Gorillaz have announced the first collaboration in their new Song Machine project, a song featuring slowthai and Slaves. The track will debut later today in the first Song Machine “episode” titled “Momentary Bliss”, via the virtual band’s YouTube channel.

Accompanying the announcement is a snippet from the song and a video made up of a blend of live-action and animation, primarily showing slowthai recording vocals in someone’s flat (“it makes me sick!”).

The Song Machine project, which was teased on Tuesday (January 28), seems to revolve around an animated synth with various bits of paraphernalia attached.

“Song Machine is a whole new way of doing what we do,” Russel, the drummer explains in a statement. “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.”

The band has previously put out albums that have a heavy focus on features and this might be a new, more fluid way to connect them with other artists. If that means more collabs with the likes of former Dazed 100er slowthai, you won’t hear us complaining.

Listen to the preview of the new track below.