Looking at... Rare French Gorillaz Advertisement

One of the coolest pieces in my Gorillaz collection is an obscure French ad from 2001 promoting the Clint Eastwood and 19-2000 singles. While this may seem unremarkable at fist glance, what makes the advertisement notable is the extremely rare artwork spanning it's front - a piece that, besides the extremely low quality version pictured to the right, exists nowhere else on the web. In fact, my version is different from the "Rasputin Music" equivalent; Murdoc being a briny green on my copy, while theirs shows a tan skinned take on the character. How strange is that?

Some suggest that it may be a green overlay on the photo, while others think it could come down to a difference in how certain monitors and cameras pick up colors. You'll notice 2-D's hair is noticably lighter in the Rasputin image, while on mine, it's a bit more purple. Based on the Rasputin image being a digital version with mine a physical, I'm assuming there was, in fact, a green hue added to my version of the artwork; as further suggested by Noodle and Russel's greyer skin, and the general darkness of the colors.

A later version of the above image

Astute fans will notice that this art was conceptually reused during Gorillaz' second marketing phase, with each character replaced by their updated designs; though, the second version appears to be an entirely new drawing, simply sharing a similar structure. No other versions of this artwork exist, making it exclusive to Gorillaz' first two eras; though, unsurprisingly, countless artists have taken it upon themselves to fill in the blanks.


The ad is printed on glossy cardstock, and is a big larger than your average paper, suggesting to me that it was a sort of "flyer" available perhaps at record stores or similar shops. I recall similar ads were listed by the person I bought mine from, which further supports my theory. From what I've translated, it boasts of the singles' success, as well as what radio and television stations will be airing the accompanying music videos. Very interesting to jump back to a time before some of the most famous of Gorillaz content had been realized.

Having reintroduced the artwork to fans years ago, it's awesome seeing it become a common image among the following; once all but unknown, now respected and loved by many - I've even seen fully animated incarnations made! As small as my relation is, it's great to have made a small impact by rediscovering this neat little image. 

The Corona Chronicles - They've Come To Save Us, The Space Invaders

What's this? A followup post to an entry made over three years ago?!

An empty WalMart aisle; ignoring one odd stack of plates

That's right - another natural disaster has fallen upon us; this time not a hurricane, but a horrible, world-spanning sickness! Coronavirus - How nice.

International travel has been barred, supplies are running out fast, and people - broadly speaking - seem to be driving directly into a wall of panic; perhaps rightfully so. I'm a bit of a "don't believe it until you see it" type when it comes to mass chaos - I've seen enough world-ending disasters tumble by to grow totally unphased by yet another black death. Anyone remember Swine Flu?

Occam's Ashes' "PigBus"

Still, as I mentioned, there might be a bit of legitimacy to this round of hysteria. Enough mass gatherings and everyday services have cancelled to the point where the economy is taking a hit. Even my job, a shipping gig, seems to be taking a hit; with only one very sparsely packed truck coming in this week, rather than the usual two or three.

That said, though, not much has particularly affected me. I'm still coasting along my odd, dreary life - bouncing between drawing, writing, and haunting around the local soon-to-be-gone Macy's.

It's interesting how the slow decline of Macy's has closely paralleled not only the concluding days of my authoring of Fate, but also the end of my life in Florida; the store's dwindling shelves and disappearing furnishings mirroring my fading regard for what many experiences I've gathered here; from long-lost friends, to sullen experiences, to sights and sounds of days passed. MidLife itself retells my life as an unwilling Floridian - unbelievably fitting that it finally reaches birth as I prepare to abandon the state in which it was conceived. Things always make sense in hindsight; as I've always strongly believed, everything happens for a reason.

Only seven days left until the store finally closes it's doors. I've only bought one thing thus far... a clipboard. Hey, I needed one anyways. I really wanted to buy one of the huge fiberglass leaves taken from the store's pillars-turned-palm trees, but sadly, I don't think it'd be all that worth it when I'm weeks from a nation-crossing move. Still, very neat pieces of obscure history. Guess that shows what'll happen to the store's huge entry display, itself a sized-up version of the aforementioned palm trees.

