Zitat des Tages von Damon Albarn:
The whole period has taught me that I enjoy being part of an ensemble rather than just a front man. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy that too, but I get more enjoyment out of really listening to everyone.
I'm not a monarchist. But I'm English. And I have an irrational emotion for my country.
You know, there are many alter egos and Gorillaz is a collective of alter egos, really. I think anyone who gets involved in it has to sort of accept that nothing is really as it seems.
When you're doing a deal with someone in the southern Sahara, it's a very different way of doing business than in London. You can't sign them in the usual way because they'd end up getting ripped off, which would defeat the object of setting up a label like this.
I'm not really one of those people who believes that if you're a musician you can just leave that behind and start getting into politics.
The things that make me happy most are my family and working.
I hope we can keep doing it this way - making music and art that are pure products of our influences while not really having to let the whole celebrity side of it get in the way. Then maybe more virtual bands will come out and do the same thing.
It's not like my old self - I'm not in character anymore, I'm me. I'm not hiding behind that anymore.
I'm a working musician, so it's what I do. I kind of always have lots of plates spinning, and it's the ones that keep spinning the longest that I end up doing.
More and more, cultural groups are cross-pollinating, and we're getting much more interesting art as a result.
I can't be bothered anymore about giving songs titles.
The Gorillaz cartoons seem more real to me than the actual people on TV. Because at least you know that there's some intelligence behind the cartoons, and there's a lot of work that's gone into it, so it can't all be just a lie.
And there are no stars and that you're never really sure who's doing what and what voice is what and, you know what I mean? It's supposed to be quite elusive.
Music is something that should speak for itself, straight from the heart. It took me a long time to understand that.
I was approached by Oxfam to go to Mali as their ambassador and get involved in their various initiatives out there. But I felt that was missing the point of using me, a musician.
As soon as it sounds fine, I'm on to the next thing, man.
Being in Blur has allowed me to travel and hear the music that's being made all over the world.
Trying to write music that's sensitive to 400 years ago takes a bit of madness, as it's such a long stretch of time.
As a musician usually music is your way out.
I'm English, and I started off as a songwriter, so I can't really escape that - it's there.
I spent two years figuring out how I could turn it into something that would satisfy me as a musician but also make some kind of cross-cultural link. I feel that I kind of at least touched on the possibilities of cross-cultural music, but it is a lifetime's work, and I don't profess to be anything other than a novice at it.
I like to go to Africa purely with something to do. I'm not very comfortable getting into an armor-plated Land Rover and going to see things, with my hand gel, you know, it's not me at all. So I like to hang out and you know, really get to know people and try and do something that resonates with them.
It always struck me that Africa was, in a strange way, a futuristic place and had elements and vibes and spirits that were going to inform the future. Africa Express is an attempt to engage that power outside Africa, and for everyone to benefit from it.
I think pop music is a great place to get new ideas across.
