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From England to the Ganges
He described taking his father’s ashes to Varanasi, swimming in the Ganges and standing on the burning ghats where families say goodbye. The heat, the smoke, the rhythm of it all stayed with him. “India is a very interesting place to carry grief,” he said. “They have a very positive outlook on death.” That journey didn’t just inspire him, it rearranged how he listens and how he creates
In England, funerals happen behind walls. Curtains close, voices drop, and everything fades fast. By the Ganges, nothing is hidden. The sound of fire mixes with chanting, and life keeps moving. “I took my dad’s ashes there and cast them in the river. It was very beautiful.” That image is heavy and simple, and you can feel it echoing in the songs
Music that breathes
This album isn’t chasing hooks. It feels slower, handmade, almost physical. The rhythms carry fingerprints, small imperfections that make them human. Albarn let the production stay rough around the edges. There’s dust in the mix, warmth in the space, and that choice makes it real. You can sense places in it, the air of rooms, the weight of moments
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The cover art uses Devanagari, the script found in Sanskrit texts. It’s a quiet gesture of respect toward the place that marked him. The sound has the same energy, calm but alive. It doesn’t reach for transcendence, it settles into it
A single vision
Jamie Hewlett and Albarn decided to create one long animated film for this record, an eight-minute piece. “It’s serious stuff,” Albarn said. “It’s really great that Jamie is concentrating on one thing.” The choice shows restraint, a way of protecting the work from the noise that usually surrounds it
Animation has always been part of the Gorillaz identity, but it’s also been a burden. “No other band has to spend that kind of time just to produce one small thing,” Albarn admitted. This time they’re letting the art exist for itself. “Let’s make it a piece of art in itself and let it breathe.” That focus gives the project a rare sense of peace
Age in the voice
Albarn doesn’t sound like the person he was twenty years ago. His voice cracks more often now. It carries miles, loss, and a kind of patience. There’s no mask, no rush to prove anything. He sings the way people talk when they’ve been through something and still have more to give
The songs feel lived in. They move like thought, stop for breath, start again. The familiar pulse of Gorillaz is still there, but it hits softer, more deliberate. Each track leaves space, and that space matters. You can feel what it took to leave it there
A quiet release with weight
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Gorillaz built a world from cartoons and chaos, yet this record feels grounded. Albarn said, “I think fans are going to love every aspect of this record.” He sounded calm, not promotional. He’s done explaining. The music speaks for itself
In a culture addicted to movement, this album stands still. It holds the silence that grief brings and turns it into something you can carry. There’s strength in that stillness, the kind that doesn’t ask for attention but stays with you long after the song ends
