The Gorillaz return with a new album titled “The Mountain,” which focuses on darker topics such as death and the afterlife, while using an array of Indian instruments to give it a culturally rich sound.
Gorillaz is an English virtual band created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett in 1998. “The Mountain,” released on Feb. 27, is their ninth studio album and their first album to be released independently. The album is heavily inspired by Indian culture. It makes full use of classic Indian instruments to create a unique sound that blends genres such as rock, Hip-Hop, Electronica, Reggaeton, and AfroBeats.
“The Mountain’s” connection to India came at a tumultuous time in Albarn and Hewlett’s lives, as both of their fathers died around the same time. Seeking spiritual guidance, the duo flew to India. It was here that they came to peace with their mortality, and with newfound inspiration, they set out to create an album that could change the way we think of death. Gorillaz’s newfound appreciation for the music and culture of India became the catalyst for their delivering one of their most ambitious albums to date.
Albarn used a variety of Indian instruments, such as the bansuri, a traditional bamboo flute with seven finger holes. The sound of the bansuri depends on its size; smaller ones are usually 12 inches long, and larger ones are 30 inches long. Another one of these instruments is the tabla, created around 400 years ago. This pair of hand drums is essential to Indian music and is often cited as its heartbeat. Its black centre, called the syahi, is a layered acoustic invention that can produce perfect pitch and rich harmonics. The sound is influenced by how far away from the center someone’s finger is pressed, which, along with knowing how hard to tap the drums, makes this a very difficult instrument to master.
Damon used a variety of string instruments, including the sarod, a stringed instrument known for its deep, introspective sound. The sarod uses sympathetic strings to give its sound a resonant and reverberating quality. In contrast, the sitar, another vital string instrument, delivers a sweet, overtone-rich timbre. Did you know that a sitar can have anywhere between 18 and 21 strings, each of which produces different sounds depending on the key one plays, similar to a guitar. However, unlike the guitar, sitars are typically played only while sitting down because the instrument is bottom-heavy, like a sledgehammer.
Through this new album, the “Gorillaz” have given an often-forgotten musical genre a moment to shine in the international music community. “The Mountain” spotlights how big and varied the world of music can be by highlighting the harmony of classical Indian instruments.
