Gorillaz has just dropped a brand-new track The God of Lying from the band’s forthcoming new studio album The Mountain. This is the third single after The Happy Dictator and The Manifesto, and features IDLES. Written by Damon Albarn and Joe Talbot and recorded in London, Devon and Mumbai, with Ajay Prasanna on bansuri (flute) and percussion by Viraj Acharya, The God of Lying sees the IDLES frontman bring his maverick charisma to a dub-style vocal that delivers a list of questions and scant consolation to tap into the album’s underlying themes of societal and political unease.
“It feels very much like I’m working with Jamie again, completely, on this record. And I think it’s reflected in the mood of the album, the imagery that he has created, the storyline, the characters, everything feels energised,” Damon Albarn says, adding, “We took our time with this record, like we used to do in the past when we’d go on these adventures together. We spent a lot of time in India working on this album; we did two really quite amazing and magical trips. We went to a lot of areas, up to the Northwest, to the East… It’s leaning into Indian culture. I wouldn’t say it’s an exclusively Indian record, but we have worked with some amazing musicians and singers from India.”
Damon continues, “Both Jamie and I lost our fathers, and I suppose India is a very interesting place to carry grief because there’s a very positive outlook on death. England is just really bad at dealing with death. On the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, every family is there, with the body of their loved one wrapped in a shroud. Bodies are being cremated, it’s going on 24 hours a day, and it’s being going for thousands of years. It’s a very nice place… I took my dad’s ashes there. I cast them in the river. It was very beautiful…”
Talking about The Mountain, he says, “The Mountain is the journey of life, and the gods are some of the gods you meet on that mountain… parts of that human condition.”
Jamie Hewlett, who was in in India at the end of 2022 “because my wife was there with her mother, who became very unwell and ended up in a hospital in Jaipur, says he spent nine weeks in Jaipur, visiting the hospital every day. “It was the most traumatic experience you can imagine, but at the same time, we spent our afternoons just visiting Jaipur and I fell in love with the place. It just blew my mind as an artist, visually; it’s just insane… Everything is so rich and colourful. And even though we were there for such a difficult reason, I came back with the idea of going to India with Damon. So, we went the following year,” Jamie says.
He continues, “We did two trips and in between those two trips, Damon’s father passed away, and my father passed away 10 days later. So, it felt that there was a reason why we’re here… We started to make this album about the journey of life and death and reincarnation, with a positive look at what happens at the end of our lives through the characters, 2D, Noodle, Russel and Murdoc. An album about death that makes people less afraid about the idea of death. Damon worked with a lot of fantastic Indian musicians and they're just incredible artists, so we just had the best time, and we were so inspired and excited by the experience.”
Ajay tells us that he had heard about Gorillaz, how the crowd goes crazy and what a huge fan following they have! “For an artist, it’s immensely important to have certain fixed boundaries and an open creative realm to compose and render specific musical pieces to create something new. I got the best of both the worlds in this collaboration with Gorillaz! Then came our Gorillaz UK shows in September, and my excitement knew no bounds. It was extremely thrilling to play with the band and some of the best musicians from all over the world to packed full house in London. I am gearing up for our upcoming tour as well.”
Gorillaz frontman 2D says, "Can I tell you a secret? Doubt is very tiring but questioning things is really good for you.”
The Mountain is Gorillaz’ ninth studio album, an expansive sonic landscape of instruments and sounds, richly layered with voices, melodies and addictive beats, spanning a collection of 15 songs that embody the very essence of Gorillaz’ collaborative ethos. The record features an extraordinary list of artists and collaborators including: Ajay Prasanna, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Gruff Rhys, IDLES, Jalen Ngonda, Johnny Marr, Kara Jackson, Omar Souleyman, Paul Simonon, Sparks, Trueno and Yasiin Bey; as well as the voices of friends and collaborators including Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper, Mark E Smith, Proof and Tony Allen.
The Mountain is a playlist for a party on the border between this world and whatever happens next, exploring the journey of life and the thrill of existence.
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