Albarn’s’ declaration follows the recent release of their first episodic project, Song Machine: Season One, a seventeen track story that premiered on October 23rd. A killer collaborative iteration, Song Machine: Season One contains tracks like the Beck collaboration The Valley of The Pagans and Pac-Man with Schoolboy Q. Song Machine also features the likes of Skepta, Elton John and Robert Smith of The Cure. 

The successor to the project, aptly titled Song Machine: Season 2, will be released in coherence with the Gorillaz movie, says Albarn. Speaking on the New Arrivals show on Radio.com, Albarn confirmed that “We are supposed to be making a film while we’re doing season two of ‘Song Machine.’”

Albarn detailed life behind the scenes of filmmaking, confirming that “We signed contracts, we’ve begun scripts and stuff. Making an animated film that’s kind of abstract is quite a big risk for a movie studio because they’re very expensive.” 

To greenlight a film so abstract is a bold move from the film studios, explains Albarn. The Feel Good Inc. CEO elaborated, saying “If you’re telling a slightly obtuse, weird story that only sometimes makes any sense, it’s quite difficult. That’s what we’ve discovered. But we will do it, we are doing it. I see a lot of people doing animated videos these days but I don’t think they really touch the quality of ours. We’re more in the world of Studio Ghibli.”

Just like their timeless music, the Gorillaz movie will most certainly be genreless. Albarn spoke on this divergence from music labels, saying that the collaborative Song Machine is “a further reminder that while the post-genre mindset is now crucial to mainstream success, Gorillaz have always been keen to encourage emerging artists to embrace their diverse inspirations.”

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Blink and you’ll miss it..Nice one @youtubemusic

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In celebration of their new iteration, Gorillaz are planning a series of live-streamed performances through a partnership with LIVEnow. Broadcasting on December 12th and 13th across three different times zones, ‘SONG MACHINE LIVE’ will see a multi-sensory, captivating fusion of Jamie Hewlett’s otherworldly visuals.

Hewlett, who also poses as Gorillaz’ pianist 2D, will be joined by his fellow virtual bandmates, bassist Murdoch Niccals, guitarist Noodle, and percussionist Russell to mark Gorillaz’ first live performance since 2018.

An official press release regarding the new project stated that “‘Song Machine’ is the ongoing and ever-evolving process that sees Gorillaz release new episodes throughout 2020, recorded and captured live in Kong Studios and beyond, and made available as and when they are ready.”

Director of LIVEnow Marc Watson said of the upcoming live stream event: “We are really proud to work alongside Gorillaz to create something truly special for fans all around the world. ‘SONG MACHINE LIVE’ will raise the bar on what to expect from live-streamed concerts. It demonstrates our commitment to creativity and innovation as we build LIVENow into the world’s leading destination for live-streamed content.” More information regarding tickets for ‘SONG MACHINE LIVE’ and its respective time zones can be found here.

Song Machine: Season One is out now.