There really isn't much else of interest, unfortunately. Loads of branded shelves, some random brand iconography, but nothing all that unique. Even the clothes themselves aren't that enticing - I think the core crowd, as of now, are just above the thrift store types. A little too proud for Goodwill, but not quite above Ross. In other words, the Bealls Outlet society.


Surprisingly the store, as well as the attached mall itself, isn't all that quiet in the midst of the Corona scare; probably because we all have little else to do, bored out of our minds without work, school, or any other viable time wasters. Odd time to be alive, isn't it?

Also, I drove by the seemingly abandoned "chocolate factory" I discovered a few posts back, only to discover it is finally back in business! Glad to see things are going well. 

Primary Ocean

Things have been going well; visiting family, going to work, and - as always - chipping away at the sculpt of MidLife.

The pilot script is reaching it's climax - a section I've been itching to write for months, and finally have the thrill of putting down on paper. Before long, writing will totally wrap up, allowing me time to sketch out some concept art, finish the website, whip together "episode zero", and more. I'm very excited.

A Workspace of Chaos

A variety of Chistmas decor

I've been checking in on Macy's the past few days; sales are still going strong, though, just as last time, there's really nothing worth buying when their original prices were neigh insane. However, with so many fixtures available, there are some neat finds to be had - I bought a couple plastic signholders and mannequin limbs, perfect for future artistic endeavors.

One gem I spotted hiding among the defunct furniture was a pretty neat piece of Macy's history; a Christmas-themed mailbox, perfect for letters straight to Santa. It's sad seeing such a whimsical icon crammed behind caution tape, surely to be scrapped, stored, or simply shipped off to some company warehouse. If I weren't moving so soon, you bet I'd have made it mine.

One of my favorite things about the location are the retro plastic palm trees serving as support pillars all around the store, which can be seen in my previous Macy's post; along with the baby-blue sky mural painted along it's ceilings. Beautifully outdated.

Outside it's mall entrance, a pair of similar palms hoist the store's sign - a very striking, creative display you'd likely never see in the dreadfully modern malls of now. I wonder what'll happen to the signage - if anything, at all.



With Sears gone, Macy's on the way out, and more than half it's stores serving as vacant storage space, Indian River Mall may not be around for long - I theorize, sooner than later, I might just see it pop up on BrightSunFilms' Abandoned series or as the backdrop to some glittery Vaporwave mix. Maybe I ought to beat the crowd.

I've been recently diving into the music of Japanese rock band Honeydip with their album Groovy Indian Summer, a pop-meets-shoegaze jam full of sunny melodies and rollicking guitar chords. My favorite is the unusually titled Suicidal Summer Rider - an exhilarating little tune sure to make you yearn for groggy sunsets and shiny days. Not me, though. I always have that.

I've also been listening to Lemongrass' Maison A La Mer, Versus' live performance of Moon Palace, The Residents' Kaw-Liga, Rocket Juice and The Moon's Follow Fashion, The Unfadable, and There, The Pixies' Ana, and Mac Demarco's My Kind of Woman. Gorillaz' album Demon Days has recently become my go-to beach soundtrack; unusual, I know, but something about it's dark, groovy atmosphere really matches the serene winds and skies of a grey midday coast.

I spotted a neat washed-up number of some kind beside the water a few days ago, covered in barnacles and visible wear; can't help but wonder if it washed up from some forgotten shipwreck out at sea, perhaps too old for any local to clearly recall. More likely, though, it simply fell off some random cargo freighter - but, either way, an interesting sight.

Looking at... The Cornerstone Player #024 (Gorillazish Mix)

Among the rarest Gorillaz-related items I own is The Cornerstone Player #024; a promotional compilation CD set featuring various artists, mixtapes, music videos and more. Though I couldn't quite narrow down the total number of Cornerstone Player releases, it seems to have ran from 1999 to the mid-2000s, serving as a joint effort between the closely related Cornerstone marketing company and Fader record label. Intended to promote up-and-coming musical artists, Cornerstone Player's are simply riddled with names sure to inspire nostalgia; when's the last time you remembered The Dandy Warhols, Gang Starr, or Spacehog?

