in all of his rooms, they’re laid out differently and the air is scented uniquely and there’s a different person relaxing on the couch...

Your house might have more rooms, but they’re all dirty, and shitty, and bad... And they smell. And you won’t give me juice.

HUMANZ’ FRIENDS ARE BETTER THAN YOURS

Oh, have I come at a bad time? You’ve got some friends over? Let’s see…. Mike, Sherry, Cain, Yukiko, I see Arthur got lost on his way here again… that’s it? Pretty routine display of bores you’ve got lined up. I hope you don’t mind that I invited Humanz to this…. thing.

Yes, he’s bringing friends! His friends are hot shit! Why would you plan a get together without Kali Uchis looking fine, why would you throw a party without Grace Jones busting out her famous Whirly-Dirly? Pusha T is bringing cookies!

Your friends are pretty cool when they’re on their game, sure, but they aren’t always on their game. Humanz’ friends are always on their game. Carly Simon!

She’s gonna put on a cowboy hat and sing Mockingbird! Mike’s just gonna get mad and start throwing shit. Humanz wins.

Azoo says...

I was at this party, and Murdoc tried to give me a big wet one behind the bushes in front of the Spirit House. How did the Spirit House fit into another building?

Why, through the Gorillaz App of course! With this app, you can explore all the crevices of the Spirit House and meet 2D, Noodle, Russell Hobbs (he sold me a can opener), and that one ugly fuck. What are you looking at?

PHEW. Finished your drink? Good, get out of my house. I’m sick of talking at you. Don’t know why I bothered being polite to you in the first place. I don’t want you on my side!

I’m happy enough by own damn self! I’m not lonely! Look, I’ve got this cupboard filled with various dolls and records. They understand me! I’m sorry, Velma, I won’t raise my voice again….

You. Go away. I’ve got a hot date with this Laura Palmer funko pop... •

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TEXT BY ANA

Contacts

Chances are that, if you aren’t in the GU Discord server, you won’t recognize the names of this zine’s staff. That’s why we have prepared this page with their contacts: In the case that you want to shoot a message to someone, or has some critiques or comentary to make about their work here.

Nicole Instagram: nicole.readman Twitter: nicole_readman Robert (Succ) Twitter: dorito_bitch_ Tumblr: dorito-bitch Instagram: doritobinch Hughesta Discord: hughesta#3559 Hunce Instagram: itshunce Reddit account: /u/hunce Roxy Froggy wants you to leave her alone Tayter Snapchat: taydhughes Facebook: taylor.hughes.988 RadRighteous Twitter: RadRighteous Instagram/Soundcloud/Youtube: Same

Kirvia Tumblr: kirvia Instagram: azilezi RotoDisk Instagram: rotodisk Twitter: rotodisk Azoo Twitter: azookara Instagram: azoosart Semendayz Twitter: smogmonster1971 Snapchat: myles_landfill Reddit: Papersorplastics Must Must also wants you to leave him alone ana Twitter: lampejodefarol Jordan Instagram: gorillaztrivia

Mutant - Standard Instagram: thewozardofiz Twitter: mutantstandard

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THIS IS THE FIRST HALF OF A TWO PARTS ZINE! ISSUE #2-B OUT NEXT JANUARY!

ISSUE #2A - DECEMBER 2018

m1dlife.blogspot.com

ROAD TRIP TO GOLGOTHA New EP by RadRighteous.

Out in Dec. 28th.

Here’s an attractive new book for all your light reading needs.

We are proud to announce acclaimed G-U’s member ana’s brand new novel “More Stories About Creeps and Food”.

In stores now... now!

GORILLAZ-UNOFFICIAL SYSTEM THIS IS NOT A REAL BOOK OR AD BTW. BUT WRITING A BOOK WOULD BE PRETTY COOL.

“Always fun, always nice.”

- Jabberjaw

“I love ana!”

- ana

welcome

staff

I’m so excited about the completion of the first half of the second edition of the GU Zine! It’s so wonderful seeing such a variety of users come together and share their artistic and writing abilities to create one cohesive Gorillaz zine. Seeing everyone come together to create this zine has been wonderful opportunity. I’m so proud of the community for their continual efforts. It’s my personal favourite side project of G-U for this reason. It truly feels like the entire community working towards one goal. I really hope the efforts of the G-U community can be appreciated by you as you read through this edition.

Nicole

(G-U ADM)

Hi! After months in waiting, the first part of the G-U fanzine #2 is here. Making the general design and the design for the pages of this issue was a big challenge, even bigger than creating everything from scratch for the fanzine. One of the reasons for that was fear: A fear of not being able to make stuff that looked good as the past issue... As I said before, that was my first “venture” into creating an entire making layout from scratch, so it was a big staple in my work as a desginer.

Well, if you compare this second zine to first one, you can see that some quirks were dropped, others changed into something else. In the end, I can say that I like this final result.

Sometimes being creative is hard, so you end up having to work even harder to see results (don’t forget to take breaks tho, overworking yourself is bad for your health).

I would like to thank everyone that worked with us to make this project come true: The writers, the artists, the G-U staff, the community in general... This fanzine is dedicated for all of you and I hope you enjoy it! Well, if you dont enjoy it, please tell us why, feedback is always important! In a side note, I would also like to thank all the magazines (and their desginers, of course) I have been reading and studying their looks. Some of them are: Galileu, Showbizz, MTV Brasil, Blurb fanzine...

See you next january! ana (editor and design)

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ARTISTS Azoo Emily (cool cat) Myles Shawn.

RadRighteous Dotty Floobadoo Dekyun NDB Robert (Succ) majesticmyka Lil’ Lavender DraconicLight IndigoLiz Spaceman WRITERS Floobadoo Hughesta Shoe Mr. Steven$ Fábio DESIGN ana EDITOR ana G-U ADM Nicole

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contents Issue #2A • December 2018

ARTICLES 6

Best Alternatives and Demos of Gorillaz! by Floobadoo

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“No static at all.” by Hughesta

18

Gorillaz S/T Album Review by Shoe

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Dan the Automator’s influence on Gorillaz’ S/T by Mr. Steven$

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Thank you, Gorillaz by Fábio

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ART CREDITS 1

art and new logo by Azoo, colors by Emily (cool cat)

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top ad by Semendays, bottom ad by Shawn.

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top ad by RadRighteous, bottom ad by Dotty

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by Floobadoo

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by Dekyum

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10 - 15 by NDB. additional vector work by vectorpocket and Freepik.

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by Robert (Succ)

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by RadRighteous

18 - 20 by Robert (Succ) 22

by RadRighteous

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by majesticmyka

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by Lil’ Lavender

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by DraconicLight

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by IndigoLiz

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by TheHappySpaceMan (Spaceman)

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TEXT AND ART BY FLOOBADOO

Best Alternatives and Demos of Gorillaz!

In their discography full of all kinds of sounds, Gorillaz have plenty of songs that exist in more than one form! These are not simply remixes made by other artists: They are early or alternative song variations that were not included in a studio album, in favor of the versions fans are most familiar with.

Sometimes, these tracks can sound better than the official version of such tracks! My name is Floob, and I will be discussing and reviewing some of my favorite Gorillaz demos and alternative tracks.

Rock the TheHouse House(feat. (feat.Phi PhiLife LifeCypher) Cypher) Rock “Rock the House” “Rock House” from fromGorillaz Gorillazself-titled self-titled debut album is aafavorite debut favoriteof ofmine. mine.The Thesampling sampling is catchy, catchy,and andthe thelyrics lyricsfrom from Del smooth is Del areare smooth and and memorable.

Like many tracks from Phase memorable. Like many tracks from Phase 1, this 1, thisalso track has an alternative version track hasalso an alternative version featuring featuring Phi Life Cypher.

Phi Life Cypher.

Some fans Some criticizefans PLCcriticize for their PLC for their arguably cheesy lyrics, but arguably cheesy rap lyrics, but I rap often find them Ivery often find them very entertaining.

This entertaining. This version of “Rock the version was of “Rock The at House” was in recorded House” recorded The Scala London. at The Scala London.ofBesides thethis change of Besides the inchange rappers, version rappers, version also adds some scratching, excellent also addsthis some excellent turntable turntable scratching, and Damon Albarn and Damon Albarn humming a the riff along humming a the riff along the recorder with the recorder part.

Withwith its more energetic part. With itsthis more energetic performance, performance, I think this version could have I think very this well version could have worked very worked on Gorillaz as a studio recorded well on Gorillaz as a studio recorded track, track, though the album version is still a classic. though the album version is still a classic.

Latin Simone (Vivir Mata Version) Latin Simone (Vivir Mata Version) Many fans of this chilling track may have heard Many fans of this chilling track may have that the Spanish version sung by Ibrahim Ferrer heard that the Spanish version sung by Ibrahim on Gorillaz, and English version sung by 2-D/ Ferrer on Gorillaz, and the English version Damon Albarn on G Sides; two sides of a dark sung by 2-D/Damon Albarn on G Sides; two conversation about depression and suicide. sides of a dark conversation about depression What many fans might not know however, is and suicide. What many fans might not know that there is a version of this tune combining however, is that there is a version of this tune the two well known versions! Not a as fan edit, combining the two well known versions! Not as but as part of the soundtrack to the film Vivir a fan edit, but as part of the soundtrack to the Mata, released in 2002. This version alternates film Vivir Mata, released in 2002. This version back and forth between 2-D’s and Ibrahim alternates back and forth between 2-D’s and Ferrer’s parts perfectly, making the track feel Ibrahim Ferrer’s parts perfectly, making the more comprehensive and complete than its two track feel more comprehensive and complete separate counterparts. It’s a shame this version than its two separate counterparts. It’s a was not included on any official Gorillaz albums, shame this version was not included on any but the two seperate versions still work well on official Gorillaz albums, but the two seperate their own. versions still work well on their own.

