Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 23 October 2020 | |||
Recorded | October 2019 – May 2020 [1] | |||
Studio | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 42:55 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Gorillaz chronology | ||||
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Damon Albarn chronology | ||||
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Singles from Song Machine,Season One:Strange Timez | ||||
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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. [3] [4] Slowthai, Slaves,Fatoumata Diawara,Peter Hook, Georgia, Octavian,ScHoolboy Q, Robert Smith,Elton John,6lack,Beck,Leee John, St. Vincent, Kano,and Roxani Arias,among others,appears as the collaborators on the album.
On 28 January 2020,the band officially released images via social media teasing a concept entitled Song Machine. A 23-second promotional single entitled "Song Machine Theme Tune" was released on streaming services with an accompanying video. [5] Damon Albarn and Remi Kabaka Jr spoke to BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac for the official premiere,saying that Song Machine "may have an obtuse narrative arc at the end of each season,but it's more Ozark ,than Designated Survivor . You just keep going until you run out of ideas." [6] [7]
Upon the premiere of Episode One on 30 January,Albarn revealed that the group had been in the studio with Schoolboy Q among others,although he did say that these songs were likely to be saved for future series of Song Machine. [8] A press release was put out to explain Song Machine further,with virtual Gorillaz member Russel Hobbs saying:"Song Machine is a whole new way of doing what we do,Gorillaz breaking the mould 'cos the mould got old. World is moving faster than a supercharged particle,so we've gotta stay ready to drop. We don't even know who's stepping through the studio next. Song Machine feeds on the unknown,runs on pure chaos. So whatever the hell's coming,we're primed and ready to produce like there's no tomorrow." [9]
Episode Two released on 27 February 2020. [10] Despite an initially revealed monthly schedule,no singles were released in March due to the spike of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 24,the band released a statement via Instagram,reassuring fans that despite "serious times" Song Machine would proceed. [11] Episode Three was then released on 9 April.
On 2 May,a standalone single called "How Far?" was released without any prior announcement in the middle of Season One's release schedule as a tribute to Tony Allen,who died on 30 April,and was a frequent collaborator with Albarn. [12] As a result,Episode Four,originally teased to be up next at the end of the music video for Aries,delayed its release to 9 June. [13] On 13 June,the album was revealed on the Gorillaz website under the name Almanac CD,said to be a 10 track album that would be packaged with the Gorillaz Almanac in October 2020.
After the premiere of Episode Five on 20 July,it was stated that the project would commence a brief hiatus,lasting until an unspecified date in September. [14] [15] On 7 September,it was revealed the band's next single would be titled "Strange Timez",and would feature Robert Smith. [16] Episode Six,the first of the singles to have had its music fully recorded during the pandemic,was released on 9 September,alongside the announcement of the album's title and tracklist. [17]
Episode Seven was released on 1 October. [18] Episode Eight was released on 5 November. Episode Nine was released on 24 December;unlike previous Song Machine releases,the song was not released as a single.
Critics have primarily described the record as alternative rock, [19] [20] hip hop, [21] [20] and electronic music. [20] [22] Critics also noted pop, [23] punk rock, [24] indie rock, [19] electropop, [25] psychedelic pop, [20] R&B, [26] funk, [20] soul, [20] bossa nova, [27] reggae, [28] acid house, [29] and downtempo [30] [31] influences in various specified tracks.
