After a brief flirtation with performing arts in his teens, Damon decided that music was where his true calling lay and from the age of 19 began working at a recording studio in London, writing and recording there out of hours to hone his art. Working through an array of musical projects and directions over the next two years from 80's synth-pop to all out rock, he finally formed a band with old schoolfriend and then Goldsmiths student Graham Coxon on guitar, Graham's friend from Goldsmiths Alex James on bass, and Dave Rowntree on drums.
Purveying an energetic band of frenzied arty new-wave indie, the band Seymour quickly gained a record deal and a name change (to 'Blur'). With their studio sound (if not initially their live show) smoothed out for public consumption, UK chart hits followed as well as two critically acclaimed albums 'Leisure' (1991) and 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' (1993). It was with their third album Parklife (1994) that they really hit the big time in the UK and Europe, selling over two million copies as the band became one of the leading lights of the burgeoning Britpop wave. A follow-up in the same vein The Great Escape (1995) cemented their reputation as household names and arena favourites, yet the album did not mark a happy time for the band who had grown disillusioned with the Britpop scene. Bouncing back with the more lo-fi, free and noisy record Blur (1997), the depature yielded their biggest hit in the form of the anthemic 'Song 2' and subsequent limited success in the US market. Rounding off the decade with the album 13, yet another progression in the form of a more expansive sound, and a series of 10th anniversay tie-in releases and gigs.
The commercial success of Blur allowed Damon to build his own studio, Thirteen, and it was primarily here that after 1997 he pursued his extra-Blur activities. Contributions to soundtracks for the films Ravenous (1998), Ordinary Decent Criminal (2000) and 101 Reykjavík (2001) showcasing a variety of musical styles with different collaborators were one such avenue. Another was the project Damon would become most famous for worldwide - Gorillaz. Created along with then-flatmate artist Jamie Hewlett in 1998, the virtual band for which Damon (along with a collaborative cast of thousands) would provide the music attained success that would surpass even that of Blur. Their debut album Gorillaz, a meld of dub and hip hop sold 6 million copies after its 2001 release, and after a haitus for the promotion of Blur's seventh album Think Tank they were back with second album Demon Days which sold even more and attracted almost universal critical acclaim.
Damon is also known for his passion for world music. A co-founder of the London-based world music imprint Honest Jon's, one of his keenest interests is travelling to new parts of the world and experiencing the music different countries have to offer. The first fruits of this were an excursion to Mali in 2000 in association with the charity Oxfam, and the subsequent release of album Mali Music in 2002, which features Damon playing with African musicians. Damon travelled to China in 2005 and 2006 in preparation for writing the score for the opera Monkey : A Journey To The West, to be performed in 2007. He also continues to enthusiastically seek out new music for the Honest Jon's label, assisting a group of Algerian musicians get an album of their music recorded and released in 2007.
Now with The Good The Bad And The Queen, Damon blends a variety of music styles once more - the traditional English folk music and lyrical themes that informed many of Blur's most successful releases with the universal outlook and range of influences that he has cultivated in the decade's worth of work outside his first band. Once again the man who, not even at the age of 40, is already being acclaimed as one of the UK's all-time musical greats, has served up another project to at turns intrigue, excite and impress.
| |
Blur had served up quality slices of prime Britpop before (1992's Modern Life Is Rubbish) and would again (1995's The Great Escape) but Parklife remains their most acclaimed work and represents the very epitome of the short-lived genre. Jaunty rythms on uptempo tracks and melancholy tunes sit side by side on this perfect distillation of a vision of England at the end of the century. A debt is no doubt owed to '60s pop and English folk music - the legacy of The Kinks looms long in particular - but at turns punk and electronic influences creep in. Blur's (and hence Damon's) first truly classic album. |
|
|
Comprehensive information resource for Damon's Blur days. Discography, biography, gigography, lyrics - it's all here, and with beautiful presentation for easy navigation. Sets the standard for other fansites to follow. |
| |
After disillusionment with newly-acquired fame and the death-throes of the Britpop scene came this little epic. On its release it was a startling depature from Blur's previous work - far rougher around the edges, lo-fi and messy - and proved that almost unique amongst their contemporaries they were capable of versatility sufficient enough to stay relevant. Influenced more by the American alternative scene than their English forebears, Blur included here the track that was to become their biggest hit - 'Song 2', which attained anthemic status worldwide. The tunes and melodies still shine through, but the liberal use of feedback and effects reveal the rules of the game have changed. |
|
|
Exhaustive fansite documenting the Gorillaz project, with regular news updates on all things Gorillaz. An ideal place for new fans to get educated about Damon's most successful venture. There's a fan forum for discussions too. |
| |
A fortuitous flatsharing arrangement with Tank Girl cartoonist Jamie Hewlett lead Damon into the Gorillaz project - a virtual band for which he would provide the music. On record, his first major venture outside Blur was heavily influenced by reggae and partly recorded in Jamaica, but Hip Hop beats and scratching are mixed in throughout by producer Dan The Automator. Star turns from rapper Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Cuban singer Ibrahim Ferrer round off the record, which would - in part thanks to Jamie's characters - become Damon's best selling record up to that point. |
|
|
A thriving and friendly community of fans of Blur and Damon, here you can discuss any aspect of Damon's career, ask questions, trade tapes, etc. |
Mali Music
Afel Bocoum, Damon Albarn, Toumani Diabate and friends
(2002)
Buy US | Buy UK |
In the late 90s Damon got into world music in a big way, and when the charity Oxfam came calling asking if he would be an ambassador for them in Mali, he agreed on the basis that his visit would primarily be one involving some kind of musical dialogue between cultures. This album is the result of two separate sessions in Mali (2000 and 2002) and some post production, and mostly features Damon playing along with Malian musicians in traditional African styles. A brave and eminently listenable project which demonstrated once again Damon's willingness and ability to embrace new musical vistas. |
|
|
Learn more about Damon's musical adventures in Mali on the Oxfam site, and find out how you can support this good cause that he's very enthusiastic about. |
| |
|
|
|
|
......................................................................Click here to return to main site
We hope you enjoy the site and if you have any additions, comments or corrections to make, please submit them via the Contact page (see the left menu).
|
