Long before the outbreak, Gorillaz launched Song Machine, an ongoing audiovisual series featuring new music. The animated band led by Damon Albarn has since forged ahead by releasing singles each month, and on Tuesday, Gorillaz showcased one of them on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
For the remotely broadcast TV performance, Albarn teamed up with 2-D to play Gorillaz’s latest single, “Aries”. As Kimmel noted in his introduction, it marked the first time Albarn has ever performed a duet with one his animated bandmates. Watch below.
The studio version of “Aries” features New Order’s Peter Hook and Georgia, and marks the third chapter in Gorillaz’s Song Machine series. Previously, they released “Momentary Bliss” featuring slowthai and Slaves, and Désolé” featuring Fatoumata Diawara. Additionally, Gorillaz honored Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen by releasing the posthumous collaboration “How Far”.
In other news, Albarn debuted his new orchestral project, The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream, during a Boiler Room livestream session this past weekend.