Gorillaz announce the first episode of Song Machine

Gorillaz are launching the first episode of their "cartoon music contraption" called Song Machine at 7:30pm today. The first performance will be 'Momentary Bliss,' featuring slowthai and Slaves.

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewitt's virtual band will be joined by an exciting roster of currently unannounced collaborators in future episodes of Song Machine. It's another one of the ways the inventive band defies conventions, opting to release sporadic collaborations instead of sticking to a traditional album cycle.

Gorillaz drummer Russel says: “Song Machine is a whole new way of doing what we do. Gorillaz breaking the mould ‘cos the mould got old. World is moving faster than a supercharged particle, so we’ve gotta stay ready to drop. We don’t even know who’s stepping through the studio next. Song Machine feeds on the unknown, runs on pure chaos. So whatever the hell’s coming, we’re primed and ready to produce like there’s no tomorrow."

Each episode will also be accompanied by Machine Bitez, conversations between the cartoon members and real-life collaborators.

A truly global phenomenon, Gorillaz have topped charts around the world and toured the globe from San Diego to Syria, picking up hundreds of millions of streams and record sales along the way. Gorillaz have achieved success in entirely ground-breaking ways, winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor.