Sophia Michaels
Since the start of 2020, Gorillaz has been delivering music through their new series, Song Machine. So far three songs in the series have been released: “Momentary Bliss,” “Désolé,” with Fatoumata Diawara, and “Aries,” with Peter Hook and Georgia. Its latest song is a tribute to the legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen, who died of a heart attack in Paris on Thursday.
In a press release for the track, Gorillaz revealed that it was recorded with Skepta in London prior to the lockdown and is “being shared immediately as a tribute to the spirit of a great man,” which is to say Allen.
Allen was the drummer and musical director for Fela Kuti’s band Africa 70 in the 1960s and 1970s; Kuti credited him with developing the specific rhythmic style that came to be known as Afrobeat. He’s also collaborated with Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn before, having been one-fourth of the supergroup The Good, the Bad and the Queen, alongside Paul Simonon and Simon Tong. That group played their last show this past summer in support of their Merrie Land album at Netherlands’ Lowland Festival.
You can watch the video for “How Far” in the video above.
Gorillaz is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Written by: Uproxx
