Gorillaz are set to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut album with an expansive reissue, featuring demos, live recordings, B-sides, and artwork from Damon Albarn’s visual collaborator, Jamie Hewlett.
Scheduled for release on December 10, the eight-disc box set presents the original record alongside the B-side collection G-Sides, the dub and reggae remix album Laika Come Home, and a live recording of Gorillaz’ 2001 gig at London’s Kentish Town Forum.
Previously-unreleased documents from the Department of Music Correction also feature in the collection, including 27 pages of memos, faxes, and early Jamie Hewlett drawings (once thought to be destroyed in a fire).
“Whistles have been blown,” says Gorillaz’ virtual drummer, Russel Hobbs, of the reissue. “Truths have come to light. What started out as a trip down memory lane took a damn sideways turn into the heart of darkness. They say the past is another country. Turns out, it’s a whole other dimension.”
Also arriving in December is a one-off cinema release of the 2020 Gorillaz livestream Song Machine Live, recorded at the band’s London-based Kong Studios. The original stream featured appearances from several guests from the Song Machine album, including slowthai, Slaves, Kano, and Robert Smith.
Cinemas will show Song Machine Live for one day only, on December 8. A behind-the-scenes featurette, Live From Kong, will also air at the screenings, including unseen interview footage and commentary from Albarn and Hewlett.
Find tickets for the Song Machine screening — on sale from November 11 — here, and revisit Dazed’s 2020 interview with Damon Albarn for more on Gorillaz’ star-studded lockdown album.