The front and back covers

Though Gorillaz' singles made various appearances throughout the Player's lifetime, their most notable contribution came in the form of "Gorillazish Mix"; a deftly DJ'ed mixtape put together by Gorillaz producer Dan the Automator, mashing Gorillaz tunes and interviews into an eclectic variety of tonally similar tracks, featuring appearances from Cash Money, Marvelous, Brand Nubian, Sizzla, Sigur Ros, Deltron 3030, EPMD, Handsome Boy Modelling School, and Depeche Mode - some of which hearken from Automator's long musical backlog. Being exclusive to the Player, the mixtape has fallen to total obscurity; so much so that, in fact, my rips and scans of the compilation are the only high-quality copies available. Always fun to make a significant contribution to the following, regardless of relative scale.

The main sleeve contains three pieces; disc one and two's slipcases, and an insert. Unfortunately, all three pieces don't quite fit into the sleeve properly, leading to some damaging along the sleeve's spine. More often than not, I simply unfold the spine to allow enough room for all it's contents. As a promotional item with a very low production rate, it's not surprising a few design flaws may have resulted from their more low-key approach.

The first disc in the set is referred to as "The Tripwire", which seems to be the main disc of the two; featuring the majority of the compilation's unique artists, presenting a wide variety of hot singles. With selections such as FatBoy Slim, Dub Pistols, Afroman, Long Beach Dub Allstars, and Nickelback, it's not hard to tell the disc came from 2002.

Alongside this set is the aforementioned insert detailing each track, offering insight and opinions via upbeat, anecdotal, ready-for-print blurbs; describing Bad Ronald as "...the slickest new kids on the block", Moods for Moderns as "...three long haired members of the That 70s Show cast", and Farrah as a "...straight up barbershop quartet band". The turn of a century certainly was a unique time for popular music, wasn't it?

Disc two, "Summer Music Special 2001" offers both the mix itself and a handful of assorted music videos. It seems to have been specifically designed to coincide with Fader's eighth issue, which featured the unique photo of Gorillaz dissing Fader itself as it's cover. Perfectly subversive - I suppose 90's irony hadn't quite died by that point.

The mix itself is very interesting and fun, and, being so rare, is one of my favorite pieces of neigh-lost Gorillaz media. You can't go wrong with Automator's eccentric mixing skills, and Gorillazish Mix never fails to remain cool. It's most interesting elements are the intertwined voice clips of 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel, a unique remix of 5/4, and a rather strange tracklisting error. Sigur Ros' track, "Staralfur", is actually "Svefn-g-Englar" - a mistake carried into just about every online tracklisting I've come across. Something tells me very few have bothered to identify the song, as with even a cursory glance, the difference is pretty apparent.

Gorillazish Mix is a neat piece of obscura, and represents the band's earliest form rather well; an electric, artsy, everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink approach to alternative hip-hop, with wild mood swings and big club bangers to boot. If you can track down my rips, give 'em a listen - you won't be disappointed. 

Tall Crash

Did a bit of exploring today around the outside of my local mall. Though I initially headed there to collect B-roll footage for a film project I've just begun, I soon began noticing some interesting sights I hadn't before - and, as an urbex lover, I couldn't resist taking in the haunting scenery.

I've been to various abandoned places over the years; from the dilapidated remains of a closed Circuit City, to the forest-hidden paths of the long forgotten Prehistoric Forest theme park, to a gigantic headless dinosaur sculpture hidden along a deep Florida road. No matter the banality of the site, abandonment is something I will always find fascinating.

I first came across the closed interior of some sort of typical sports bar, clearly visible through the windows lining it's outside deck. I'd liked to have gotten closer and taken more detailed photos, but the area was still pretty lively at that time of night - I'm not exactly one to test my limits in these sorts of situations.

It's always interesting to see a once lively spot such as this in such a strikingly quiet state - it's lights shining brightly on an empty dining room. Perhaps I will take further photos on a future endeavor.

I then passed by the colossal remains of a Sears superstore; one I'd been in various times in the past, in fact. This certainly wasn't the first time I'd inspected it's abandoned state - nor was it the first ex-Sears I'd appreciated - though it was the first time I'd allowed myself to really analyze and admire the area. I couldn't help but revel in the odd beauty of the store's wholly unused shipping station; a large gap in it's roofing reminding me of a soothing skylight, the cloudy murk above accentuating the bleak scene below.