Soey Kim of Vogue commented that the record "is an ambitious and chaotic amalgamation of sounds and genres",and further specified that the sound ranged from "punk rock to R&B to hip-hop." [32] Thomas Smith of NME also noted the album's stylistic diversity,stating that the record is a "varied affair that pulls from Albarn and the band's perchance [sic] for exploration:punk rock sits effortlessly next to glitzy piano ballads,while playful hip-hop and melancholic post-rave ambience soothe our pounding heads." [33]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.6/10 [34] |
Metacritic | 81/100 [35] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [36] |
Consequence of Sound | B [37] |
Clash | [38] |
Entertainment Weekly | 7.5/10 [39] |
The Guardian | [40] |
Gigwise | [41] |
The Independent | [3] |
Mojo | [4] |
NME | [42] |
Rolling Stone | [29] |
Song Machine,Season One:Strange Timez received generally positive reviews from critics on Metacritic,which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications,the release received an average score of 81,based on 15 reviews,indicating "universal acclaim". [35] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 7.6 out of 10,based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [34]
In a positive review, The Guardian 's Alexis Petridis lauded the album’s guest artists,stating "It's not just that the guests demonstrate Albarn's excellent taste in music,although they do –from St Vincent to Octavian to Georgia to Unknown Mortal Orchestra,at least in the deluxe edition tracks –it's what he chooses to do with their voices." [40] Consequence of Sound 's Jordan Blum also praised the guest artists,commenting that the album "encapsulates Gorillaz's trademark tongue-in-cheek bizarreness,stylistic flexibility,and enticing incorporation of guest musicians." [37] Blum also praised the album's pacing,stating that the album "flows very smoothly nonetheless,maintaining fluid pacing while also shifting styles with consistent regularity." [37]
All tracks are written by Damon Albarn,Remi Kabaka Jr.,and the tracks' respective guest(s) and produced by Gorillaz and Remi Kabaka Jr.,except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Strange Timez" (featuring Robert Smith) |
| 3:47 | |
2. | "The Valley of the Pagans" (featuring Beck) | 3:01 | ||
3. | "The Lost Chord" (featuring Leee John) |
|
| 4:03 |
4. | "Pac-Man" (featuring Schoolboy Q) |
|
| 3:12 |
5. | "Chalk Tablet Towers" (featuring St. Vincent) | 3:02 | ||
6. | "The Pink Phantom" (featuring Elton John and 6lack) |
| 4:13 | |
7. | "Aries" (featuring Peter Hook and Georgia) |
| 4:13 | |
8. | "Friday 13th" (featuring Octavian) | 3:37 | ||
9. | "Dead Butterflies" (featuring Kano and Roxani Arias) |
|
| 4:33 |
10. | "Désolé" (Extended version) (featuring Fatoumata Diawara) |
|
| 5:33 |
11. | "Momentary Bliss" (featuring Slowthai and Slaves) |
|
| 3:41 |
Total length: | 42:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Opium" (featuring EarthGang) |
|
| 6:50 |
2. | "Simplicity" (featuring Joan As Police Woman) |
| 2:44 | |
3. | "Severed Head" (featuring GoldLink and Unknown Mortal Orchestra) | 3:34 | ||
4. | "With Love to an Ex" (featuring Moonchild Sanelly) | 3:01 | ||
5. | "MLS" (featuring JPEGMafia and Chai) | 3:13 | ||
6. | "How Far?" (featuring Tony Allen and Skepta) | 2:46 | ||
Total length: | 22:08 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
7. | "Taxi Back to 80s Reykjavik" | 2:42 |
Total length: | 24:50 |
Notes
Credits adapted from the liner notes and Tidal. [45]
Gorillaz
Additional musicians
Additional technical
Additional artwork
Notes
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [73] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Gorillaz are a British virtual band created in 1998 by British 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.
Gorillaz is the debut studio album by English virtual band Gorillaz, released on 26 March 2001 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and June 19, 2001 in the United States by Virgin Records. The album reached number three in the UK and number fourteen in the US, later being certified platinum in the US and triple-platinum in the UK. 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".
Demon Days is the second studio album by the British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 11 May 2005 in Japan and 23 May 2005 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and May 24, 2005 in the United States by Virgin Records. Produced by Gorillaz, Danger Mouse, Jason Cox, and James Dring, it features De La Soul, Neneh Cherry, Martina Topley-Bird, Roots Manuva, MF DOOM, Ike Turner, Bootie Brown of the Pharcyde, Shaun Ryder and Dennis Hopper.
The discography of British virtual band Gorillaz consists of eight studio albums, three compilation albums, 11 extended plays, one remix album, and 46 singles.