Don’t Get Lost Heaven (Original Demo Version) Don’t Get Lost InIn Heaven (Original Demo Version) The penultimate track Demon Days sounds just names suggest, with angelic vocals The penultimate track toto Demon Days sounds just likelike its its names suggest, with thethe angelic vocals of of London the London Gospel our boy Meanwhile, on D-Sides, the demo version of “Don’t the Gospel ChoirChoir and and our boy 2-D.2-D. Meanwhile on D-Sides, the demo version of “Don’t Get Get Lost In Heaven” is vastly different in tone.

It is a far more goofy track, with an amazing bouncy Lost In Heaven” is vastly different in tone. It is a far more goofy track, with an amazing bouncy swing swing andThe banjo. finalofversion of feels this tune feelsare as standing if you areatstanding at white the pearly gates and banjo. finalThe version this tune as if you the pearly gateswhite listening to listening tothe thesouls advice of the souls you, butlike theadvice demofrom feelsyour like groovey advice from your groovey the advice of around you, butaround the demo feels drunk grandfather drunk who had a near death experience.

I also adoresounds the subtle who hadgrandfather a near death experience.

I also adore the subtle heavenly that heavenly chime in sounds towardsthat the chime in towards the end of the track, sort of reminiscent of the “White Light” bridge.

The final end of the track, sort of reminiscent of the “White Light” bridge. The final version of the track works very version of theDays, track especially works verytowell on Demon Days, especially toas precede titletrack track.

However, well on Demon precede the title track.

However, a standthe alone I find myself as a stand alone track I find myself jamming more to the demo version. jamming more to the demo version.

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Bill Murray (Demo) Bill Murray (Demo) “Bill Murray” of D-Sides is a very memorable Gorillaz B-Side, with its bizarre catchy beat and “Bill Murray” of D-Sides is a very memorable Gorillaz B-Side, with its bizarre catchy beat and contagious vocals. In Bananaz, a 2008 documentary about Gorillaz, there is footage of Damon contagious vocals. In Bananaz, a 2008 documentary about Gorillaz, there is footage of Damon Albarn and The Bees performing an earlier version of this track. The footage is from the Demon Albarn and The Bees performing an earlier version of this track. The footage is from the Demon Days recording sessions, which took place in 2004. This version is notable for having quite a lot Days recording sessions, which took place in 2004. This version is notable for having quite a more sound and melody variety, such as an acoustic guitar, more keyboard sounds, a bit of ambient lot more sound and melody variety, such as an acoustic guitar, more keyboard sounds, a bit of synth, more use of the horns, and Damon making lots of weird noises. It feels like a jolly jam session ambient synth, more use of the horns, and Damon making lots of weird noises. It feels like a jolly with all kinds of sound, offering more than the catchy yet much simpler final version of the tune. The jam session with all kinds of sounds, offering more than the catchy yet much simpler final version cherry on top of this piece is the ending, when The Bees join in with Damon on the last few lines of the tune. The cherry on top of this piece is the ending, when The Bees join in with Damon on of the lyrics, in a fun-filled, unified, and satisfying ending. I wish the final version contained more of the last few lines of the lyrics, in a fun-filled, unified, and satisfying ending. I wish the final version the elements, though I do love it regardless. contained more of the elements, though I do love it regardless.

Broken (feat.

Broken(Alternate (AlternateVersion) Version)// Broken Broken (feat.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble) Hypnotic Brass Ensemble) Plastic track PlasticBeach’s Beach’s“Broken” “Broken” isis aa simple track with witha asad sadromantic romantictheme. theme. There There are are quite a few fewversions versionsofofthe thesong songout outthere, there, such such as the demo demoversion versionbroadcasted broadcastedon on BBC BBC radio, an alternative version broadcasted alternative version broadcasted on on NPR, NPR, live the version from from the Plastic Beach tour,tour, and and the live version the Plastic Beach elusive Hypnotic BrassBrass Ensemble version.

The the elusive Hypnotic Ensemble version. album versionversion of the track uses some carouselThe album of the track uses some like sounds and electronic drum beats with carousel-like sounds and electronic drum 2-D’s vocals, and stops at suddenly the end. beats with 2-D’s vocals,suddenly and stops The “Alternate does not differ too at the end. TheVersion” “Alternate Version” does not much the final version of version the track, but differfrom too much from the final of the has much more dominant vocoding on the track, but has much more dominant vocoding songs chorus, giving thatgiving section of the trackofa on the song’s chorus, that section more bold a and eerie vibe. the track more bold and eerie vibe.

Another features the Anotherversion versionofof this this track track features Hypnotic Brass Ensemble playing a solo after the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble playing a solo after album versionversion of the track, a sudden the album of theinstead track,ofinstead of ending.

In live recordings this version, the a sudden ending.

In live ofrecordings of this Ensemble dance around theiraround horns. version, even the Ensemble even with dances A with snippet of the studio version of “Broken” their horns. A snippet of the studio featuring the“Broken” brass solo can bethe heard the version of featuring brassinsolo documentary of Plastic can be heard“The in the Making documentary “The Beach”, Making although there is talking covering partisoftalking it. The of Plastic Beach”, although there brass solo brings more a melancholy groove The covering part of it. The brass solo brings more album version of the track sounds lessversion complete of a melancholy groove, the album of after hearing this ending.

Although the track sounds less complete after“Broken” hearing is this a decent track, it could“Broken” have benefitted from ending.

Although is a decent both the stronger vocoding of the Alternate track, it could have benefitted from both the version, andvocoding the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble solo. stronger of the Alternate version and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble solo.

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All of these tracks can be listened to in the Oddz and Endz collection, put together by GU user Must. The compilation also includes text documents for each phase, detailing the source of each audio file, which is also where I got my song origin info from. The compilation can be downloaded here.

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Glitter Glitter Freeze Freeze (Alternate (Alternate Version) Version) “Glitter simple, primarily electronic track withwith a few lineslines of lyrics “Glitter Freeze” Freeze”ofofPlastic PlasticBeach Beachis isa a simple, primarily electronic track a few of spoken by the late Marklate E. Smith. a guest DJ broadcast played on an alternative version lyrics spoken by the Mark In E.2010 Smith.

In 2010, a guest on DJXFM broadcast XFM played an of this track,version featuring a longer otherworldly also has vocals from and alternative of this track,more featuring a longer,intro. moreIt otherworldly intro.

It 2-D/Damon, also has vocals more lines from E.great Smithlines not included in the albumnot version.

The in extra of version. dialogue, from great 2-D/Damon, andMark more from Mark E. Smith included thelines album and make themore trackdiverse feel lesssound like amake quick the rave, andfeel more likelike a ship trapped The more extra diverse lines ofsound dialogue, and track less a quick rave,in aand violent storm. mayinnot prefer this versionSome due to its not harsh sound comparison to its the moreicy like a shipSome trapped a violent icy storm. may prefer thisinversion due to album cut, but think it suitsto the song well, making it feelitfar more and in place withfar the harsh sound in Icomparison the album cut, but I think suits thecomplete song well, making it feel themes of Plasticand Beach. more complete in place with the themes of Plastic Beach.

Carnival (2-D Special) Carnival (2-D Special) The Thetrack track“Carnival” “Carnival”on on Humanz Humanz is is a short and sweet one, featuring a trippy mix of and sweet one, featuring a trippy mix sounds that thatgive givethe thelistener listeneraafeeling feelingof of spinning spinning on a crazy crazyamusement amusementpark parkride. ride. The The track doesn’t feature featureany any 2-D/Damon 2-D/Damon sadly, sadly, but Anthony Hamilton gives an excellent Hamilton gives an excellent performance.

Although Althoughthis thistrack tracktransitions transitionsvery verywell well into the next nextHumanz Humanztrack track“Let “Let Me Me Out”, Out”, “Carnival” ononitsitsown ownmay mayfeel feel incomplete. incomplete. The The “Super Deluxe” vinyl box set of Humanz includes Deluxe” vinyl box set of Humanz includes the “2-D “2-DSpecial” Special”version versionofofthis thistrack. track.

The is track nearlyis identical to the Thefirst firsthalf halftrack of the nearly identical album withcut, thewith exception of a short intro to thecut, album the exception of a short replacing the “Interlude: Talk Radio” transition. intro replacing the “Interlude: Talk Radio” Instead of ending suddenly, the song changes transition.

Instead of ending suddenly, the tosong a very different mix different of intense electronic changes to a very mix of intense sounds accompanied by haunting by 2-Dhaunting vocals. electronic sounds accompanied If 2-D the vocals. rest ofIfthis song was a spinning carnival the rest of this song was a spinning ride, this verse feels as iffeels the ride carnival ride, this verse as if has the become ride has the setting the of intense while become settingparanormal of intenseactivity, paranormal chanting moaning spirits the ride.

