组建时间 / 地点:1998年 / 伦敦,英国
街头霸王(Gorillaz)是一支虚拟乐队,由四个虚拟动画角色组成,分别是:阿D(2D)、小面(Noodle)、洛胖(Russel Hobbs)、魔头(Murdoc Niccals)。乐队是由英国布勒乐队(Blur)主唱—戴蒙·亚邦(Damon Albarn)和漫画家吉米·何力特(Jamie Hewlett)共同创造。他们的风格都是十分“另类”,但是也受到其他方面大量的影响。
与其他成功的虚拟乐队不同,他们的歌曲并不是针对特定风格的诙谐调侃(例如:电影《风载歌行》和《摇滚万万岁》中的虚拟乐队),也不是针对儿童市场所设计(例如亚骑士(The Archies)乐队),大多数的歌迷都是被街头霸王的音乐吸引,更胜于他们对于那些卡通人物的支持。
街头霸王在2001年发行的首张专辑—《街头霸王同名专辑》(Gorillaz)缔造销售量超过300万张的佳绩,并且还因此获得了吉尼斯世界纪录中“最成功的虚拟乐队”的称号。他们的第二张专辑《恶灵古堡》(Demon Day)在美国销售量达到双白金唱片,英国更达到三白金唱片。他们也在2005年的格莱美奖中入围了5项,最后赢得“最佳流行重唱组合”大奖。
虚拟卡通成员
魔头(Murdoc Niccals)- 团长兼贝斯手,1966年6月6日出生于英国
阿D (2D)- 主唱,出生于英国
洛胖(Russel Hobbs) - 鼓手,出生于纽约市
小面(Noodle) - 吉他手、背景主唱,来自日本大阪市
虚拟乐队
在这个虚拟与实体交错综杂的21世纪,Gorillaz预言了这个世纪最屌的乐团走向。这个以Blur主唱Damon Albarn为主(制作人为旧金山日裔Hip-Hop名师Dan "The Automator" Nakamura)并隐身幕后代言的虚拟卡通乐团,虽然都只是不具实体的虚拟乐手,但每位团员的来历和组团过程就像搞个真的乐团一样!这四个充满强烈城市嘻哈色彩的Gorillaz团员,是由知名卡通人物tank girl的作者Jamie Hewlett量身打造出来的,包括了:
聪明乐观的酷哥贝斯手Murdoc-不修边幅的他其实是Gorillaz中心思最为缜密敏锐的团长,以自修方式练就而成优异贝斯弹奏技巧和写歌制作功力,更使他成为主宰全团的舵手。而身为Gorillaz发言人的他,歌迷也可从中感受到他目中无人的主宰霸气。
修长颓废迷人的帅哥主唱2D-擅长弹奏键盘的2D在人群中总是最沉默的一位,然而他因失明造成所深不可测的黑洞眼神却散发着强烈迷人的神秘气味,吸引了众多女性歌迷的目光,甚至还出现了他的后援会,在网络上成立了"Love 2 Deep爱太深"的歌迷专属网站。
嘻哈黑人大老粗鼓手Russell-玩得一手好鼓,更是崇尚Hip-Hop和Rap等黑人文化,不过曾接受过贵族学校良好的知识与行为养成教育的他,其待人接物彬彬有礼、言谈举止温文儒雅也让许多女性友人从他稳重的性格感受到浮华生活的真实安全感。
促狭可爱的亚裔妹妹吉他手Noodle-年仅10岁的东洋小妹Noodle总是带着内建收音机的流行盔帽,充满神秘东方气息的她虽然只会讲一句英文「Noodle」,但吉他技巧与拳脚功夫可是十分了得。更神奇的是,她还有上乘的中国拳脚功夫。
Gorillaz的组成来自于主唱2D和团长Murdoc「致命」的邂逅。原名为史杜柏的2D由于对键盘乐器的特殊癖好,每周末都会在『诺姆叔叔乐器连锁专卖店』打工。某个午后,Murdoc与他的BB帮计划利用抢来的合成乐器制作音乐,于是和他的狗党们开车直冲入『诺姆叔叔店』准备抢劫,却没想到一头撞上站在门口的史杜柏,结果史杜柏撞瞎了左眼,还因脑震荡造成记忆不断退化。肇事的Murdoc最后被法院判决必须服行3万小时的劳动服务,同时还得照料史杜柏直到他康复。
某天Murdoc载着脑袋浑沌的史杜柏回医院复检时,心血来潮玩了个360度无敌大回旋,当时史杜柏像一支猛力掷出的标枪,冲破挡风玻璃直直插入安全岛。这一次,史杜柏撞瞎了右眼,但双目俱盲的他却幸运地恢复意识,从此他便将Murdoc视为救命恩人,并改名为2D(2 Damage,二度伤害)。而Murdoc逊爆的驾驶技术让这两个冤家的生命有了180度大转弯,2D精湛的键盘琴艺深深吸引Murdoc的赞赏,并决定和他组团,只要再找到鼓手和吉他手一切便可定案。
后来,Murdoc在SOHO专卖Hip-Hop的『咕噜唱片行』认识了移居英国Russell,两人相谈甚欢。当Murdoc得知Russell是个擅长放克节奏的B-Boy鼓手后,便积极邀他入团,而Russell也为了实现自己的梦想立刻允诺加入。接着Murdoc又在NME刊登了「征求吉他手」的广告,没想到造访的竟是个10岁的东洋女娃,甫一进门Noodle便连珠炮地说个不停,双手还同时在吉他琴把上来回点弦,呆若木鸡的三人在Noodle无理头的开场白下,点头让这位神秘人物加入。
而由Murdoc、2D、Russell和Noodle所组成的Gorillaz于焉正式成立,1998年终他们在Camden首次公开演出,激烈狂暴的庞克噪乐立刻吸引了EMI唱片公司的注意力,与他们签下发行专辑的合约。而从他们于2001年4月份推出的首张同名专辑中,更可以听到纽约黑人嘻哈、牙买加雷鬼Dub、古巴传统情歌或是英伦庞克摇滚。当初,Murdoc为了实现音乐梦想铤而走险的目的终于实现了,他们也将以交错着虚拟和现实的音符,开创音乐的全新纪元。
