This is the trailer for Bananaz – a documentary on the creation of the Gorillaz, the cartoon band created by artist Jamie Hewlett & musician Damon Albarn, smashing down all artificial barriers to reveal the full and filthy details behind this awe-inspiring band.

You can view Bananaz online for free at Babelgum.

Description:

Viewers see just what director Ceri Levy saw over seven years of mayhemical creative madness… a lot of it too graphic for mortal eyes to behold…Bananaz is Levy’s story of the partnership & community behind Gorillaz. He takes you into the studio and out onto the road with this virtual phenomenon, showing a part of Gorillaz never seen before – reality. As one radio interviewer puts it, “It’s a parallel universe – these guys aren’t in the band but they know the animated characters who are”.

Bananaz is an honest, often hilarious account of the working relationship between Albarn & Hewlett, and the rise to success with Gorillaz – from the initial embryonic conception through to global domination. Also in focus are many of the conspirators & collaborators that came along for the ride, including Dennis Hopper, De la Soul, D12, Ibrahim Ferrer, Bootie Brown, Dangermouse & more. Contains strong language.

WARNING: Some footage in this film includes a strobing effect, which may affect viewers with photo-sensitive epilepsy and other such conditions.

The BBC has unveiled a two-minute animation from the Gorillaz’ Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett.

The animation, which will be part of BBC Sports’ Olympic coverage, is a variation on the tale of the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West, turning it into a Journey to the East and the Beijing Olympics.

Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) zags again with his latest project, Monkey: Journey to the West:

An inspired marriage between the arts of ancient China and contemporary Western popular culture, Monkey: Journey to the West is a dazzling adaptation of a 400-year-old classic of Chinese literature. In Monkey, a cast of more than 60 Chinese opera performers, gravity-defying acrobats and martial arts performers animate the fabled peregrinations of the Monkey King in a heady mix of adventure, mystery and magic.

Damon Albarn, former front man of the British pop band Blur and co-creator of the virtual band Gorillaz composed the music, an exhilarating mélange of east and west, pop and classical. Jamie Hewlett, Albarn’s co-creator from Gorillaz, is responsible for the fantastical visual concept of the show which includes animation and literally hundreds of enchanting costumes. The celebrated Chinese director Chen Shi Zheng – well-known to Spoleto Festival USA audiences for the spellbinding Peony Pavilion – has harnessed these many talents into a visual and aural feast that The Times of London called “a piece of musical theater of the most spectacular kind.”

Produced and created by Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, in coproduction with Manchester International Festival and the State Opera House, Berlin (Staatsoper Unter Den Linden)

This looks pretty bizarre, but very inventive. More info at the Spoleto Festival site.

Gorillaz co-creators on Monkey : JTTW