The activity, and while chanting andjoin moaning spirits song closes off with an outro similar to the first join the ride. The song closes off with an outro half of the buthalf withofmore intense strings similar to song, the first the song, but with and pauses, making verypauses, difficult to notitsway more intense stringsitand making very and danceto to not the heavy final dance beats. to Although the difficult sway and the heavy album edit works well on Humanz, I recommend final beats. Although the album edit works well the SpecialIfor the most complete “Carnival” on2-D Humanz, recommend the 2-D Special for experience! the most complete “Carnival” experience!

While these songs aren’t necessarily better than their main version, I think they are still excellent tracks that are also well worth a listen!

• The Sounder • Hong Kong (Warchild Version) • Rockit (Early Mix) • Feel Good Inc. (Noodle’s Demo) • Aluminium (Stop The Dams Demo) • People (DARE Alt.) • Broken (Demo) • Underwater (Tree of Beauty Alt.) • Pirate’s Progress (Full version of Orchestral Intro) • Electric Shock • Stylo (Demo) • Duetz (feat. Lully) • Charger (Alt. version ft. Pauline Black) • Andromeda (D.R.A.M. Special) • Busted and Blue (Faia Younan Special) • She’s My Collar (Kali Uchis Spanish Special) • And many live performances from the Humanz tour, such as Stylo with Peven Everett and Every Planet We Reach Is Dead with an alternate ending!

That concludes my review of some excellent Gorillaz sounds that didn’t make the cut.

Happy listening! •

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GORIL L AZ - UN OFFICIAL FANZI NE

Ar t b y Ar X XtXb y D ek y u n

TEXT BY HUGH CONCEPT ASSISTENCE BY AZOO ART BY NOODLESDOODLESBOODLES (NDB) ADDITIONAL VECTOR WORK (BG AND PAPERS) BY VECTORPOCKET AND FREEPIK

“No static at all.”

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Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license.

In some cases radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received— especially when the signals cross a national boundary.*

Over a year before Plastic Beach was released, Damon Albarn took over BBC Radio and premiered some demos he was working on for the upcoming Gorillaz album, which didn’t have a name yet. Three songs were played - Electric Shock, Broken, and Stylo. Two of these songs would later appear on Plastic Beach, while parts of Electric Shock were slapped onto Rhinestone Eyes and the rest locked in the vault to rest. Once the album was complete, Murdoc himself made several broadcasts to dole out information on the band, tease new songs, and play some wonderful music he had been enjoying lately.

These ‘Pirate Radio’ broadcasts would continue throughout PB’s release cycle, and even after The Fall came out we got one final broadcast. Aside from the outstanding Converse collaboration in 2012, that broadcast was the end of Gorillaz for a very long time.

When they returned with Humanz, people were very surprised by the bold new direction - gone were the tranquil sunny shores of Plastic Beach, gone were the sounds of piano melodies and seagull cries. They were replaced by dirty bathrooms and dark corridors, a dilapidated home filled with

vengeful spirits, and the murky melting pot of human cynicism and anger. “What happened?” people wondered. The pleasantries were all gone, and the mixture of live instrumentation with the synthetic was dropped for an almost entirely electronic orchestration (the only live instruments on Humanz are distorted electronic guitar on Submission and Charger).

Well, the reason for that was told to us seven years beforehand. Plastic Beach told us exactly what Humanz was going to be, and it told us via broadcast.

Broadcasts are very important in the world of Plastic Beach. Damon premiered those demos on BBC, and aside from Pirate Radio there were also several other radio takeovers staged by Murdoc to ‘get the word out.’

I believe Plastic Beach is a concept album, one where Damon leverages the idea of the cartoon band to create a radio show called Plastic Beach.

Gorillaz hijacks radios and use their Pirate Radio station to broadcast this show to the world.

Every song on the album is a different show, a different little slice of a tasty Gorillaz pie meant to get people around the world interested and aware of the dangers of climate change.

*Excerpt taken from Wikipedia®’s page “Pirate Radio”. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License and additional terms that may apply.

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THE INTRODUCTION TO THE BROADCAST The first lyric on the album references Planet Of The Apes, a post apocalyptic film, and the album’s first verse - delivered

by Snoop Dogg, a world renowned hip hop artist who would surely get the attention of the masses - really hammers home the point about the broadcast.

Gorillaz and the boss Dogg Planet of the apes The revolution will be televised and the pollution from the ocean Now with devotion Push peace and keep it in motion Kids, gather around Yeah, I need your focus I know it seems like the world is so hopeless It’s like wonderland It’s a call to arms, a message for the youth listening to the broadcast. The world is Fucked with a capital f, so we’re broadcasting this station to let everybody know what’s happening out there and what we can do to save it. White Flag continues the broadcast reference, referencing various television shows themed around being lost at sea.

“No castaway, no survivor. I ain’t lost and this ain’t shipwrecked.” They’re painting a picture of this place, this Plastic Beach, and the peace of mind found when separated from the horrors of the world. As unnatural as a beach made of plastic may be, it’s still, in its own ironic

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way, untouched by human hands. A natural formation of unnatural things - and that’s okay.

But it also serves as a warning. “But I don’t want to be left sleeping / from all the diseases that I breathe in.” For all they talked up the island to be in the opening verses, it’s still garbage, and it will still get them sick. And even if it were a paradise, they acknowledge that the coming of man would ruin it. White Flag serves as a lesson and warning in kind: Yes, we’ve already crossed a threshold with pollution, but we haven’t yet crossed the threshold. But we’re getting closer and closer every day.

Damon continues to acknowledge this on Rhinestone Eyes, where he mentions being a “scary gargoyle on a tower that you’ve made with plastic power.” I’ve seen this line get laughed off as an ‘oh Damon!’-ism, just a cheeky moment of Damon getting a little absurd with his concept: But, I think this line is a pretty explicit statement of intent from Damon. The tower means a couple things. It’s a broadcast tower, and also the white ivory tower we see on Plastic Beach itself. Him being a scary gargoyle means that he’s… well, SPOOKY. He’s using his tower to broadcast a frightening message about the perilous state of the environment. “You made with plastic power” is another double-meaning: the tower on plastic beach is literally made of plastic, and the environmental issues central to the broadcast’s theme were created by every human being who has ever wasted or littered or made a mess. Now, let’s take a look at Mos Def’s verse at the start and end of Stylo.

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Love, electricity, shockwave central Power on the motherboard, yes Push up, overload, Legendary heavy glow Sunshine, thunder roll, Keep this on Yes, the lantern burns Firm and easy And broadcast, so raw and neatly Thunder roll, sunshine, work it out

THE BROADCAST’S MESSAGE: IT’S A CASIO ON A PLASTIC BEACH I could do a truly in depth analysis about every song, but we’d be here all day. Empire Ants refers to the broadcast as a “polyphonic prayer” (or a polyphonic prairie, depending on who you ask. Personally I think it’s the latter - a world of music and beautiful sound and messaging). Glitter Freeze is…. Let’s come back to that one later, actually. Just remember that in the story Jamie came up with for Plastic Beach, the Glitter Freeze was a pirate ship, and Mark E. Smith was its captain. Some Kind Of Nature is a fairly apparent sing/song tune about how man has created its own warped and deformed nature. On Melancholy Hill doesn’t really have much, honestly. It’s a cheesy love song thrown on the album for pop appeal - but that doesn’t mean it’s without a message; a message about enjoying nature while it’s still there. The song mentioned that looking upon the melancholy hill is akin to looking out on “another dream”.

Nature is beautiful and fantastical, but just like our dreams, it’ll be over in the blink of an eye.

Broken is very interesting, however. Perhaps one of the best written songs on the record,

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Pretty obvious stuff, right? It’s the start of a broadcast! The song goes on about electricity’s ability to both create love, spread positive messages and influence change in the world. Mos’ verse bookends the track, suggesting that the broadcast has been a success. The Gorillaz and their Pirate Radio are on the air. Then, we hit Superfast Jellyfish…. Of course! The introduction is an ad-break, and after hearing the ad before their show, De La Soul goes off about consumerism and waste causing pollution and the decay of nature.

conceptually. It’s a love song, like On Melancholy Hill before it, but instead of being a love song involving nature it’s a love song about nature, about being in love with nature. But that love is breaking. “Distant stars come in black or red / I’ve seen their worlds inside my head.” The man only sees nature in his mind, and even then it’s a distant and far off dying star. A metaphor for falling out of love with the world around us.

“They connect with the fall of man” is pretty clear.

Dying stars is connected to the end of mankind.

When the Sun, our star, dies, so do we. “Is it far away in the Glitter Freeze / or in our eyes every time they meet?” This line is a question, and the question it asks is a fun one. Is the love between this man and nature far off in the distance, a pirate ship sailing the empty, polluted seas?

Or is it with them every time they look at each other, like On Melancholy Hill implies? The next line gives us the answer: “It’s by the light of the plasma screens we keep switched on all through the night while we sleep.” The fading and broken love is confirmed with this line - he doesn’t use natural light, nor does he sleep in natural darkness. He turns on his television and lets that synthetic light sleep with him.

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After Mos Def runs a raffle on the broadcast (assuredly awarding tickets to a Tesla show at the Allstate Arena), we get the title track. The chorus of this one is really fun in a way that a lot of people don’t seem to necessarily get - take a look at the first two lines of the chorus. “It’s a casio on a plastic beach / it’s styrofoam deep sea landfill.”

These two lines mean the exact same thing!

