| Democrazy | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | 8 December 2003 | |||
| Recorded | June–July 2003, various US hotels | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 29:30 | |||
| Label | Honest Jon's | |||
| Producer | Damon Albarn | |||
| Damon Albarn chronology | ||||
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| Damon Albarn solo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Democrazy | ||||
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Democrazy is a 2003 vinyl-only double EP of demos by Damon Albarn,frontman of British rock band Blur and the virtual band Gorillaz. It was released through Honest Jon's record label.
Albarn recorded these songs,which are little more than demos,during the US leg of Blur's tour for Think Tank in various hotel rooms. He then decided to issue the result,on 8 December that year,in a double 10" vinyl set on his Honest Jon's label. On 22 December Albarn showcased the demos at a live gig in London's Neighbourhood club.
Some of the EP's tracks were later finished and repurposed for Albarn's other projects;the track "I Need a Gun" was used as the basis for the Gorillaz song "Dirty Harry",which appeared on their 2005 album Demon Days ,while the track "Half a Song" was repurposed 20 years later as "The Ballad" appearing on Blur's ninth studio album The Ballad of Darren (2023). [1] The track "A Rappy Song" has often been mis-labeled as an unnamed Gorillaz' track featuring Bootie Brown and Cee-Lo Green,however the song is little more than a remix made by a fan.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 45/100 [2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian |   [3] |
| NME | 2/10 [4] |
| Pitchfork Media | 3.2/10 [5] |
| Stylus Magazine | F [6] |
The EP received mixed-to-negative reviews from music critics. At Metacritic,which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics,the album received an average score of 45,which indicates "mixed or average reviews",based on 9 reviews. [2] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian described the album as "occasionally brilliant and frequently irritating beyond belief" and wrote:"It is packed with interesting ideas,but is founded in an appalling self-importance." [3] Mark Beaumont of NME panned the album,describing it as "the half conceived,cottonmouthed rubbish." [4] Pitchfork Media critic Jedediah Gilchrist stated:"He's already recorded such a wealth of great material that no mystique remains,leaving no real reason for anyone—including the most dedicated fan—to seek out these poorly produced musical shreds." [5] Scott of Stylus Magazine wrote:"Serving as nothing more than a temporary diversion or side note to his fully realised work,this is worth a cursory listen for the insight alone." [6]
Gorillaz are an English virtual band created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett,from London. The band primarily consists of four fictional members:2-D,Murdoc Niccals,Noodle and Russel Hobbs (drums). Their universe is presented in media such as music videos,interviews,comic strips and short cartoons. Gorillaz's music has featured collaborations with a wide range of featured artists,with Albarn as the only permanent musical contributor.
Blur are an English rock band formed in London in 1988. The band consists of singer Damon Albarn,guitarist Graham Coxon,bass guitarist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Their debut album,Leisure (1991),incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegaze. Following a stylistic change influenced by English guitar pop groups such as the Kinks,the Beatles and XTC,Blur released the albums Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993),Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995). As a result,the band helped to popularise the Britpop genre and achieved mass popularity in the UK,aided by a widely publicised chart battle with rival band Oasis in 1995 dubbed "The Battle of Britpop".
Damon Albarn is an English singer,musician,songwriter and record producer from Whitechapel,London. He is the frontman and main lyricist of the rock band Blur and the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual band Gorillaz.
Think Tank is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Blur,released on 5 May 2003. Continuing the jam-based studio constructions of the group's previous album,13 (1999),the album expanded on the use of sampled rhythm loops and brooding,heavy electronic sounds. There are also heavy influences from dance music,hip hop,dub,jazz,and African music,an indication of songwriter Damon Albarn's expanding musical interests.
"Song 2" is a song by English rock band Blur. The song is the second song on their eponymous fifth studio album. Released physically on 7 April 1997,"Song 2" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart,number four on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart,and number six on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
"Out of Time" is a song by British band Blur from their seventh studio album,Think Tank (2003). The song was written and produced by band members Damon Albarn,Alex James and Dave Rowntree,with Ben Hillier also serving as a producer. After being premiered via BBC Radio 1 on 3 March,it was released as the album's lead single on 14 April 2003,by Parlophone. The song became the band's first release without guitarist Graham Coxon. It is a pop ballad featuring acoustic guitars and bass,as well as a Moroccan orchestra. Lyrically,it deals with a civilisation that has lost touch,with Coxon's departure being referenced in the lyrics.
"Tomorrow Comes Today" is a song from British virtual band Gorillaz's self-titled debut album Gorillaz and was their first release when issued as an EP in November 2000. The first three songs from the EP ended up on their debut album,however,"Latin Simone" was heavily edited,and dubbed into Spanish,for the album release. The new version was sung by Ibrahim Ferrer,and renamed "Latin Simone ". The original version is sung by 2-D and appears along with "12D3" on some versions of the later-released compilation album G-Sides. The song itself was also the fourth and final single from that album,released on 25 February 2002. It peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. A demo version of the song,"I Got Law" was included as a bonus track of the Japanese edition of 13 by Blur,Damon Albarn's other musical project.
