Twenty years ago, musician Damon Albarn and comic book artist Jamie Hewlett saw the release of the first Gorillaz album, kick starting the captivating universe of the virtual band. Undefinable by genre, the Parlophone released record became the foundation for the expanding brand starring band members 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russell Hobbs. They are a group of characters still making an active impact in popular culture today. The twenty year anniversary, dated officially as 26th March 2021 arrives with the prospect of new merchandise and reissues of the bands records.
The first instalment will arrive as apparel in the new G-Foot Collection, showcasing the style of the brain behind the visuals, Jamie Hewlett. This clothing line will see a relaunch with new items on online retailers following its previous exclusive availability in pop up shops in London, New York and Los Angeles during the 2017 Winter season. The anniversary also sees the collaboration with “character based product and animated entertainment company” Superplastic. The company, who have previously worked with the likes of rapper Rico Nasty and artist Ricard Cavolo are collaborating with Gorillaz to bring fans four collectible figurines, one for each virtual band member. This exclusive collection is the first of its type from the band for over a decade and is available to pre-order here.
On a more controversial note, Gorillaz have been under fire for another inclusion in the anniversary celebrations. Collectibles in the form of NFTs (Non-fungible token) are also being released in collaboration with the band. News that prompted fans to quickly point out the irony of the situation. NFT has been shown to have a negative effect on climate change. This decision comes as out of character considering their third studio album ‘Plastic Beach’ is hailed as a forward-thinking piece of work focusing on environmentalism and anti-corporate themes.
Read more about NFTs and the campaign to make them more environmentally friendly here.
