sciencey bit – there’s the technology.
Gorillaz have long been at the forefront of music’s digital innovations. They pioneered 3D animation at the 2002 BRIT Awards and appeared as holograms alongside Madonna at the 2006 Grammy Awards, while the Kong Studios website was one of the most revolutionary online presences in music. In the seven years since Gorillaz’s last releases (2010’s Plastic Beach and low-key follow-up The Fall), however, technology has moved on so much it has rendered such once futuristic plays obsolete. Not to mention completely transformed the music business. Streaming was not a thing last time the Gorillaz put an album out. Nor was Instagram or Snapchat. Nor, confusingly, was vinyl, but that’s another story. “The digital landscape had completely changed,” says Byrne. “There were platforms that Gorillaz just weren’t on. We never want to use technology for technology’s sake, but to do something that made sense to Gorillaz. We needed to provide a platform for the characters to live and breathe. People come to Gorillaz either through the visuals or the music, so we wanted our whole narrative to be completely cohesive across the board. No matter where you come to Gorillaz, you’re getting the same story.” And there are now more ways to come at them than ever before. For the band’s return, they partnered with YouTube and Google Spotlight Stories alongside their regular video wizards Passion Pictures to make a 360 video for Saturnz Barz that broke all known records for a VR video (it’s now been watched over 7.6 million times).
“We were delighted with the numbers,” says David Mogendorff, artist relations manager at YouTube, which also provided “strategic and launch support” for the video. “It surpassed our expectations and talks to the quality of the piece that they made. Far beyond a gimmicky use of 360, it’s really central to the whole creative element. They’re always a step ahead and they do it better than everyone else, which makes them a great partner.”
YouTube also hosted the cartoon characters’ first ‘live’ interview, with BBC Radio 1/1Xtra’s MistaJam, produced in partnership with German mobile giant Deutsche Telekom, which also invested in the ground-breaking Gorillaz app, partly inspired by Pokémon Go and produced in partnership with branding agency B-Reel. The app blends augmented and virtual reality in a way which is making our brains feel a bit fuzzy right now. So let’s gloss over B-Reel executive creative director Davor Krvavac’s use of phrases such as “geo-tagging” and “immersive experience” and cut to the chase: is this actually opening up a revenue stream or is it just a gimmick? “The app itself isn’t a monetisation engine,” he says. “But it’s not a self-contained dead-end. It links to various other aspects of Gorillaz, their merchandise, concerts etc and there are loads of rabbitholes and glitches which do lead to various commercial pathways for the band. It fits into their bigger picture.” Krvavac predicts use of such technology will become more widespread in the music business now costs are more within major label budgets (especially if, as with Gorillaz, brands are brought in as partners). And
MUSIC Week
‘TOON SPIRIT
Music Week’s world exclusive interview with Gorillaz cartoon ‘bassist’ Murdoc Niccals…
Kick asteroid: Gorillaz’s 360 VR video
Ralf Lülsdorf, Deutsche Telekom’s head of international music marketing, stresses the benefits run both ways. “Working with such an incredible artist is perfect for showcasing our products and services, and the opportunities you have now in technology, VR, 360 and AR,” he says. “We need somebody who can bring these invisible products to life and a performance like the ‘in conversation with Gorillaz’ one is a great example of the best we can do. It really pays off.” Both Lülsdorf and Byrne credit the band’s use of such technology for maintaining Gorillaz’s youthful audience demographic, despite now being in its 19th year of virtual existence.
But will that alone be enough to maintain Gorillaz’s impressive sales record? The Fall may have only sold 30,272 copies, according to the Official Charts Company, but the band’s full releases have sold at levels beyond anyone but global superstars in 2017: 2001 debut Gorillaz moved 945,621; 2005’s Demon Days 1,813,734 and Plastic Beach 345,223.
Mad Murdoc: not a Sheeran fan
What’s the best thing about the music industry? Me. The tragedy for the industry is that I’m only one man. If there was some way I could clone myself, I’d be effing brilliant to collaborate with. I’ve actually got a bunch of eggheads working on it as we speak.
“People come to Gorillaz through visuals or music but, no matter where you come, you get the same story” NIAMH BYRNE, ELEVEN MANAGEMENT
“I don’t know how you measure success these days,” admits Byrne. “You can’t really equate album sales to streams so it’s a very difficult thing to call. It’s not even the same currency. But they’re so multi-faceted that it’s not just about chart positions and streaming figures.” “We’re in a very different market now to when we first started,” concurs Parlophone’s Leonard. “But it’s also about your reach and relevance. There are big, broad ways of driving revenues through from Gorillaz outside of traditional record sales and streaming.” Leonard points to 35m streams across four tracks dropped ahead of the album as proof the band is making the transition to the Spotify age, but one thing remains reassuringly physical about Gorillaz: their touring schedule. Despite his other projects, Albarn has committed to extensive touring, with a US tour running July-October with UK dates to follow later, plus the Demon Dayz festival in Margate on June 10. Don’t expect anything too traditional though: the band has drafted in Glastonbury set designers Block9 to work on the festival, tour, real-world versions of the app’s Spirit House (in association with Sonos) and to generally “enhance the musical experience”. “That’s our thing really,” says Block9 director Stephen Gallagher. “They’ve done pretty much any and every manifestation you can imagine for a live show, from holograms via all sorts of different video and
And the worst thing?
All the fakeness. Sometimes I think Gorillaz are the only real thing out there.
You’ve been away for six years yet you don’t seem to have aged a day. What’s your secret? My personal stylist, Jamie. And shitloads of Botox.
How does the rise of streaming change things for a band like you?
The only thing that matters to me is the music. As long as I’m making it, I’ll be coming into your ears in whatever way technology allows.
And how will you try and stop Ed Sheeran’s chart dominance?
Possibly a drone strike. Although if he retreats to his underground compound, we might need boots on the ground.
lighting designs, animation from simple 2D to 3D and computer-generated stuff. It was daunting, I have to be honest. But the big arena show will blow your mind.” With plans being made well into 2018, who knows what will be possible technologically by the end of the campaign. And Lülsdorf even raises the possibility of future touring without any human members. “One day, maybe Damon and Jamie are sitting on a nice terrace and still doing performances without needing to be there,” he laughs. “Hopefully there’s a chance to do something even more crazy.” And with Gorillaz’s record for making the virtually impossible a reality, you should never bet against it.
MAY 01 19
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