录音室专辑
Gorillaz (2001)
Demon Days (2005)
Plastic Beach (2010)
The Fall (2011)
英文简介
Gorillaz is an English musical and visual project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. The project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters. This band has four animated members: 2D (lead vocalist, keyboard, and melodica), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar and drum machine), Noodle (guitar, keyboard, and backing vocals) and Russel Hobbs (drums and percussion). Their fictional universe is explored through the band's website and music videos, as well as a number of other media, such as short cartoons. The music is a collaboration between various musicians, with Albarn being the only permanent musical contributor.
The band's 2001 debut album Gorillaz sold over seven million copies and earned them an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band.It was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2001, but the nomination was later withdrawn at the band's request.Their second studio album, Demon Days, released in 2005, went five times platinum in the UK,double platinum in the United States,earned five Grammy Award nominations for 2006 and won one of them in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category.The band has won numerous other awards, including two MTV Video Music Awards, an NME Award, three MTV Europe Music Awards, and have been nominated for nine Brit Awards.The combined sales of the Gorillaz and Demon Days albums had exceeded 15 million by 2007.The band's third studio album, Plastic Beach, was released in March 2010. Their latest album, The Fall, was released in December 2010 as a free download for fan club members, then in April 2011 as a physical release. Their style is experimental and a composition of multiple musical genres, with a large number of influences including alternative, rock, hip hop, electronica, dub, reggae and pop.
The future of the project was once under speculation due to the status of Albarn and Hewlett's friendship;however, both have sorted their differences and stated that the project will continue at some point in the future.