Gorillaz

小简介
    
在这个虚拟与实体交错综杂的21世纪，Gorillaz预言了这个世纪最屌的乐团走向。这个以Blur主唱Damon Albarn为主（制作人为旧金山日裔Hip-Hop名师Dan "The Automator" Nakamura）并隐身幕后代言的虚拟卡通乐团，虽然都只是不具实体的虚拟乐手，但每位团员的来历和组团过程就像搞个真的乐团一样！这四个充满强烈城市嘻哈色彩的Gorillaz团员，是由知名卡通人物tank girl的作者Jamie Hewlett量身打造出来的，包括了：

    聪明乐观的酷哥贝斯手Murdoc－不修边幅的他其实是Gorillaz中心思最为缜密敏锐的团长，以自修方式练就而成优异贝斯弹奏技巧和写歌制作功力，更使他成为主宰全团的舵手。而身为Gorillaz发言人的他，歌迷也可从中感受到他目中无人的主宰霸气。

    修长颓废迷人的帅哥主唱2D－擅长弹奏键盘的2D在人群中总是最沉默的一位，然而他因失明造成所深不可测的黑洞眼神却散发着强烈迷人的神秘气味，吸引了众多女性歌迷的目光，甚至还出现了他的后援会，在网络上成立了"Love 2 Deep爱太深"的歌迷专属网站。

    嘻哈黑人大老粗鼓手Russell－玩得一手好鼓，更是崇尚Hip-Hop和Rap等黑人文化，不过曾接受过贵族学校良好的知识与行为养成教育的他，其待人接物彬彬有礼、言谈举止温文儒雅也让许多女性友人从他稳重的性格感受到浮华生活的真实安全感。

    捉狭可爱的亚裔妹妹吉他手Noodle－年仅10岁的东洋小妹Noodle总是带着内建收音机的流行盔帽，充满神秘东方气息的她虽然只会讲一句英文「Noodle」，但吉他技巧与拳脚功夫可是十分了得。更神奇的是，她还有上乘的中国拳脚功夫。

    Gorillaz的组成来自于主唱2D和团长Murdoc「致命」的邂逅。原名为史杜柏的2D由于对键盘乐器的特殊癖好，每周末都会在『诺姆叔叔乐器连锁专卖店』打工。某个午后，Murdoc与他的BB帮计划利用抢来的合成乐器制作音乐，于是和他的狗党们开车直冲入『诺姆叔叔店』准备抢劫，却没想到一头撞上站在门口的史杜柏，结果史杜柏撞瞎了左眼，还因脑震荡造成记忆不断退化。肇事的Murdoc最后被法院判决必须服行3万小时的劳动服务，同时还得照料史杜柏直到他康复。

    某天Murdoc载着脑袋浑沌的史杜柏回医院复检时，心血来潮玩了个360度无敌大回旋，当时史杜柏像一支猛力掷出的标枪，冲破挡风玻璃直直插入安全岛。这一次，史杜柏撞瞎了右眼，但双目俱盲的他却幸运地恢复意识，从此他便将Murdoc视为救命恩人，并改名为2D（2 Damage，二度伤害）。而Murdoc逊爆的驾驶技术让这两个冤家的生命有了180度大转弯，2D精湛的键盘琴艺深深吸引Murdoc的赞赏，并决定和他组团，只要再找到鼓手和吉他手一切便可定案。

    后来，Murdoc在SOHO专卖Hip-Hop的『咕噜唱片行』认识了移居英国Russell，两人相谈甚欢。当Murdoc得知Russell是个擅长放克节奏的B-Boy鼓手后，便积极邀他入团，而Russell也为了实现自己的梦想立刻允诺加入。接着Murdoc又在NME刊登了「征求吉他手」的广告，没想到造访的竟是个10岁的东洋女娃，甫一进门Noodle便连珠炮地说个不停，双手还同时在吉他琴把上来回点弦，呆若木鸡的三人在Noodle无理头的开场白下，点头让这位神秘人物加入。

   而由Murdoc、2D、Russell和Noodle所组成的Gorillaz于焉正式成立，1998年终他们在Camden首次公开演出，激烈狂暴的庞克噪乐立刻吸引了EMI唱片公司的注意力，与他们签下发行专辑的合约。而从他们于2001年4月份推出的首张同名专辑中，更可以听到纽约黑人嘻哈、牙买加雷鬼Dub、古巴传统情歌或是英伦庞克摇滚。当初，Murdoc为了实现音乐梦想铤而走险的目的终于实现了，他们也将以交错着虚拟和现实的音符，开创音乐的全新纪元。

Conceived as the first "virtual hip-hop group," Gorillaz blended the musical talents of Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, Blur's Damon Albarn, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori, and Tom Tom Club's Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz with the arresting visuals of Jamie Hewlett, best known as the creator of the cult comic Tank Girl. Nakamura's Deltron 3030 cohorts Kid Koala and Del tha Funkee Homosapien rounded out the creative team behind the Gorillaz quartet, whose virtual members included 2-D, the cute but spacy singer/keyboardist; Murdoc, the spooky, possibly Satanic bassist and the brains behind the group; Russel, a drummer equally inspired by "Farrakhan and Chaka Khan" and possessed by "funkyphantoms" that occasionally rise up and provide some zombie-style rapping; and last but not least, Noodle, a ten-year-old Japanese guitar virtuosa and martial arts master. The group's website, www.gorillaz.com, showcased Hewlett's visuals and the group's music in eye- and ear-catching detail.

Gorillaz debuted in late 2000 with the Tomorrow Comes Today EP, which they followed early the next year with the popular Clint Eastwood single. A self-titled, full-length debut album arrived in spring 2001. Gorillaz was a massive worldwide success and achieved platinum-level sales in the U.S.; worldwide, it sold over seven million copies. The group's Svengalis were quick to capitalize, and released the B-sides collection G-Sides, the Phase One: Celebrity Takedown DVD, and the dub-inspired remix album Laika Come Home in 2002. The project soon went on hiatus, however, as Albarn resumed work with Blur for their seventh album, 2003's Think Tank.

When he was ready to begin the next Gorillaz album, Albarn turned to Danger Mouse (the DJ behind The Grey Album, the infamous mash-up of the Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's Black Album) and a host of other collaborators, including De La Soul, Shaun Ryder, Debbie Harry, Dennis Hopper, and Martina Topley-Bird. Although Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Nakamura did not return, 2-D, Russel, Murdoc, and Noodle were all present and accounted for on Demon Days, another Top Ten hit, which arrived in spring 2005. The album went double platinum in America and enjoyed even more success in the U.K.; it also received a host of Grammy nominations, a sign that the band had secured critical as well as commercial approval. Gorillaz broke ground for a new album in 2007, but the project wasn't released until 2010, when Plastic Beach marked the band's third studio effort.