An enticing half-open door called for me from the nearby wall, though, as said before, I decided not to take any risks at such a heavily populated hour. My curiosity is killing me.

A large portion of the building's side sat bathed in darkness, little but a large sign and a wall-off door resting amongst the shadows. It can be seen in this post's banner, in all it's ambiguous allure.

On the opposite side of the building, a handful of outdoor lights remained on - one of which was flickering sporadically, echoing the lamest of horror pictures. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit unsettled by it's presence; I suppose that goes to show my wavering adventurous spirit.

Nearby, I found the shattered remains of a plaque that once displayed the store's founding date - clearly torn from the wall in the least professional manner possible. Though I'd like to imagine an owner or manager may have taken it, chances are another urban explorer got their hands on the neat little item - admittedly, if I had seen it resting anywhere nearby, I'd have certainly added it to my odd collection of forgotten telephones, signs and paraphernalia.

Much more interesting, however, was the quiet and shadowy home of Sears' Auto Center; placed among the brush across the road. With oceanic winds gusting by and an odd chill in the air, I couldn't help but find myself a bit spooked - all the better, in urbex. Much like it's larger brother, a single light flickered on and off along it's front garage; a bright red 'exit' sign visible through it's dim, soot-tinted windows, floating lonesomely in the inky black.

I didn't stick around for long, as not much of interest was really able to be seen through said obscured windows; however, should I make my way there again during the day, I suppose some light may shine through and allow me a better look at what is hidden within.

It's a shame malls have become a breeding ground for the culturally forgotten; though, as has always been, time must keep marching on. Besides - without respecting and learning from the losses of our past, how can we truly appreciate what is offered in our present?

Sears was always too pricey anyways.

Looking at... Gorillaz Bootlegs (Part Two)

This go-around, I'll be looking at a bootleg that's grown somewhat common on digital marketplaces over the past year - Gorillaz: Greatest Hits. Fitting for a post written a mere day before New Year's Eve, huh?

This compilation features Gorillaz tracks spanning the band's entire discography, from 2001's Gorillaz, to 2018's The Now Now. To the untrained eye, it's extremely hard to tell that the set is, in fact, a bootleg; featuring appropriate official artwork and extremely Gorillaz-accurate design choices, including a hot pink motif, the modern incarnation of the band's logo, and more.

Greatest Hits' package design is nothing short of impressive - clearly designed by a fan with a solid grasp on what's what in Gorillaz' most modern incarnation.

Being a Digipak, the case opens to reveal artwork of Noodle and 2-D, both taken directly from artist Jamie Hewlett's Instagram; the latter being paired with a cohesive rundown of Gorillaz' discography. Great touch, if you ask me. Though made of paper, the packaging is very strong, and unlikely to tear or dent; which can't be said of some of Gorillaz' official releases, such as Plastic Beach or The Fall - both of which are prone to deterioration.

One fold further, and the discs themselves are revealed; along with Murdoc and Russel (likewise taken from Hewlett's Instagram), completing the quartet. Both discs are held in by plastic trays, which feel very sturdy and well applied. Unfortunately, a bit of glue seems to have swept across Russel on my copy, but small imperfections are to be expected with this sort of release.

Finally, on the back, we have a complete tracklist covering both discs (using an odd font that seems to connect all paired Os), artwork, and further legal information - which seems to have been adapted from past Gorillaz releases... clever, clever.

Both discs are ordered according to release date, from oldest to newest - with the only errors being in regards to their source album's original tracklists. Between both, there's a great mix of singles and album cuts; with 6 from Gorillaz, 1 from Laika Come Home, 7 from Demon Days, 3 from D-Sides, 3 from Plastic Beach, 2 from The Fall, 7 from Humanz, 2 from Humanz: Super Deluxe, 7 from The Now Now, and 3 non-album releases. The only album missing is G-Sides - an admittedly fair oversight.

