On April 30, the legendary drummer and Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen passed away aged 79. In tribute, Gorillaz have shared a song featuring Allen, as well as Skepta, titled “How Far?”.
“The track was written and recorded with Skepta in London just before lockdown and is being shared immediately as a tribute to the spirit of a great man, Tony Allen,” reads a press release. The track will also form part of Gorillaz’s ongoing Song Machine project.
“How Far?” is far from the first time Allen and Damon Albarn, of Gorillaz, have linked up though. The pair both performed in the supergroup The Good, the Bad & the Queen, with a debut album released in 2007. Albarn has also appeared on a few Tony Allen records.
“I want to take care of youngsters – they have messages and I want to bring them on my beat,” reads a quote from the late drummer on an Instagram post announcing the new track. Listen to “How Far?” below.