The environment is a total fake, even the sounds of the instruments that wash up on this beach are fraudulent. “Automatic computer speech” refers to the sounds generated by all this garbage - there’s no human input anymore, but the synthetic noise pollution continues unabated.

Cloud of Unknowing finally ties it all together with the broadcast theme. As Bobby Womack says, every satellite is tuned in, and receiving their broadcast. We’re waiting to see what the morning brings, and if the world listens, it could in fact bring sunshine on its wings. If Gorillaz accomplishes their mission, the world will have a bright future, and nature and mankind could co-exist.

The titular Pirate Jet is a reference to the broadcast itself - Pirate Radios are fairly outdated, aren’t they? You can’t hijack a broadcast in 2010 with a crappy wooden ship like the Glitter Freeze. You need something sleek and modern. A jet. With a cool skull logo on it or something. Anyway, Pirate Jet is a foreshadowing of failure, a warning of a possible future if the world doesn’t listen - the world will end, and people will simply party it up and drink and eventually everything will fade away and technology will consume all that’s left of the natural state of things.

“Fuck it all,” this song says. “Just drink until there’s nothing left of the world. It’s too late to change.” Sounds familiar?

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THE SKY IS FALLING Plastic Beach, the album, was released on March 3, 2010. Right now, many Gorillaz fans consider it to be one of their triumphs, with a good amount of people considering it their best album. But, it took a long time for people to come and feel that way.

Plastic Beach was a failure when it released - it missed its sales targets, the videos and singles underperformed, the world tour was a disaster, the sequel albums were cancelled, and the stress of it all caused Damon and Jamie to split from each other and the project for over half a decade. But then Humanz happened.

Humanz picks up right where Plastic Beach left off, except the future we were warned about in Pirate Jet has actually came to pass. Nobody listened, and now the world is ending. Nature has been killed completely (as evidenced by the entirely synthetic sounds of the record as foreshadowed in Plastic Beach’s title track), and all that’s left to do is drink into the drink, and party until we fade away in this horrible apocalyptic nightmare that we’ve created for ourselves. Because of Plastic Beach’s failure to be recognized, because the lesson that broadcast meant to teach was unlearned, we are all doomed.

Humanz is a direct sequel to Plastic Beach in its concept, and I think that sort of cohesion and artistry is a beautiful thing.

If Plastic Beach is an album about the few crying out to the many in an effort to save them, Humanz is an album about the many crying out to the few in an effort to be saved. There are hints throughout the album that several of earth’s people - perhaps even 2D himself - have escaped the apocalyptic earth on a spaceship, and the people left

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behind are dealing with their situation in all manner of ways. Vince Staples and De La Soul choose to party, get wild, fuck, and ignore their problems. Anthony Hamilton chooses to spread the message of the problem to those unwilling to hear it. Pusha T chooses to confide in Mavis Staples in an attempt to feel some togetherness in these final moments. Benjamin Clementine is the problem, bringing hatred and fear onto an already fragile world. On Busted and Blue, our dear blue haired friend sings about the trauma of leaving a loved one behind on earth as he’s jettisoned out onto the stars. He tried to warn them, he really did.

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But sometimes our efforts are fruitless, even if all we’re trying to do is help people and make positive change. The forces of evil, after all, far outweigh the collective forces for good in our society. Plastic Beach was a prescient record both in its messaging and in its sound and scope. It warned us of a digital future where nature is dying and the people left behind are begging for mercy, to no avail. Perhaps Humanz - an album about the ultimate victory of evil over good, and of our world no longer finding us suitable for it - is a tale of the near future as well. It certainly will be, if we refuse to listen. •

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Ar t b y R o b er t ( Su c c )

Ar t b y R a d R ig ht e o u s

WARNING: This article contains explicit language 18

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OE TEXT BY SH ) B E R T (S U C C ART BY RO

Hi! I’m Shoe, and today I’m gonna review an album that is so close and dear to my heart: Gorillaz. Released in march of 2001, self-titled was the studio debut of the project. I love this album. Also, I may seem like I’m not focusing on lyrics, well that’s because I’m not most of the time. This is by the same person who made “There’s No Other Way”, “Parklife”, “Bank Holiday”, and other great songs: So you know this album is a mother-fucking feast, and that’s what it is, a feast. Let’s begin with “Re-Hash”.

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Re-Hash: This is one of the best songs on this album; the noises, everything on this is so good, the instrumental is the best on this track thanks to that sick acoustic guitar, an amazing opener.

5/4: The song about suicide and horny dads, this song is great, the guitar are actually in 5/4 time so that’s better, the synths make me nut, so yeah.

Tomorrow Comes Today: The drums are some of the best drums I’ve ever heard in a song and how complex it is makes it better, and the bass leaks are an amazing detail, the melodica adds to how amazing the song is.

New Genius: It’s pretty good. Repetitive, but besides that fact it’s a really great song, and the scratching by Kid Koala is extremely amazing.

Clint Eastwood: Clint Eastwood huh, what

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can I say about this... It’s a song, but that was a true fact, anyway this is great, actually no, AMAZING, Del’s lines are so fucking good, like it’s amazing. Also, the outro goes on for long, but Kid Koala’s Scratching makes up for it. Also, listen to Deltron 3030 and see how amazing Del is at rapping.

Man Research (Clapper): This track is really good, like amazing. I know I’ve been dicksucking this album throughout all of this review, but this album really deserves the title of “Best Gorillaz Album Of All Time”. Anyway, the vocals

by Damon are sick, and the scratching, drums, Guitar, synths go well in this track.

PUNK: This track is fucking perfect. The drums, Guitar, 2D, the synths, perfect. I fucking love everything about this track: 2D’s grunts,

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the 3 claps per line, the synth noises, everything about this song is fucking amazing. I’ll go as far to say it’s the best Gorillaz song, because you know what, it is. This Track Is Perfect. 11/10, fuck maybe a 12/10. Damon, I know that 1 Hour Punk mentioned in Rise Of The Ogre is real, so you better release it. Anyway, this song is perfect and I will love it for the rest of my days. Also, fuck you, this needs to be three Minutes, not one.

Sound Check (Gravity): This is an extremely great song, up there with Punk and Double Bass. Scratching is perfect, I hear the sample as “I Don’t Know Graph Is Waiting” but that’s just my young brain. The bass is sick, the visual? One of the best in phase one. The acoustic guitar is great. The drums are also sick (I’m a sucker for drums if you couldn’t tell).

on this, love the horns, the beat is great, 2D’s backing vocals are a great touch.

Starshine: I originally thought this was my least favorite S/T track, well boy I was wrong, after a few relistens I have to say, this is one of the best tracks on S/T, the bass, the drums, the synths, everything about the track is great, I love 2D on this track as I usually do on S/T, I love every aspect of this song and I think it’s up there with Punk and Double Bass.

Slow Country: Piano, drums, wind, bass, a blue twink, some dope ass synths, lyrics about real life, and loneliness is the key to make an amazing track, and it looks here it worked for Gorillaz, what can I say about this track, I fuckin’ love it to death, that’s all I can say about this track, well yeah, let’s move on to the closer to this shit.

DOUBLE BASS: THIS SONG IS UP THERE WITH PUNK, look I don’t care what you think, it’s amazing. This song gives off a brownish color and I love it for that. The stupid synth noises makes the track great and the two bass lines that make up the song is amazing. The guitar that’s in there every once in a while is also amazing. Damon’s spoken word in the middle of the track is great, 11/10. One of the best in their discography.

M1A1: GORILLAZ SAY WANT SOME, yeah this track’s intro is long but perfect, it really gets the vibe going for the song, anyway after the opener, the song starts, it’s, it’s, it’s great, outside of the lyrics (and I don’t really mind them at all) this is a banger. The guitar loop is fucking beautiful and the drums are radical (I’m not sorry), the bass is sick, nothing else really, it’s okay as a closer.

Rock The House: It’s pretty good as a Gorillaz track, great as a 3030 track. Nothing really to say about this one, I love the hook, and the verses.

Latin Simone (English) should’ve replaced the Rock The House Radio Edit on G-Sides UK/ Japan Edition. Yeah, that’s about it.

[BONUS] Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix): I actually can’t describe this, it’s something of a track, some parts are bad and some are good, so I’m gonna call this a decent.

19-2000: This song is a banger, you heard this live? Well, if not, do it now. Noodle’s lines are great, anyway the drums are fucking sick.

The keyboards on this are really good. Um, yeah this track is good, the stems go well together, and let’s not forget that this is the only audio of Damon doing 2D’s voice, and by God it’s amazing, yeah that’s about it. “Okay, bring it down here, We gonna break out” Latin Simone: I love it, Ibrahim is beautiful

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That was my review of this album, what are my thoughts? 10/10. This album is perfect in any way way shape or form. For fuck’s sake you can legitimately give me a 8 kbps rip of this album and I’d still jam the fuck out to it. That’s how much I love this album. This is the best Gorillaz album, fuck, possibly the best album of all time, but that’s just my opinion.

In the end, Gorillaz’s cock is so fucking huge it can possibly kill you. This is your time with Shoe and that was my review of this album, I hope you liked my shitty opinions. •

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TEXT BY MR. STEVEN$ ART BY RAD RIGHTEOUS

Dan the Automator’s influence on Gorillaz’ S/T In over his 29 years of activity in music production, Dan “the Automator” Nakamura has worked alongside several noteworthy artists. Dan was heavily involved with the production of Gorillaz’ self titled album released in 2001. Dan’s dense catalogue of hip hop production as well as Damon Albarn’s rock influence lead to the unique, genre defying sounds on Gorillaz’ S/T. This album perfectly framed the essence of Gorillaz through its synthesis of several influences. In this editorial I will expand on a couple of my favorite tracks from self titled, and explain the possible influence Dan the Automator may have had on their sound.

