Jamie Hewlett, artist and co-creator of Gorillaz, has confirmed that the cartoon band will release a new record in 2018.
The group, led by Blur’s Damon Albarn, released their first record since 2010 in April of 2017, Humanz (their fifth studio album). After that release, they also treated fans to another track, Garage Palace, in October.
They released two albums in the span of one year in 2010 – Plastic Beach and The Fall – so a quick turn-around for another project most likely wouldn’t surprise their fans.
In a recent interview, Hewlett said, “we’re working on another Gorilllaz album that we’re going to be releasing next year,” after suggestions of another project had been in the air.
He added, “So we’re going straight into the album with no break. Usually we have a good five-year break between each album but we decided: ‘You know what? Let’s keep going’ because there’s ideas for a few more albums so we’re going to go straight into that. That will be all of next year and probably the year beyond that.”
“I’m inventing a new [visual] style for the next album,” Hewlett went on to say, “so that in itself is exciting for me, because you say, ‘Alright, I’ve done that. How do I do it next time and how do I make it different?”.
Hewlett also said, in regard to future plans, “by the end of 2019, we’re probably gonna say, ‘Let’s have a little break’. Or we’re gonna say, ‘Let’s keep going’.”
It seems that, despite a half-decade absence, Gorillaz have no intention of slowing down. Or maybe they will slow down again, like the last time this happened. It’s hard to predict the movements of band-members who are largely 2D. Fingers (and apposable thumbs) crossed that this isn’t the start of another long break.
Written by: PJ Kimber
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