For a collection of Gorillaz highlights, I must say, the creator has done a fine job showcasing the band's musical history. Though I'd like to have seen more selections from Plastic Beach, it's omission seemingly in favor of more successful albums is understandable. To finally have Sleeping Powder, DoYaThing, Andromeda (DRAM Special) and Garage Palace on a physical format is really awesome, and I've found myself popping in these CDs far more than any other official Gorillaz release.

Compared to Gorillaz' only other mainstream compilation release, The Singles Collection, Greatest Hits is beyond a home-run. With attractive packaging and an excellent selection of songs, this is a bootleg certainly worth owning - and likely one to become highly sought after once it's surely limited production run has come to an end.

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For Part One, click here!

So far, I've looked at...

• Demon Days (Instrumentals)
• Gorillaz 2017
• Gorillaz: Greatest Hits

Looking at... Gorillaz Bootlegs (Part One)

Being the obsessive Gorillaz fan that I am, bootleg releases of the band's music immediately grab my attention; largely due to the fact that these releases tend to feature content found on no official discs, as is true for both of today's subjects. To be clear -I'm far from an audiophile, and lack an on-hand have a record player to test the quality of these discs. I'll be concerning myself solely with the record's appearance and contents.

We'll be looking at two neat bootlegs, both on vinyl - Demon Days Instrumentals, and Gorillaz 2017. I found these records at a local music shop, and, as of the current date, both seem somewhat common. However, as tends to happen with these inherently illegal releases, they definitely won't be around for long - find 'em while you can.

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First up... Demon Days Instrumentals! 

Demon Days' instrumentals have never been released on vinyl, appearing only once on a rather rare CD. I'm not quite sure why they decided to include the "promotional use only" tagline on a mass-release bootleg, although the original Demon Days instrumental CD was, in fact, for promotional use only. I suppose it must be an attempt to feign credibility.

The clunky cover art isn't exactly pretty, in all honesty. I personally wish they had replicated the cover art found on the premium edition of Demon Days, which inverts the borders of the original photo. However, it has a bit of low-quality charm; there's something sort of retro about the red-on-white look paired with the oddly formatted text and paralleled profiles. If anything, it's unique.

The back cover is equally rough, though serviceable. The tracklisting has one minor error, listing the songs Don't Get Lost in Heaven and Demon Days under one title; although, to be fair, these songs flow seamlessly into one another, making the difference somewhat debatable. Upon first glance, The group photo appears to be cloned directly from the original record  - however, upon further inspection, one will find many differences. Noodle and Mike the Monkey are traced, with Mike being inexplicably colored via markers, despite Noodle's color appearing to be digital. One will also notice a small section of miscoloration under Noodle's arm, which has been left white. Murdoc, Russel and 2-D, while not traced, come from a completely different promotional photo; with Russel's lower body being totally new, as it was previously obscured by a now removed Noodle. It all looks quite strange, and one must wonder... why not use the original artwork?

The disc art looks pretty neat, featuring each character's silhouette below the Gorillaz logo. Murdoc and 2-D appear against a dark red backdrop, with Noodle and Russel against a dark purple. I actually really like this design - simple but effective.

DD Instrumentals isn't a stellar bootleg, but it's a neat rarity for hyper-fans. I highly doubt these songs will appear on an official vinyl anytime soon - it took Gorillaz thirteen years to repress the standard edition of Demon Days, let alone a collection of obscure instrumentals that was never on vinyl in the first place. If you want 'em, this is how you'll get 'em.

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Next up... Gorillaz 2017!

Why the anomalous title? This vinyl consists of Gorillaz' WFUV set, an in-studio live performance of various songs from the album Humanz. The website these tracks originated from listed the performance simply as Gorillaz: 2017 - thus, "Gorillaz 2017". Fair enough. As can be seen on the back cover, the bootleg's creators have given credit to WFUV - probably only to acknowledge that this is not a full album. 

Ah, Game Boy green... perhaps the least appealing base color possible. I suppose the color sort of fits in with the military aesthetic present throughout most Gorillaz art.

This collection's artwork is entirely unique - as in, it is not based on what appears in any pre-existing album. What isn't so unique, however, are the sources of the artwork appearing throughout - a hogepodge of official and unofficial drawings poorly ripped from Google Images. A piece by Gorillaz' official head artist, Jamie Hewlett, can appear directly alongside a piece by any random fan artist - and, more often than not, the difference is extremely clear. 