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Clint Eastwood The single that put the Gorillaz on the map. This single effortlessly fused reggae, hip hop, and trip hop. One of Dan the Automator’s personal friends, hip hop artist Del the Funky Homosapien, is featured on this track. Within the Gorillaz canon Del plays the character “Del Tha Ghost Rapper”, who was a friend of Russell Hobbs that was killed in a drive by shooting. Del’s attention demanding rap performance perfectly ties together the dreary feel of this track. The main rhythm of the song was created using a preset on a Suzuki Omnichord instrument. This simplistic yet powerful rhythm is accompanied by several other melodies that fill out the instrumental of the track. Dan the Automator is no stranger to incorporating unorthodox sounds within traditional hip hop production.

Within this track a melodica is used to imitate the score of “A Fist Full of Dollars”, tying the track to its title, the films star.

Many tracks on self titled were recorded in Jamaica where Dan and Albarn were exposed to a variety of reggae and dancehall.

Clint Eastwood is likely the product of Albarn and Automator’s fascination with this island sound, and its fusion with hip hop. Dan specializes in fusing other music genres with hip hop, this is most prominent in his work with Prince Paul in Handsome Boy Modeling School. In their second album, Lord Finesse is featured on the same track as the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park fame.

Dan’s ability to effortlessly fuse genres through his production lead to the development of tracks like Clint Eastwood, which sound innately Gorillaz-esque, but can’t be defined by one particular music genre.

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Rock The House Another track from self titled that features Del. In contrast to Clint Eastwood, this track is much more upbeat in both instrumentation and in lyrics, demonstrating the massive range of Gorillaz music. Rock the House and more contemporary Gorillaz tracks such as Strobelite represent the groups ability to produce danceable music. Placed after the trip-hop inspired Double Bass on the album, Rock the House provides a unique, heavily sample inspired experience. In many Gorillaz works samples are used to build a sound, and in Rock the House, the primary melody is a sample from a British Jazz musician, John Dankworth. The horn section from the track “Modesty Blaise” is used to build an upbeat powerful sound. Del’s vocals are much more loose and wild on this track compared to Clint Eastwood, perfectly complementing the instrumentation. In his many works Dan frequently samples jazz, rock, and classical music to build hip hop sounds.

Although this is a common feat of many hip hop producers, Dan elegantly incorporates samples into his production to build a strong complete sound, which is built upon through vocals, and further instrumentation.

Rock the House is one of few tracks on self titled that does not feature vocals from Damon Albarn in any capacity. The choice to have the track feature only rap vocals from Del gives the song a much more hip hop feel than the other tracks on the album.

Rock the House’s primary melody, and its counter melody of a flute create an iconic sound unlike anything else the Gorillaz have explored. Dan’s unique techniques and production strategy perfectly aligns with the essence of Gorillaz. Dan’s legacy with the Gorillaz is the establishment of the ability to fuse genres and to use sampling to create unique and powerful tracks. •

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TEXT BY FÁBIO ART BY DRACONICLIGHT

Thank you, Gorillaz.

Hello, everyone who’s reading this. Super hello, everyone who’s reading this while listening to Strobelite. How’s your day going? Do you wish to murder me yet? Well, no matter; mine’s doing pretty well so far, since I’m thinking back about how much of an impact Gorillaz has done to my life’s directions. Before anything, allow me to say that I’m not a “veteran” when it comes to time spent with the band or knowing about it’s more “obscure” stuff, since I’ve started listening to them around the end of 2017; however, I’m certain that Damon and Jamie’s insane shenanigans hit me in the gut and left a painful but quite pleasing feeling of appreciation. While reading this, I ask you to relax, and that you reflect about YOUR story as a Gorillaz fan (well, if you are one); think of your beloved memories shared between you and the band while I write about mine, and enjoy.

So, you all must know the fanzine’s lead designer and editor, my greatest friend ana.

Knowing her for a pretty long time, I’ve also known about how hard she appreciates Gorillaz; the absolute madwoman. Trying to find

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something new to listen to, around the end of 2017 I asked her for some advice about where I should start with Gorillaz, since it was something I knew she loved talking a bunch about, so why the hell not? We ended up listening to S/T; that’s when the love was ready to appear, but it was still a little bit shy so it didn’t quite come yet.

Then, came Demon Days; similar result. Then, Plastic Beach; I could feel the love brewing a little bit more, but not quite there yet...

And then... Humanz came! I really gotta say, Humanz is pretty damn good, and was the one hook I took that made me define myself as a Gorillaz fan. Honestly, it was so insanely enjoyable that I have to dedicate this paragraph to it. It didn’t just give me a similar feel of the other albums I listened, it also went right up my alley when it came to musical taste, so the combo really went all out. I listened to it a few more times, and man, it really made me think…

“Gorillaz is wonderful!”, “Gorillaz is marvelous!”, and some other lovely compliments. I felt like I, truly could appreciate Gorillaz not just for what they do, but for what they are.

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It was a truly heartfelt experience, like I was ready to enter a layer of the world of music I never knew about.

However, before I speak more about my most memorable Gorillaz experience and my deeper journey into the world of music, let’s go back to a little bit before I listened to Humanz in depth; once again thanks to ana, I’ve been introduced to the Gorillaz community through the GU Discord, and what I met there was pleasantly surprising. Everyone there just feels so… Special. They all have their preferences, their styles, their favorite albums and songs, but they all love one thing in common… Yes, it’s Gorillaz! The way everyone expresses their unique and thoughtful opinions and develops their own thoughts about such a marvel of a band with such interesting music, story and whatnot… It was so fresh! I’ve never seen a fanbase so passionate like that before!

After my entrance in GU, my first listen to Humanz and some quite unorthodox events in life, I ended up knowing that Gorillaz were going to do a show at the 30th of March in São Paulo, Brazil. My dearest friends were planning on going there so that they could do the annual meet-up they always do, even if the show wasn’t the main focus of the meet-up. I felt funny, y’know. Almost like it was, uh, instinct or something deep like that. When I ended up knowing of the meeting and the show, I felt deep inside… “You should really go there, you dumbass”, my heart said, “You can have fun with your friends and experience a probably super cool musical experience, you clown”, my soul said. So, I followed their advice… And booked my flight to São Paulo. After that, every day getting closer to the event, I felt more and more anxious… I knew a special moment in my life was bound to happen.

And who would’ve thought, that day was miraculous! There were so many wonderful things that were experienced on that day, and of course, the show was one of the strongest experiences! Damon’s undeniable skill as a

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musician; the dedication of the collaborators and the many other members; the emotional impact delivered through the songs… It was all so special! Notable moments during the show, for me, were: On Melancholy Hill instantly making me cry, Strobelite making me go wild with Peven Everett’s astounding performance, Damon laying down on the floor during Charger, the sudden occurrence of Re-Hash (Reprise), etcetera... But if I want to be honest, I’d say the whole show was extremely memorable. The fact that I experienced it together with my greatest friends also made it much, much better. That show changed me. That day changed me, and I’m thankful for it. I really, really am.

Gorillaz, just… Gorillaz is just so, so special to me. Knowing how much passion goes in the work dedicated to it, from both the creators and the fans, it just fills me with an intense feeling of respect and adventure. Thanks to Gorillaz, I’ve found myself trying out many different genres of music I’ve never thought to give some attention to before. The world of music, in general, is a place I’ve always thought to have such an immense depth, but I’ve never thought outside the box before. After becoming a part of the Gorillaz community, I’ve absolutely started to not just develop more my musical tastes, but also myself. For example, thanks to Damon and various other artistic influences, I’ve recently started dedicating myself to learn how to play a keyboard. It’s funny how things like these can influence our behavior, ain’t it?

Well… That’s it for my simple chronicle regarding my certainly short but quite meaningful experience as a Gorillaz fan. Now, what about you? Think to yourself: what are your most important moments with Gorillaz?

Did they impact your life in a positive way?

It’s certainly something you should think about sometimes, y’know. After all, it’s good to have pleasant memories, especially when it’s about such a heartfelt project. I truly hope The Now Now manages to leave a great mark on Gorillaz history! •

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CROSSWORDS PUZZLE MADE BY TAY

[leisure] And God said, “Let there be a Gorillaz crosswords,” and there... Well, he didn’t say that, but we do have a puzzle for you!

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across

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down 1. Butch in Stylo 2. Song 2 of Gorillaz 3. “Jawned” the 9th track 4. Out of...

6. D-12 not on 911 8. Noodle’s shipper 9. Murdoc’s flying friend 12. Texan song

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5. Pearl diver 7. Miho’s band 10. Beverage sponsor 11. Demon Dayz’ location on 2017 13. Played the Güiro and Conga on Latin Simone 14. Damon loves to blow this at his shows...

