Little Dragon Issue 'Ritual Union' After Gorillaz, Raphael Saadiq .

SBTRKT`s "Wildfire," a song that lit up the Internet and spread awareness of the band (and of SBTRKT) when rapper Drake jumped on the path to trade his own remix in June. But lately, Little Dragon has been drawing major media attention in the United States all on its own. In may, Little Dragon`s new song, "Ritual Union" was included in Esquire`s "30 Summer Songs every Man should Listen To," and later that month, the group appeared on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." (?uestlove, leader of the "Fallon" house band the Roots, is a noted Little Dragon fan. On July 26, Little Dragon released "Ritual Union," its third full-length and second stateside release on Peacefrog Records. The album was recorded during the bridge of two days at the band`s own studio in Gothenburg, Sweden, with a range of rotating equipment.

Video: "Ritual Union," Little Dragon

"Our studio is sort of scrappy," says Bodin, who also served as the album`s producer. "Most of the songs started with drums that had been recorded, and then me and Yukimi would make a song around the drums with a bassline and she would do a melody. On some songs, like `When I Go out,` that`s more Hk and his little trip into voice processors."

Little Dragon Preps new Album After Gorillaz Tour

The album is woozy, yet emphatic, as heard on the single "Nightlight" as good as on "Make a Dream," which sounds like it could soundtrack an installment of "Miami Vice." though often considered an indie rock band, Little Dragon`s music is more frequently a coagulation of electronic dreamscapes with lush R&B-tinged vocals that get to mind Erykah Badu or Portishead. "They`re a music lover`s favorite band," says Heathcliff Berru, Little Dragon`s U.S. co-manager. "Not many people, up until recently, have been reading about them, but I went on tour with them back in April of 2010 and they sold out most of that tour." Little Dragon will hit the route in United States in August and journey through Australia and Europe in the fall. "For this album, there are some people behind us helping to drive out to the media. [Until now] it`s been playing live and marketing our CDs ourselves after the shows," Bodin says. "But this time I suppose they realized we came quite a bit by ourselves and they wanna join in."

Little Dragon Issue `Ritual Union` After Gorillaz, Raphael Saadiq Collabs

a small boy waits. The Gorillaz (as far as I think it)

The Gorillaz (as far as I think it)

Shit. What the fuck happened last night? Did the Gorillaz just work their final show EVER? Did The Clash just get back together? Why is that dude from 'Blur' tattooed on my girlfriend`s tity? Did I truly see Bobby Womack wearing Bishop Don Juan`s suit? Nah, must have been the acid. Whose melodica is this? _ Holdup_ (*In Celine voice*) It`s all coming second to me now.

Gorillaz - Sydney Entertainment Centre - Music - Time Out Sydney

Review: Many days ago, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett sat in the level they shared, watching time after clip on MTV, their minds becoming progressively duller as they realized how rarely anything of content was being produced. It was from this that the player and artist decided to create Gorillaz, a cartoon band whose visual component was only as significant and creative as the music.

Gorillaz Bring Out Big Guns Including Bobby Womack For London 0! .

Christie Goodwin, Getty Images

Gorillaz played their biggest-ever UK headlining gig to date last night at the 23,000-capacity London O2 Arena - the beginning of two dates at the enormodome. Calling on a horde of guest stars from their final album, 'Plastic Beach,' as good as a few cohorts from years back, Damon Albarn and chums treated the interview to a two-hour set, illustrated throughout with Jamie Hewlett's iconic animations on a huge screen behind the stage.

Gorillaz

metabolism in 1998, have seen their animated ways capture the fascination of a public thirsty for music that is fresh while garnering admiration from peers clamoring to escape realties` confines and joint in the collective.

Touring with Gorillaz on this Run To Plastic Beach World Tour are N.E.R.D. The beat makers from Virginia Beach are promoting their upcoming record Nothing. Led by Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D`s rousing set included cuts off the new album as good as favorites. And while club hits like Rockstar and Lapdance got the girls screaming and shakin` their asses it was the new material that impressed and showed the band`s growth. Pharrell has graduated from simply relying on his swagger and sex appeal in his execution to displaying capabilities as both songwriter and vocalist. No more was this evident than on new tracks God Blame Us All and I See The Light.

It was time for the chief dish. An impressive and slick stage setup was the delicious eye candy with which Gorillaz` grand performance satisfied. A giant screen showcased videos depicting the animated adventures of virtual band members 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel while below it huge neon letters spelt out the bands name, serving as a background for a massive myriad of music makers. Some of the folks joining Albarn onstage included an eight piece string section, a brass section, four back up vocalists, a 5 piece middle eastern outfit, cameos from hip hop legends De La Soul, Soul singer Bobby Womack and Little Dragon vocalist Yukimi Nagano, not to mention reunited former Clash members Mick Jones and Paul Simonon on guitar and bass respectively.

The medicine and animation, playing out in beautiful synchronicity created a vibrant energy that lasted all night long. The opening rhymings of Snoop Dogg on Welcome To The Creation of The Plastic Beach. Stylo; featuring Bobby Womack on vocals and an ass kicking high speed chasing Bruce Willis on the big screen. White Flag; assisted by some incredible instrumentation from the Arab American players Albarn claimed joined Gorillaz on a gig in Damascus. The mysterious Empire Ants and the great Dirty Harry. The set showcased the sleight of Albarn`s composition while Hewlett`s accompanying animated universe allowed for that foundation to make out and feeling each of the thousands of Rogers Arena patrons in attendance.

With Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett have created a grammy winning and platinum selling conceptual form of art. The Flight To Plastic Beach World Tour is redefining what the concert going experience can be. In a word, to experience Gorillaz is to be entertained.

Gavin Reid

Gorillaz Launch Star-Studded World Tour in Montreal - Spinner

What a difference a decade makes. In their first North American tour performance since the head-scratchingly post-modern art project that was meant to keep the group's massively successful debut, Damon Albarn's cartoon pop group Gorillaz brought an impressively cohesive, visually stunning visceral performance to the Bell Centre in Montreal Sunday night.