For some reason, the full thirteen minute edition of DoYaThing is included on side B - despite this song having nothing to do with Humanz, let alone the WFUV show. I'm thrilled to finally own this song on a physical format, as it's only other official releases have been on extremely limited singles. For that matter, the WFUV performance exists on no other physical media whatsoever - making this an impressively exclusive collection. I loved the WFUV show, myself!

Believe it or not, this is, in fact, a gatefold vinyl - surprising, for a somewhat randomly assembled bootleg. Despite the scattering of unrelated artwork, I actually quite like the inner art - it's probably the highlight of the set's entire design. Can't go wrong with purple. 

The blurb on the left sleeve, partially quoting the original WFUV website, reads as follows;

"Gorillaz are an English virtual band created in 1998 by musician Damon (Blur) Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. The band consists of four animated members, 2-D (lead vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar and vocals), Noodle (guitar, keyboards), and Russel Hobbs (drums and percussion). These members are fictional and are not based on any "real life" musicians involved in the project.

Kara Manning, wfuv.org:

Gorillaz, the shapeshifting, multi-platinum band co-founded by Damon Albarn and illustrator Jamie Hewlett, took over New York City last week in anticipation of the release of their fifth album, Humanz.

The day after their exhilarating, stripped-down show at Rough Trade NYC, the band's first in New York in seven years, Albarn and his bandmates also transformed FUV's studios as Gorillaz' own hideaway for a full day, bringing along their crew, full gear, soundboards and lighting rig. Their six-song set was a marvel, as Albarn sang with Chicago house legend Jamie Principle on the haunting "Sex Murder Party" and the soulful Peven Everett on "Strobelite." The first of the WFUV videos are available below (on VuHaus.com and YouTube), as is my latest conversation with Albarn, followed by the band's full Studio A performance.

It took Albarn a stretch of seven years to record and release Humanz, but it wasn't due to time spent idling. Since the release of Gorillaz’ 2010 album, The Fall, he's recorded, released, and toured behind his solo debut, Everyday Robots, and returned with his longtime band, Blur, for their first album in years, 2015’s The Magic Whip. (He's chatted with me about both albums for FUV Live.)

Last year, Albarn toured and recorded with the Orchestra of Syrian Musicians for a live Africa Express album; and he also saw his Alice in Wonderland-inspired musical, Wonder.land, produced in London and Manchester. In other words, Albarn has been very busy.

But now Gorillaz is back, and for Humanz, he was inspired by house and hip hop, and up-and-coming artists that his teenage daughter Missy had put on his radar (yes, Albarn wants to be a cool dad too). There's an impressive and diverse lineup of guest artists populating Humanz, like Principle, Everett, D.R.A.M., Grace Jones, Vince Staples, Mavis Staples, Savages’ Jehnny Beth, Pusha T, Benjamin Clementine, Kali Uchis, Popcaan, frequent collaborators De La Soul, and even Blur’s former Britpop rival, Noel Gallagher, formerly of Oasis."

Although a bit questionable in some regards - including, of course, grammar - the blurb is, at the very least, a fancy addition. Nice of them to, once again, credit WFUV - giving me the feeling that, despite the fact that this bootleg was seemingly created to fool fans, fans themselves created the set. That's pretty cool, in some respects, and I can appreciate the effort.

The discs feature two random pieces of art; one fan-made, one by Hewlett. What's weird is that the fan-mad artwork is directly based on a piece of official art, which actually appears on the album's back cover. Why they didn't universally use the official version is beyond me.

The contents of this set are the real drawing point; the WFUV show cannot be found on any other medium but digital, and DoYaThing's original release is so costly it really isn't worth considering. Though the set looks fairly strange, it's a neat release to have. 

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At the end of the day, I'd recommend both of these bootlegs to fans; though, as that statement implies, their worth is only really apparent if you aim to own Gorillaz' more uncommon tunes. Otherwise, you'll be fine sticking to what is readily available.

Be on the lookout for an inevitable part two - my Gorillaz collection is rather large, and I have plenty of bootleg items worth looking at!