15. ...aton

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TEXT BY ANA

Contacts

Chances are that, if you aren’t in the G-U Discord server, you won’t recognize the names of this zine’s staff. If you want to see more of their work or follow them, here are their contacts.

ana Twitter: @lampejodefarol

majesticmyka Twitter: @majesticmyka

Azoo Twitter: @azookara Instagram: @azoosart

Lil’ Lavender Instagram: @ms.atomicbomb23 Deviantart: lillavender Twitter: @atomicbomb23_

Floobadoo Twitter: @floobadoo_cat NoodlesDoodlesBoodles Instagram, Tumblr & Twitter: @NoodlesDoodlesBoodles Hugh You can reach him on G-U’s Discord anytime!

RadRighteous Twitter: @CasualRad Shoe Twitter & Tumblr: @shoeboyisgay Succ (Robert) Twitter: @doritobitch Instagram: @doritobinch Mr. Steven$ Instagram: @steven_readman

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Fábio Twitter: @FabioHonda57 Draconiclight Insta: @Draconiclight Tumblr: draconiclights Twitter: @Draconiclight TheHappySpaceman Deviantart: The-Happy-Spaceman Tumblr: thehappyspaceman Twitter: @Happy_Spaceman Dekyun Deviantart: @dekyun Instagram: @dekyunart IndigoLiz Twitter: @indigo_liz Instagram: @indigoliz Tay Instagram: @thughes56

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art by TheHappySpaceman

ISSUE #2B - MAY 2019

welcome

staff

After a long wait.... Here is it!

Thanks to the hard work and patience of everyone who worked together to make this fanzine happen.

ARTISTS Azoo Rad Gale Sketches Dekyun Kawaiibells Amyeevee04 Shawn.

Stupotato Cassye-art Cool Cat Semen Days Dotty NBD Rad WRITERS Rad SC Bran Hughesta REVISOR Fabio Honda DESIGN ana EDITOR ana G-U ADM Nicole

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contents Issue #2B • May 2019 ARTICLES 8

Hip-Hop for Breakfeast by Rad

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Beyond Saving by Hughesta

20 26

G-U Interviews by Bran Top 5 Most Menacing Gorillaz Tracks by SC

ART CREDITS 1

art and logo by Azoo, colors by Rad

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by Dekyun

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top ad by Shoe, bottom art by Gale Sketches

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by Azoo

6&7

by Kawaiibells

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by AmyEevee04

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logo by Rad

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by Shawn.

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by Azoo

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by Dekyun

14 & 17 by NBD

by Cassye-art 18 19

by Dotty

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by Cool Cat

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by Semen Days

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by Stupotato

28 & 29 by Roto

by Semen Days 30 32

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by Gale Sketches

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Ace also says: “Please send help, the band isn’t paying my royalities”

FICTIONAL AD MADE FOR YOU BY THE G-U FANINE INC. AND G ALE SKETCHES. NO GORILLAS WERE HURT IN THE MAKING OF THIS AD.

Ace says: Visit Townsville!

A rt b y Az oo Original version of the issue #2 cover, before the colors and cover elements were added.

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Ar tAr b ty bXyX X K a w a iibe l l s

ART BY AMYEEVEE04 TEXT AND LOGO BY RAD GORILLAZ OFFICIAL ARTWORK BY JAMIE HEWLETT

Hip-Hop for Breakfast

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For more than a decade now, Gorillaz and hip-hop have collided to create an abundance of catchy beats with sick lyrics, and it doesn’t seem like they plan to stop! That being said, choosing just one song to discuss and break down can be quite the difficult decision.

However, whenever I turn on my TV to checkup on the world news, I’m often reminded of one particular song: Dirty Harry. Specifically, the verses from Pharcyde member (and personal favorite of mine) Bootie Brown. His verses are detailing the viewpoint of a soldier, and the specific weight the lyrics carry may be missed if you’re not paying attention! But, really, that can often be said about most rap.

Regardless, today I plan to take Bootie’s verse and break down the lyrical prowess of the bars, both in it’s deep meaning and impressive rhymes. So, without further ado, let’s dig in!

It’s important to note that the song’s title, “Dirty Harry” is VERY important to the contents within it. Dirty Harry is a film staring Clint Eastwood as a member of the San Francisco Police Department, and is very known for it’s controversial themes, from police brutality to victims’ rights and the nature of law enforcement, which reflects upon the lyrics found in the song, which focuses on war and violence.

Bootie starts off his verse with a sick rhyme scheme that really hooks the listener in the moment you hear his voice:

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In my backpack, I got my act right In case you act quite difficult And your result weaken With anger and discontent Some are seeking and In search of like Nimoy

Four bars into the song, he starts giving us that lyrical goodness we admire oh so much. This verse details that he is, like I said, a soldier fighting for his country, who has a peacekeeping mission. He details that he changes the opposing side’s location from the

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battlefield to a pine coffin that’s six feet under, obviously meaning death, and that he does not understand the reasoning behind the constant onslaught of killing that ensues, yet continues to follow orders. He also mentions that it’s that onslaught that has left him on constant alert.

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I’m a peace-loving decoy, Ready for retaliation I change your whole location To a pine box six-under Impulsive don’t ask why or wonder Orders given to me is: Strike and I’m thunder with Lightning-fast reflexes On constant alert From the constant hurt That seems limitless With no drop in pressure

Continuing from the last verse, Bootie talks about the hardships of war. Specifically, the amount of anger and hatred found on the battlefield, and how much it bothers him, despite letting that same hatred control him. He also talks about the change in lifestyle from home to war, such as missing close family, water conditions, the mentally-scarring events and PTSD that affects many soldiers after experiencing war. Also, to add onto this, in the third bar, he references the Iraq War by saying he’s the reason you can “...fill up your Isuzu”, Isuzu being a type of motorcycle.

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I’m a peace-loving decoy, Ready for retaliation I change your whole location To a pine box six-under Impulsive don’t ask why or wonder Orders given to me is: Strike and I’m thunder with Lightning-fast reflexes On constant alert From the constant hurt That seems limitless With no drop in pressure

He mentions again that war has left him on constant alert both day and night, and that it’s left him a “light sleeper”, while also talking about the constant bloodshed of war and the mass amount of lives taken because of it.

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At night I hear the shots ring so I’m a light sleeper The cost of life, it seems to get cheaper

Nearing the end of his verse, Bootie references being in the desert with his street sweeper (military slang for machine gun), which may be a metaphor for how useless and endless the war seems, like sweeping in the desert. Afterwards, he references past American President George W. Bush’s flying of a Navy S-3B Viking aircraft, which followed up later that day with a speech declaring the war in

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Iraq is over. He wonders if perhaps his position as a soldier is being used to pursue the self-focused plans of higher-ups and leaders.

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Out in the desert with My street sweeper The war is over So said the speaker With the flight suit on Maybe to him I’m just a pawn So he can advance

He ends his verse by reminiscing of a time when he was carefree and enjoying life, or dancing, and wishes that he could do nothing but relive and experience those good times once more.

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Remember when I used to dance Dang, all I wanna do is dance

In conclusion, Bootie Brown’s verse on Dirty Harry details the troubles and woes of a soldier overseas, the questions and wonders that he asks himself, and the wish to relive and go back to happier times. His verse is not only written to be absolute poetry, but is also jam-packed with incredibly well-knit bars and excellent rhymes, producing a verse that’s both poetic and pleasing to the ear, which is why I rank it as one of the best guest verses in all of Demon Dayz, and perhaps one of the best guest verses in the entire Gorillaz discography. •

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Ar t b y Sha w n .

Ar t b y X XAr X t by Azoo

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TEXT BY HUGH ART BY NOODLESDOODLESBOODLES (NDB)

Beyond saving

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Humanz owns. I like it very much! It’s the most ambitious Gorillaz album from a narrative standpoint, but I think people have overlooked that aspect of it. And that’s okay. It’s subtle. It’s a concept album. Damon was clear about this upon its release, but I don’t think many people have grasped just how integral the concept is to the album. Every song deals with it, and it’s a dark record full of regret, selfishness, and hatred. In lieu of explaining it to people every time I see some shade thrown about it on Discord, I’ve decided to put together this little write-up in hopes of clearing things up for the people who are interested. I hope you enjoy this little guide!

As Damon said, the album’s concept is “the world is ending, we’re going to throw a big party and just ignore our problems until we get wiped out.” Ascension starts off on that note, with the very literal “the sky is falling, drop your ass before it crashes” AKA “we need to live it up and go crazy before the world ends.” The amount of collaborators on the album is explained by its concept - how do different people act at this party? We get a little bit of everything. Strobelite continues the party mood but Peven Everett isn’t quite so lackadaisical on it, questioning whether people can come together to achieve peace anymore in the modern climate, or if we’re all too distracted by our modern issues. Saturnz Barz has Popcaan being the most reflective of any artist so far, reflecting on the life he’s lived and regretting the things he hasn’t done.

Momentz is De La Soul going “oh my god the world is going to end we’re all gonna die I WANNA GET FUCKING LAID SO HARD,” which I think is a reasonable response, and Submission explores infidelity and a lack of commitment between two people. This is something that Humanz points to as one of main factors contributing to the end of the world - the decline of morality in our society today, and the growing divide between any and all people. Charger is a weird one but I

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think it’s an appeal to God. Many of Damon’s vocals and lyrics on this song are unintelligible, but what is there sounds a bit fearful, and I think Grace Jones portrays a higher power, with her “no antennas” being a message that no one who could save them is listening.

Humanity is already doomed to its fate.

