Blur attempted to expand their musical sound, but the recording of the group's debut album was hindered by Albarn having to write his lyrics in the studio.

Blur attempted to expand their musical sound, but the recording of the group's debut album was hindered by Albarn having to write his lyrics in the studio.

At the same time, Damon Albarn sought to distance Blur from Britpop with the band's fifth album, Blur ( 1997 ).

Their next album, 13 ( 1999 ) saw the band members experimenting with electronic and gospel music, and featured more personal lyrics from Albarn.

Blur entered the studio early that year to record material for a new album, but in May producer William Orbit told the NME that Albarn had halted recording.

The two later worked together again in the 2008 Damon Albarn sessions for the fifth proper studio album.

Davidge and Del Naja got back together in 2009 with Daddy G to finish the fifth album, incorporating bits of the Albarn material.

Despite the albums poor performance, Albarn was relatively happy with the bands new direction and started writing prolifically for Blurs next album.

Blur entered the studio early that year to record material for a new album, but in May producer William Orbit told the NME that Albarn had halted recording.

Tong is also a member of an unnamed supergroup formed by Damon Albarn of Blur which released its first album The Good, the Bad & the Queen in January 2007.

The album was primarily a collaboration with PJ Harvey and Nick Cave, though Damon Albarn and Jon Brion also contributed.

; also appeared on The Rentals ' first album ), Donna Matthews ( of Elastica ), Miki Berenyi ( of Lush ), Tim Wheeler ( of Ash ), Kevin March, and Damon Albarn ( of Blur ).

The album, The Bravest Man In The Universe was produced by Damon Albarn and Richard Russell.

More recent work includes his involvement in the project The Good, the Bad & the Queen in 2007 with Damon Albarn, Simon Tong and Tony Allen and the Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach in 2010, which along with Albarn saw him reunite with Mick Jones.

88, as well as the cover for " Herculean " from the album The Good, the Bad and the Queen, a project with Damon Albarn on which Simonon plays bass.

Paul reunited with Damon Albarn and Mick Jones on the new Gorillaz album Plastic Beach, and is also the bassist of the Gorillaz live band supporting Plastic Beach, along with Mick Jones on guitar.

In 2002 Bocoum collaborated with the Blur singer Damon Albarn on the successful Mali Music album, and the two played together in concerts in London and Denmark.

His 2003 album Squire for Hire possesses a diverse sound, featuring contributions from producers / performers Mark De Clive-Lowe, producer / poet Rich Medina, vocalists, Marcus Begg, Guida da Palma, Bembe Segue, Marlena Shaw and Blur front-man, Damon Albarn.

Haines performed on the Jamiroquai album, Dynamite ( Jamiroquai album ) and has recorded a song with 2D-Damon Albarn, titled FM, originally by Steely Dan.

Democrazy is a 2003 vinyl-only double EP by Damon Albarn, frontman of British rock band Blur, the animated group Gorillaz and most recently the unnamed band behind the album titled " The Good, the Bad and the Queen ".

The latter was an alias also used by Albarn whilst playing keyboards on the first Elastica album, as well as the title of a track on The Great Escape.

The debate over which band would top the British singles chart became a media phenomenon, and Albarn appeared on the News at Ten.

The debate over which band would top the British singles chart became a media phenomenon, and Albarn appeared on the News at Ten.

In 1989 James joined Coxon, Albarn and Rowntree's new band, Seymour, which would later be renamed Blur.

Damon Albarn also suggested that the performers ' record labels should pay " a tariff " as the accompanying publicity would increase future record sales and hence their profits.

In July 2006, it was reported that Tong would again be working with Damon Albarn.

Albarn explained to the NME in January 1997 that " We created a movement: as far as the lineage of British bands goes, there'll always be a place for us ", but added, " We genuinely started to see that world in a slightly different way.

Think Tank, released in May 2003, was filled with atmospheric, brooding electronic sounds, featuring simpler guitar lines played by Albarn, and largely relying on other instruments to replace Coxon.

Think Tank, released in May 2003, was filled with atmospheric, brooding electronic sounds, featuring simpler guitar lines played by Albarn, and largely relying on other instruments to replace Coxon.

Albarn was in a group named Circus, who were joined by drummer Dave Rowntree that October.

" Upon the group's return to the United Kingdom, Blur ( Albarn in particular ) were upset by the success rival group Suede had achieved while they were gone.

The guitarist's absence also meant that Think Tank was almost entirely written by Albarn.

In 2010, the video for shot by Oliver Chanarin and Adam Bloomberg for the song " Saturday come slow ", featuring Damon Albarn, drew attention to the use of music in torture.

When Damon was 9, he moved to Turkey for three months before settling in Oldham, Essex, outside Colchester, in an area described by Albarn as " one of those burdgoening Thatcher experiments where they were building loads of small estates ".

Albarn was in a group named Circus, who were joined by drummer Dave Rowntree that October.

" Upon the group's return to the United Kingdom, Blur ( Albarn in particular ) were upset by the success rival group Suede had achieved while they were gone.

The guitarist's absence also meant that Think Tank was almost entirely written by Albarn.

Gorillaz is a virtual band composed of four animated band members created in 1998 by Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl.

Two modern examples of the " cartoon rock group " could include the British band, Gorillaz — a musical project created in 1998 by British musician Damon Albarn and British cartoonist Jamie Hewlett, and Dethklok, a fictional death metal band created by Brendon Small.

In an attempt to keep the links between acts as fresh as the performances themselves, the so-called " golden mic " was used by, amongst others, Kylie Minogue, Meat Loaf, Chris Eubank, Damon Albarn, Harry Hill, Jack Dee, Lulu and Jarvis Cocker.

Their last show was broadcast on 26 March 2004 and featured a guest appearance by Travis, messages of commiseration from Neil Hannon, Radiohead, Blur ( Damon Albarn composed a special song but " broke down in tears " before finishing it ) and Kelly Jones of The Stereophonics, whom they'd frequently insulted during the show's run.

Each song was presented in a music-theatre manner, with the vocal parts taken by a number of singers, including Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn and Dot Allison.

The film's unique score by Michael Nyman and Damon Albarn generated a significant amount of attention.

In February 1996, Bacon joined L! VE TV as reporter, which saw him being banned from the State Opening of Parliament and having a beer thrown at him by Damon Albarn as he tried to interview him leaving a nightclub.

In an interview for the South Bank Show, Damon Albarn explained that it was inspired by former Blur manager Dave Balfe, who left Blur's label Food Records and bought a house in the country.