De La Soul talk new album with Damon Albarn

To all those De La Soul fans that are running around, doing push ups and pumping iron to the latest album in the Nike Fit series ('Are You In'), don't expect a new D.L.S album till 2010.

According to Entertainment Weekly, De La Soul will be following up their 2004 'The Grind Date' album with 'You're Welcome' in 2010. Early whispers are collaborations with Chuck D, Flavor Flav and even Damon Albarn again. Back in 2005, De La Soul appeared rapping on Damon Albarn's Gorillaz hit 'Feel Good, Inc.' News on the grapevine too is that De La Soul have contributed to a couple of new Gorillaz songs for their next album, tentatively titled 'Plastic Beach'.

De La Soul were recently in Australia and performed shows that proved why they are known as one of the master groups of hip-hop.

Damon Albarn talks new Gorillaz album

Blur and Gorillaz frontman, Damon Albarn, will take to the BBC this Wednesday night to play demos from the next Gorillaz album.

In true Gorillaz style, their fictional bass player character Murdoc Niccals is expected to be part of the interview.

Albarn started working on the third Gorillaz album with co-founder Jamie Hewlett at the end of last year.

Last September in an interview with CBS, Alban said, "we just learned more about what we do, musically and artistically. That's a great place to come at when we come to another Gorillaz album. It doesn't have to be animation and music."

But album three will be about animation. Hewlett says, "they'll be the same characters, but a little bit older and told in a different way."

It will be interesting to see which, if any, special guests will appear on the new record. Albarn says he wants "to work with an incredibly eclectic, surprising cast of people."

Damon will be on BBC 1 between 7pm and 9pm on Wednesday January 14 (London time).

You can listen from anywhere on the planet online at www.bbc.co.uk/radio1

Gorillaz to release third album

Well, it's official, Gorillaz are set to return with a third studio album complete with newly designed cartoon characters, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett have confirmed.

The pair let slip in an interview with CBCnews that Damon has already started working on the long-player and Jamie is re-drawing the four characters.

Damon told the news agency: “We’re doing another Gorillaz record. We came back from summer holidays and realized we could do exactly what we wanted to do with Gorillaz. Essentially, Jamie just had to agree to draw the characters again. Because I just do what I do anyway.”

Jamie Hewlett added: “I’m so fucking bored of drawing those characters. But then we had a moment where we had a new angle on it... I’m gonna adapt them. "

The artist continued that Gorillaz' record label EMI were jubilant when the pair confirmed their future plans:
"You’re only the second person we’ve told that Gorillaz is making an album, actually. We were instructed to keep it a secret. When we told the record company, they went “Woohoo!” – you could hear them shouting in the background – and then said, “Don’t tell anybody!”, said Jamie.

Sorry boys.....

www.gorillaz.com

Gorillaz set to play at Global Gathering

Animated popsters the Gorillaz are bringing their Sound System show down under in November for the Global Gathering festival – and hopefully some sideshows? This will be the first time ever Australia has experienced the Gorillaz’s audio-visual treat, and comes after a successful year of touring to international festivals like Pukkelpop and Creamfields.

Global Gathering, which also features producer-to-the-stars Mark Ronson and electronica greats Kraftwerk, will take place at the Hordern Pavilion, Royal Hall of Industries & Entertainment Quarter on Sunday November 30th, and in Melbourne it all goes down at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday November 22nd. If you’re in Perth or Brisbane sit tight, as venues and dates are coming soon.

www.gorillaz.com