Andromeda is one of the few Gorillaz songs where Damon has revealed the meaning - it’s partly about the people in his life who have passed away, and the difficulty Damon has confronting those deaths and moving forward without them. I think this is the part in the narrative where.... you know when you’re at a party, a party with a ton of people, and it all becomes a bit much for you and you get a little drunk and a little sad and reflective? I think this is that moment on Humanz, and it’s like a trilogy of songs, all centered around Damon’s vocals. Charger is the wild crazy expression of madness that happens when you wile out and get drunk, Andromeda is the sadness starting to hit and the quiet coming on, and Busted and Blue is that moment you step out onto the balcony and just look at the sky and think about all the things you’ve done wrong. B&B is an appeal to one person from another person, a desperate plea to be together despite previous failings (this is something Damon would explore thoroughly on The Now Now) Carnival is that moment where you come back inside from your time away, but now something’s changed. The vibe of the party is different. There are less people here, and some of them you don’t recognize.

Something’s broken, and people are being aggressive. The latter half of Humanz, post Busted and Blue, is very dark and I believe it represents people starting to come to terms with what’s happening. The album started as a fun get together to forget the end of the

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world, but nobody forgot, and reality is hitting.

These people are realizing they’re going to die. Let Me Out is a conversation between a young child (played by Pusha T) and his Mama Mavis about why life has been so hard. “Tell me there’s a heaven in the sky where there is peace”, he begs of her. Life has been hard and if he has to die he wants to be given peace, he wants the world to “let me out.”

Sex Murder Party is a dark, grooving appeal to sin. Think about Damon’s verse “I drove the keys into tears with your priorities.”

Doesn’t seem to make much sense, and it can be interpreted anyway you want. I personally believe he’s talking about key character traits people have, stuff like affection, kindness, empathy, generosity. Damon is personifying these traits, and saying that the priorities of other people are making them weep. The song is very negative, Jamie P talks about being unable to escape a neverending cycle of murder that he’s caught up in. Whether that’s literal is up to you to decide. Zebra Katz’ verse is more about jealousy of another person’s actions - someone in his life is losing themselves to all sorts of negative habits meaningless sex and drug use, and Zebra is jealous of them because he’s been living a responsible life only for them to both die in the same apocalypse. It’s all been meaningless, and he’s filled with regret. She’s My Collar continues the ongoing theme about the twisting relationship of men and women in the modern era. It is a song about adultery.

Damon portrays the role of someone who knows he shouldn’t be with this woman, but he chooses to do so anyway simply for the pleasure. He treats her like a dirty secret, only texting her and never calling her. Kali’s verse makes it sound like she ended up wanting more from their relationship and outed it causing significant pain for the both of them.

“I’m yellow, he was blue, it was nothing that he could hide.” “I died a thousand times, I

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did what I had to do.” But even though their relationship has caused nothing but pain, they still come back to each other.

Hallelujah Money is a message from those responsible for the end - a twisted picture of greed and xenophobia. The song is not about Donald Trump, it’s just that he’s the biggest face of greed and xenophobia in 2018 so he’s very righteously associated with the song’s concept.

Damon hears this message spouted to him by the leaders - a message saying that hatred and greed are beautiful things that should be cherished by humanity - and wonders if, after the apocalypse hits and the morning comes, the survivors will even be human beings anymore. We Got The Power is a call to arms - after hearing that disturbing message, there’s a last minute effort to rouse a resistance. But despite the anthemic, white knuckle energy of the track, Damon is well aware that it won’t work. “If your choice is chipping it down on the M1, when you wake up in the morning, you’ll be storming.” He’s saying that many people will decide not to take action, that nothing will be done, and those who stood by on the “silent altar” and did nothing will regret their actions once the end comes.

If there was any doubt that WGTP was more cynical than it lets on, the coda provided by the deluxe tracks lets us know. We’re entering a ‘New World.’ The interlude IS the apocalypse happening. The end really did come, and it was brutal. I think every one of these deluxe songs represents a different way of dealing with the end of the world. The Apprentice is pretty much a mock election, people trying to get a leadership role in a world with no rules. Each of the features make an appeal to the listener of why they should be in charge and why the hate against them is misjudged, while Damon sums up politics in a nutshell with four simple words: “I am a mirror.” An elected leader is, after all, a reflection of their constituents. Halfway To The Halfway House dabbles in religious fervor,

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it’s almost like a rapture or something. Survivors begging their God for mercy, trying to “Swim in the light” because they’ve “gotta get out” of the Hellscape they’ve found themselves in. They’re looking for their “Cherryade fountain” - a mythical place away from the troubles they experience.

Out Of Body is a suicide cult. Kilo Kish leads a group of people whose form of escape from the new world is to get together and end it all. I think the lyrics are pretty clear on this one, and Kilo even tells the listener that if they haven’t caught the dark message behind the song, that they can work it out themselves. They’re going out of body, from morning to night. Forever.

Ticker Tape is, by Damon’s own admission, a marching band, marching through the ruined

streets of a city performing to nobody. An attempt to lighten the mood and provide joy to those left behind, but nobody is there for it.

They’re all either dead or in hiding. It is a futile gesture. Finally, Circle of Friendz is a pitiable call to the few strong-willed people left to start slowly rebuilding. It’s going to take a lot of time and effort, but together, they can make a better world than the one that was left behind.

I hope this little guide helps give meaning to songs that you felt may have lacked them, and deepens your appreciation for what is perhaps the most ambitious and dark record of Damon Albarn’s career.

Thank you for reading and please leave a tip in my hat: I’m very hungry. •

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TEXT BY BRAN ART BY COOL CAT

G-U Interviews Remember when G-U was good?

It was never good.

However, G-U was full of really good people and I aim to spotlight those beautiful people via interviews. Every issue I plan on interviewing what I call OG Gorillaz-Unofficial members and current discord members: This time around I had the pleasure of interviewing both Dillon Flynn, of Hallelujah Monkeyz fame, and NoodlesDoodlesBoodles, from the Gorillaz cosplay community.

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NoodlesDoodlesBoodles has been doing cosplay for a few years and definitely has a huge presence in the Gorillaz community. I’ve been slowly getting to know her through the G-U discord, but she definitely brings a lot of good light to the server and is a positive influence that I hope other people can strive towards.

Bran: How did you get into cosplay and how long have you been doing it for?

NDB: I have been cosplaying since I was around 13-14 years old and, my best friend had cosplayed along with some other friends and I thought: “Hey I should join in the game!”, because I was really into anime and felt like this was the time to go for it.

My very first cosplay was Seychelles from Hetalia.

That’s awesome and definitely helps that you knew some people who were already into it.

How did you get into Gorillaz?

It all started when I was 5 years old, and I would watch something on TV before school.

MTV was on one morning, and I was laying down listening, and then all of the sudden, I am looking at the screen of some faded like video. I distinctly remember the laugh and bassline before seeing a strange man with his strange eyes, which scared me away initially, but, I kept watching because I also thought it was so cool. My cousin ended up telling me it was “Feel Good Inc.”. I would hear “DARE” and “Feel Good Inc.” a lot around that time, and I just remember dancing along to “DARE”. I asked my cousin who they were and they named dropped Gorillaz, and ever since then, it was love at first listen.

What was the spark for combining Gorillaz and cosplaying?

A few months before Humanz was announced, I wanted to explore who to cosplay and it clicked that I should do Noodle! I asked my grandma if she could help me out with the Plastic Beach Noodle, and after some hard work, I was able to take it to Colossalcon and got a lot of good feedback from people, and I have been cosplaying Noodle since then. I plan on branching out though and doing more cosplay as well.

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Ever since I’ve known you, your Noodle and Little Simz cosplays have been nothing short of incredible and it seems like you get a lot of love from the online community.

Do you ever deal with people who may be critical of you (IE racists) because you’re black or has the cosplay community mindset changed enough to where that’s not an issue or one you experience much?

There hasn’t been any situation besides creeps.

I learned to ignore them because I know I have such loving family online and in reality, but there are still issues within the cosplay community. People still like to bring people down, whether online or at cons and it’s not something I’ve experienced, and I have no desire to feel that.

However, most people in the community have been loving and accepting, but still people wanna change their skin color to fit the cosplay and I think that is sad. Somedays, I do get insecure about my skin because it’s dark and I feel like I can’t fit in, but I’m learning to love myself everyday and want everybody to get to that place too. Love your skin no matter what, because you are a beautiful human, and you don’t have to change your skin to fit in, just be yourself, love yourself and it takes time but soon then you will find the beauty in you.

To wind down, what are your favorite cosplay’s to do currently, favorite Gorillaz song and album, and you got something to promote?

My favorite is definitely my Plastic Beach Noodle cosplay. My favorite main Gorillaz song is probably “The Apprentice”, it just has so much soul and I really like Zebra Katz vibe with his rap.

Album? It’s definitely Demon Days, because it was the album that got me into Gorillaz and the music is just beautiful. It’s the type of album that fits into all sorts of moods and I just really enjoy it. Thank you Damon, Jamie and everybody who has helped create such a wonderful group. Also, you can follow me on my Instagram, Tumblr and Amino under the name NoodlesDoodlesBoodles.

Thank you for interviewing me!

It has been an absolute pleasure!

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Personally, I’ve known Dillon since the G-U days and I can honestly say there is nobody quite like him. He has been a part of this community for quite some time and is becoming a household name through his podcast with his partner Trevor called Hallelujah Monkeyz.

