Gorillaz are an English virtual band formed 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' music has featured collaborations with a wide range of featured artists, with Albarn as the only permanent musical contributor.
Jamiroquai are an English funk and acid jazz band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in their early releases and later drew from rock, disco, electronic and Latin music genres. Lyrically, the group has addressed social and environmental justice. Kay has remained as the only original member through several line-up changes.
Damon Albarn is an English-Icelandic musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He is the frontman of the rock band Blur and the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual band Gorillaz.
Gorillaz is the debut studio album by English virtual band Gorillaz, released on 26 March 2001 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and in the United States by Virgin Records. The album reached number three in the UK and number fourteen in the US, and the top ten in several other countries. Gorillaz has sold over seven million copies worldwide. The album's success earned the group an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Successful Virtual Band", and spawned the singles "Clint Eastwood", "19-2000", "Rock the House", and "Tomorrow Comes Today".
Laika Come Home is a remix album by British virtual band Gorillaz, released in July 2002. Unlike a typical remix album, it is done by just one group, Spacemonkeyz. It contains most of the songs from Gorillaz' first album, Gorillaz, but remixed in dub and reggae style. The album features Terry Hall, U Brown, Earl Sixteen and 2-D. One single, "Lil' Dub Chefin'", was released from the album on 22 July 2002, with moderate success. The limited edition was packed in digipak, featuring two hidden tracks. In 2004, the album was packaged with 2001's Gorillaz in a box set as part of EMI's "2CD Originals" collection. The album's title is a reference to Laika, the Soviet space dog, and the film Lassie Come Home. The album contains mixes of every song on the original album except "Double Bass", "Latin Simone ", and "Rock the House".
Stuart Patrick Jude Zender is an English bassist. He is best known as a former member of the band Jamiroquai.
Synkronized is the fourth studio album by English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai. It was released on 8 June 1999 by Work Group in the United States, and on 14 June 1999 by S2 Records in the United Kingdom. Bassist Stuart Zender left the band during recording, and Nick Fyffe was hired as a replacement. The album contains funk, acid jazz and disco elements.
"Lil' Dub Chefin'" is a single by Spacemonkeyz vs Gorillaz, from the 2002 Gorillaz remix album Laika Come Home. It is sung by Damon Albarn and Terry Hall of the UK ska band the Specials with the song itself being a remix of the Gorillaz song "M1 A1". The song's title is reference to the UK restaurant chain Little Chef. The music video features the Spacemonkeyz. On Phase One: Celebrity Take Down, the video had an alternative intro and credits. The single peaked at No. 73 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Canned Heat" is the second single from British funk group Jamiroquai's fourth studio album, Synkronized (1999). Released on 24 May 1999, it was their second number-one single on the US Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart. The music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund. The song is used in the film Napoleon Dynamite as the music of the title character's famous dance performance before a high-school assembly.
Jamie Scott is an Ivor Novello Award winning English singer, songwriter and producer.
Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith, known professionally as Fraser T. Smith, is an English record producer, songwriter and musician. Some of the singles he collaborated on include Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain", James Morrison's "Broken Strings", Tinchy Stryder's "Number 1" and Taio Cruz's "Break Your Heart". In 2016, Smith teamed up with Stormzy to produce his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer, which won Best Album at the 2018 Brit Awards. Earlier that year he produced seven tracks on Kano's Made in the Manor album and co-produced the debut EP from South London rapper Dave. Smith has also worked with Sam Smith.
Bananaz is a 2008 British documentary film by Ceri Levy about Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's virtual alternative band Gorillaz.
Steve Robson is an English songwriter and record producer who has sold in excess of 138 million records around the world. He has written and produced 12 No. 1 UK/US singles, 38 No. 1 UK/US albums and a further 41 top 5 UK/US albums and singles. He is Grammy-nominated for Rascal Flatts ”What Hurts the Most”, which also won BMI Song of the Year and a Nashville Songwriters Association International "10 Songs I Wish I'd Written" award, He has won Ivor Novello Awards and Brit Awards for Take That's “Shine” and has had two more Ivor Novello nominations for Olly Murs' “Troublemaker” and "Dance with Me Tonight".
