Gorillaz Made an Album About India, and Here Is Why It Matters

The Indian pivot

The album draws heavily from Indian classical instrumentation alongside the band's usual pop and electronic influences, and was recorded across India, London, Devon and other locations. Sessions took place in Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan and Varanasi. This kind of deep, authentic immersion in Indian music traditions is almost unheard of for a globally mainstream act.

Collaboration choices

"The Mountain," or "Parvat," does not play it safe. It features iconic Indian artists including Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli and sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar, each bringing their own flavour. Taking this left field approach gives an authentic taste of the subcontinent, rather than working with the most obvious Indian names purely for traction.

Not your average concept album

Let us be honest. We love Gorillaz for their lore as much as their music at times. The band works best when they have a solid theme and cohesive sound. This is the first album since "Plastic Beach" to be focused on one thing, loss. Both Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett lost their fathers during the making of this album, and that clearly drove a lot of the writing. The decision to feature posthumous artists like D12 and De La Soul is a unique way to honour them on one project.