He’s also been in the comedy scene and has dabble in music with bands such as Senator Fightmaster and has a certain style about him that may rub some people the wrong way, but I appreciate the fact that he’s a man who is willing to commit to the bit.

Bran: Thanks again for doing this! You’re a powerful man and I love you. How did you get involved with G-U and what was your username?

Dillon: About a week after I saw the “Clint Eastwood” video for the first time on MTV2 way back in 2001. I found my way to Gorillaz.com and, from there, the Official Message Board which we called the OMB for short. Back then, I went by PonchoMcGruffy. It’s an embarrassing screen-name, but I was 12 so cut me some slack.

Shortly after the “Rock It” video premiered in 2004 I came back to the OMB, only to find that the old accounts had all been wiped and you had to re-register. That’s when I established myself as wazawaii, which is another cringe-worthy username, plus this time I was 16 and should have known better. I think I posted a general discussion thread about something pop-culture related that went dead very quickly, and some G-U evangelist said, “Hey, the community here sucks, if you wanna talk about this kind of stuff you should come check out Gorillaz-Unofficial.”

Back then there was a real cultural elitism surrounding the plebeian, witless mongrels on the OMB versus the noble scholars over at G-U. Looking back it’s very silly, but I certainly did more than my part to play into and perpetuate that way of looking at things at the time.

Oh man, I won’t lie, I definitely felt like I was a part of the cool kids club when I joined G-U and definitely was a part of the elitist attitude that G-U was slinging in the OMB’s face.

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Do you remember any particular interactions that you had on G-U? I remember at one point you also wrote some articles for the website, how did that come about as well?

I wrote weekly editorials about the band throughout much of Phase 2. Topics were all over the map. I think I did one where I ranked the ten worst Gorillaz songs, and I know I looked into whether 2-D’s voice actor, Nelson De Freitas, was a real person or a pseudonym of Damon’s, which was a popular fan conspiracy at the time.

As a High School Sophomore, I certainly didn’t have a body of work or any qualifications to boast, but i did have plenty of hustle. I wrote one or two sample editorials on spec and sent them in to 2-J, the founder of G-U. I can’t imagine why he said yes as there’s really no defending the quality of my teenage writing, but I admire my audacity and hustle, and I think it must have helped that at the time the front-page was just a news crawl. Having an opinion section made the site feel more like a proper digital publication, or something. For some reason, what always comes to mind about life on the G-U forums, were the absurd profanity filters. Somebody at the top decided it would be funny to change a bunch of common, innocent words into naughty ones. If you wrote a post with the word “great” it was changed to “shit,” “cake” was changed to “cock,” and etc. There were some esoteric ones, too. I remember the word “strange” got filtered as “snrang” for reasons lost to history.

Shortly after “November Has Come” came out, a subset of the community was very amused by the word “jawn” because MF DOOM says in that song “the villain on a Gorilla jawn.” These two buzzwords were combined to form a short-lived community catchphrase, “Jawns are Snrang.”

There were even t-shirts made if you can believe it. I’m sure reading it now it sounds insular and absurd and obnoxious, but at the time it felt like a secret treehouse club. The lingo was a big part of it. We were all so tightly knit.

I specifically remember the 10 worst Gorillaz

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songs article because at the time you put Left Hand Suzuki Method as the worst song and I really loved it at the time so I was heartbroken to see as #1.

You met fellow Hallelujah Monkey Trevor via G-U, do you remember your first interactions with him and how did your friendship develop into what it is today?

Trevor and I got acquainted back in 2005. At the time he played a complicated role within the community. He was something south of a bully but certainly north of a gregarious man of the people. But he had great taste in music, and I found his “Your opinions suck and so do you” schtick to be really funny, so we hit it off. When I started drifting away from G-U towards the end of Phase 2 we stayed in touch, but we only really reconvened around major album releases to compare notes. The podcast is what kicked off our love affair in earnest. I can say this: getting close to Trevor through Hallelujah Monkeyz has been such a joy.

The tricky thing about adult friendships is that if you don’t have a shared social backdrop like school you really have to put in the effort to get to know a person and be very intentional about nurturing that kind of emotional intimacy, and I think the fear is that you’ll get six months into doing that and go “Fuck, I don’t even like this guy.”

Let me tell you something: I lucked out big time with Trevor. The dynamic is endlessly entertaining to me. Half the time we couldn’t see the world more differently and the other half it’s like we share a brain. He’s one of my favorite human beings, full stop. If you feel like your social circle is getting a little dusty the best advice I can give you is to start podcast with Trevor Ikrath.

totally should. Late last year we did an episode that was literally a G-U meetup cut together like an audio documentary, so that one in particular is probably of community interest. Am I allowed to ask you questions? I wanna know if you had any G-U crushes or enemies back in those Phase 2 forum days.

I’ll let you simmer on those and maybe if I do a profile on myself I’ll ask you to maybe be the interviewer next time around. •

If you want to know more about NoodlesDoodlesBoodles and her cosplay work with Gorillaz and other stuff, check out her instagram @noodlesdoodlesboodles !

Hallelujah Monkeyz is a podcast hosted by Trevor Ikrath & Dillon Flynn. It features Gorillaz news, album reviews, and exclusive collaborator interviews. No wonder that Damon Albarn himself once called it “the number one Gorillaz podcast in the world.” Check it out at hallelujahmonkeyz.com!

I don’t have much else to say or ask at the moment but is there anything else you wanna say or plug?

Yeah, my ears of your kidding, listened

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I’ve got something I want to plug -so I don’t have to listen to any more shitty questions, Brannon! Nah, just I mean if anyone reading this hasn’t to Hallelujah Monkeyz I think they

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TEXT BY SC ART BY STUPOTATO

Top 5 Most Menacing Gorillaz Tracks 26 26

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1 Rockit I’ve always seen Rockit as the confrontation of a final boss in a video game and fighting hoards of minions before facing the final boss.

The video even represents this idea well when in the middle of it there’s one big creature that comes out of nowhere and is like the big baddy that the hoards of monsters a guarding.

And, the last part of the song could be like the boss being defeated and exploding, like a boss in a modern Sonic The Hedgehog game.

2 Carnival (2D Special) This track is one of my top five favorite Gorillaz tracks because of how menacing and creepy it sounds.

Anthony Hamilton kills it with his vocals on this track, he sounds like he’s under some sort of spell and the instrumentals for this track are like the theme song to a horror movie trailer. 2D’s part is also really good and builds on the menacing factor, with those “we have to wake up” whispers and the drum rolls it sounds like he’s trying to break Anthony Hamilton out of this spell.

3 November Has Come Okay now, MF DOOM feels like a villain to me on this track with the way that he’s rapping. He sounds like he’s trying keeping you from getting to a certain area and then it sounds like he references kids

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doing drugs with the lyric “juiced of a junk treat”. 2D’s vocals also sound very worrisome in this track with his lyrics “Something is starting today, where did he go?” and it feels like something bad is gonna happen.

4 Glitter Freeze I love the way Mark E. Smith sounds on this track, he does a very menacing pirate character. I can see this song as being him giving orders to his pirate crew during a battle and the alternate version of this track really feels like a battle to me. And then the outro of the track feels like the battle has finished and the enemy team has been defeated, they did a great job on this track in my opinion.

5 M1A1 This track sounds like the theme song of a villain gang in like My Hero Academia and it sounds like these villains could be driving down the street about to rob a bank. The intro is also really cool with the sample at the beginning and it sounds like a showdown is about to begin.

It also a lot of the the Dark Prince from Clash Royale for some reason because it feels like he would just being running around bashing enemies with this song playing in the background.

That’s all, I have nothing else to say... •

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Ar t b y X X X

Ar t b y Ro to

[leisure] sudoku

No 23. - Medium diffculty

2D’s Sudoku tips Complete the board like this, and go up a number everytime you start a new section, untill you finish the puzzle. Just like in Plastic Beach...

1

1

1 1

1

Art by Semen Days. Sudoku puzzle generated using https://goo.gl/R9tkzQ

this month in Gorillaz history...

2006 Gorillaz wins the ‘Artist Of The Year’ category in the Webby Awards.

2010 Gorillaz is announced as the Glastonbury Festival’s friday headliner, replacing U2.

2018 Gorillaz releases two new tracks from The Now Now, Humility and Lake Zurich.

Humility also recieves a brand new music video.

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GO RI LLAZ-UNO FFI CI AL FAN ZIN E

TEXT BY ANA

Contacts Chances are that, if you aren’t in the G-U Discord server, you won’t recognize the names of this zine’s staff. If you want to see more of their work or follow them, here are their contacts.

ana Twitter: @lampejodefarol Dotty Discord: #3135 Semen Days Instagram: @smogmonster_71 Art Station: smogmonster71 Bran You can find him in the G-U discord!

AmyEevee04 Twitter: @ame_michiko Instagram: @amy.michiko Reddit: amyeevee04

SC Youtube channel Dekyun Instagram: @dekyunart Devianart: dekyun Tumblr: dek-yun Gale Sketches Instagram: @galesketches Stupotato Tumblr: stupotato Instagram: @shainakosan Cool Cat Instagram: @em.lysart

Azoo Twitter: @azookara Instagram: @azoosart Rad Twitter: @CasualRad NoodlesDoodlesBoodles (NBD) Instagram & Twitter: @NoodlesDoodlesBoodles Kawaiibells Instagram: @kawaiibells

I SSUE #2B

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art by Gale Sketches