The Good,the Bad &the Queen is the debut studio album by the English supergroup the Good,the Bad &the Queen,comprising Damon Albarn,Paul Simonon,Simon Tong and Tony Allen,and produced by Danger Mouse. The album was released in January 2007. The album debuted at number two in the UK Albums Chart and was certified Gold in the UK within days of its release despite little media recognition and airplay. In the United States,the album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 49.
"Green Fields" is the third single by British alternative rock band the Good,the Bad &the Queen. "Green Fields" is also the eleventh track on the group's 2007 debut album The Good,the Bad &the Queen.
"Empire Ants" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz,released on their third studio album Plastic Beach. It features guest vocals and instrumentation from Yukimi Nagano,the vocalist of the trip hop band Little Dragon.
The Fall is the fourth studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was announced on 20 December 2010 and released as a download for members of the Gorillaz fan club on 25 December 2010. This was followed by a wider physical release of the album on 19 April 2011.
Leisure is the debut studio album by English rock band Blur,released by Food Records on 27 August 1991.
Everyday Robots is the debut solo studio album by British musician Damon Albarn,best known as the frontman of Blur and Gorillaz. Described by Albarn as his "most personal record",the album was co-produced by Richard Russell and released on 25 April 2014. It features guest contributions from musician and producer Brian Eno,singer Natasha Khan and the Leytonstone City Mission Choir. It was nominated for the 2014 Mercury Prize for best album.
Humanz is the fifth studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 28 April 2017 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and in the United States by Warner Bros. Records. The album was announced on the band's official Instagram page on 23 March 2017. According to a press release,it was recorded in London,Paris,New York City,Chicago,and Jamaica,and was produced by The Twilite Tone and Remi Kabaka Jr. It was the band's first studio album since 2010's The Fall,and features collaborations with Jehnny Beth,Grace Jones,Kali Uchis,Vince Staples,Popcaan,D.R.A.M.,Anthony Hamilton,De La Soul,Danny Brown,Kelela,Mavis Staples,Pusha T,and Benjamin Clementine.
The Good,the Bad &the Queen were an English art rock supergroup composed of singer Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz,bassist Paul Simonon of the Clash,guitarist Simon Tong of the Verve,and drummer Tony Allen. They released their self-titled debut album in 2007. Their second album,Merrie Land, coproduced with Tony Visconti,was released in 2018. They disbanded in 2019,and Allen died in 2020.
"Momentary Bliss" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz,featuring British rapper Slowthai and the Kent-based punk rock duo Slaves. The song was the first song to be released for Gorillaz' Song Machine initiative,a web series consisting of singles and music videos released over the course of the year from the band,with each episode featuring different guest musicians on new Gorillaz material,and is the first single released for their seventh studio album,Song Machine,Season One:Strange Timez. This was the final single before Slaves changed their band name to "Soft Play".
Song Machine,Season One:Strange Timez is the seventh studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz,released on 23 October 2020 via Parlophone and Warner Records. The album was released as the culmination of Gorillaz' Song Machine project,a web series consisting of a collection of singles and music videos,dubbed "episodes" each featuring different guest artists. The album marked the return of the character Murdoc Niccals in promotional material,after his absence from The Now Now in 2018. The record received positive reviews from music critics.
The Nearer the Fountain,More Pure the Stream Flows is the second solo studio album by British musician Damon Albarn,best known as the frontman of Blur and Gorillaz. It was released on 12 November 2021,by Transgressive Records. The album's title is derived from the poem "Love and Memory" by John Clare. It is Albarn's first solo album since 2014's Everyday Robots. It was originally planned as an orchestral piece inspired by the landscapes of Iceland,but Albarn expanded the project into a full-length album during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Meanwhile EP is an extended play by English virtual band Gorillaz,released on 26 August 2021. The EP was released as a celebration of Notting Hill Carnival in London,England,an annual event that was cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ballad of Darren is the ninth studio album by English rock band Blur. It was released on 21 July 2023 by Parlophone and Warner Records. The album's songs were written by frontman Damon Albarn in 2022 while on tour with Gorillaz,and composed by Albarn and the rest of the band. It was produced by James Ford at Studio 13 in London and Devon. It is Blur's first album since The Magic Whip (2015),and their shortest album,with a runtime under 40 minutes. The album's artwork features a 2004 photograph of a man swimming alone in the Gourock Outdoor Pool in Gourock,Scotland,taken by Martin Parr. Its title refers to Darren "Smoggy" Evans,the band's longtime bodyguard.