Plastic Beach is the third studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 3 March 2010 by Parlophone internationally and by Virgin Records in the United States. Conceived from an unfinished project called Carousel, the album was recorded from June 2008 to November 2009, and was produced primarily by group co-creator Damon Albarn. It features guest appearances by such artists as Snoop Dogg, Gruff Rhys, De La Soul, Bobby Womack, Mos Def, Lou Reed, Mark E. Smith, Bashy, Kano, and 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.
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.
"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 is an audiovisual project by British virtual band Gorillaz. It is a music video web series consisting of a collection of music videos and singles that are released monthly by the band as episodes of the series, with each episode featuring additional guests. Each episode is released with accompanying interludes called "Machine Bitez", a series of skits consisting of short conversations and interviews with Song Machine's guests from Gorillaz' virtual band members. The project was officially launched on 30 January 2020. Season one of Song Machine consists of 9 episodes and was released as an album titled Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez on 23 October 2020. A second season was announced in 2020, though it was later scrapped in favor of Cracker Island.
"Désolé" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara. The track was released on 27 February 2020 as the second single for Gorillaz' seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez. The song is part of the Song Machine project, which is a web series involving the ongoing release of various Gorillaz tracks featuring different guest musicians over the course of 2020.
"Aries" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring drummer Georgia and bassist Peter Hook of the bands Joy Division and New Order. The track was released on 9 April 2020 as the third single for Gorillaz' seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez. It is part of the Song Machine project, a web series involving the ongoing release of various Gorillaz singles and music videos featuring different guest musicians over the course of 2020.
"Friday 13th" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring French-British rapper Octavian. The track was released on 9 June 2020 as the fifth single for Gorillaz' seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, and the fourth episode of the Song Machine project, a web series involving the ongoing release of various new Gorillaz singles and music videos featuring different guest musicians over the course of 2020.
"How Far?" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Tony Allen and Skepta. The track was released on 2 May 2020 without any prior announcement as the fourth single for Gorillaz' seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez. It is part of the Song Machine project, a web series involving the ongoing release of various Gorillaz singles and music videos featuring different guest musicians over the course of 2020, though it is not considered an official episode of the series. The single marks the first posthumously released material featuring Tony Allen, as well as the final song to be recorded during Allen's lifetime.
"Pac-Man" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring American rapper Schoolboy Q. The track was released on 20 July 2020 as the sixth single for Gorillaz' seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, and the fifth episode of the Song Machine project, a web series involving the ongoing release of various Gorillaz tracks featuring different guest musicians over the course of 2020.
"Strange Timez" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring The Cure frontman, Robert Smith. The track was released on 9 September 2020 as the seventh single for Gorillaz' seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, and the sixth episode of the Song Machine project, a web series that involved the release of various Gorillaz tracks featuring different guest musicians over the course of 2020.
"The Valley of the Pagans" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz featuring Beck. The track was released on 5 November 2020 as the ninth and final single for Gorillaz' seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, and the eighth episode of the Song Machine project, a web series which involves the ongoing release of various Gorillaz tracks featuring different guest musicians over the course of 2020.
"The Pink Phantom" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, featuring British singer Elton John and American singer 6lack. The track was released on 1 October 2020 as the eighth single for Gorillaz' seventh studio album, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, and the seventh episode of the Song Machine project, a web series involving the ongoing release of various Gorillaz tracks featuring different guest musicians over the course of 2020. The song was later included on John's 2021 album The Lockdown Sessions.
"New Gold" is a song by British virtual band Gorillaz, featuring Australian music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown, marking the latter's second collaboration with the band since "Dirty Harry" in 2005. The track was released on 31 August 2022 as the second single from their eighth studio album, Cracker Island. "New Gold" reached number four on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart and peaked at number two on the US Alternative Airplay Songs chart. At the APRA Music Awards of 2024, the song was shortlisted for Song of the Year.
Cracker Island is the eighth studio album by the British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 24 February 2023 via Parlophone and Warner Records. It features collaborations with Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, Bootie Brown and Beck. A deluxe edition was released with additional tracks featuring De La Soul, MC Bin Laden, Del the Funky Homosapien and Dawn Penn.
Well it started last October [...] Then it got to May last year, I mean May this year.
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