A high-energy, collaborative variety show of neon-lit synth-pop, gritty hip-hop, and melancholic post-punk. Gorillaz at their most vibrant and stylistically fluid.
It's like the world's coolest variety show hosted by a cartoon in a haunted disco.
A vibrant, neon-soaked exploration of modern anxiety and collaborative joy.
Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez represents a structural pivot for Gorillaz, moving away from the traditional album cycle toward an episodic, singles-first release model. Recorded primarily at Studio 13 in London, the project was born from a desire for spontaneity, with each 'episode' featuring a distinct collaborator. Sonically, it is their most diverse effort, successfully bridging the gap between the synth-heavy minimalism of 'The Now Now' and the guest-heavy maximalism of 'Humanz'. The album is notable for its high-profile pairings, such as the New Order-indebted 'Aries' featuring Peter Hook and Georgia, and the psychedelic trap-ballad 'The Pink Phantom' featuring Elton John and 6LACK. Critics widely praised the record as a return to form, noting that the episodic format allowed Albarn to treat each track as a self-contained world, resulting in a higher hit rate than their previous two outings. It stands as a definitive document of the 'collaborative pop' era.
Put this on for
Neon city lights blurring through a taxi window at midnightHeadphones on while the world outside feels slightly glitchyBackyard party where the guest list is intentionally chaoticSunset driving with no specific destination in mindLate night scrolling through old photos of better timesRain hitting the window while you're feeling weirdly productiveKitchen floor dancing during a solo midnight snackCoffee cooling on the desk while the news cycle spins
Moments worth waiting for
The transition from Robert Smith's gothic croon into the driving techno pulse of the opening track.
The shimmering Peter Hook bassline on Aries that perfectly captures 80s melancholia.
Elton John's surprisingly soulful vocal entry amidst the warped trap beats of The Pink Phantom.
Sounds like
2020s production with a 2020s soul
Sits beside
Plastic Beach - Gorillaz, The Slow Rush - Tame Impala, Notes on a Conditional Form - The 1975, 925 - Sorry
Lyrical territory
social_commentary, existential, surreal_abstract
03Deviation
Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez · vs · Gorillaz
Artist
This Album
High Energy
Energy · ↑ +16% more than usual
On this album, high energy sits about 16% more prominent than across the rest of the artist's catalogue.
