Editing Gorillaz (section)

===''Gorillaz''  (2001–2002)===
From 1998 to 2000, Albarn recorded Gorillaz' [[Gorillaz (album)|self-titled debut album]] at his newly opened [[Studio 13]] in London as well as at Geejam Studios in Jamaica.<ref name="Gorillaz">{{cite AV media notes|title=Gorillaz|publisher=[[Parlophone]]|type=CD liner|year=2001|id=7243 531138 1 0}}</ref> The sessions resulted in the first Gorillaz release, the EP ''[[Tomorrow Comes Today]]'', released on 27 November 2000. This EP consisted mostly of tracks which later appeared on the album, and it also included the band's first music video for "Tomorrow Comes Today", which introduced the virtual band members for the first time.

With ''Gorillaz'', Albarn explored genres he had not explored with Blur, such as [[hip-hop]], [[dub music|dub]] and [[Latin music]], a process he described as liberating: "One of the reasons I began Gorillaz is I had a lot of rhythms I never thought I could use with Blur. A lot of that stuff never really seemed to manifest itself in the music we made together as Blur."<ref name="Gorillaz Interview">{{cite journal|year=2001|title=Gorillaz Interview|url=http://damonalbarnunofficial.blogspot.com/2012/01/gorillaz-interview-2001-q-magazine.html|journal=[[Q magazine|Q]]|access-date=12 July 2020|archive-date=14 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314235216/https://damonalbarnunofficial.blogspot.com/2012/01/gorillaz-interview-2001-q-magazine.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Albarn began work on the album by himself, but eventually invited American hip-hop producer [[Dan the Automator|Dan "the Automator" Nakamura]]. He said: "I called Dan the Automator in after I'd done more than half of it and felt it would benefit from having somebody else's focus. So I just rang him and asked whether he was interested in helping me finish it off."<ref name="Gorillaz Interview" /> Nakamura and Albarn had recently collaborated on ''[[Deltron 3030 (album)|Deltron 3030]]'', the debut album by the [[Deltron 3030|hip-hop supergroup of the same name]] featuring rapper [[Del the Funky Homosapien]] and DJ [[Kid Koala]], both of whom Nakamura recruited to assist in finishing Gorillaz material. Del featured on two tracks on the album, including the lead single "[[Clint Eastwood (song)|Clint Eastwood]]", while Kid Koala contributed turntables to various tracks.<ref name="Gorillaz" /> The album featured additional collaborations with [[Ibrahim Ferrer]] of [[Buena Vista Social Club]], [[Miho Hatori]] of [[Cibo Matto]] and [[Tina Weymouth]] of [[Talking Heads]] and [[Tom Tom Club]], representing a pattern of collaboration with a wide range of artists which later became a staple of Gorillaz.

[[File:Dan the Automator 2015.jpg|thumb|left|upright|American hip-hop producer [[Dan the Automator|Dan "the Automator" Nakamura]] produced the band's [[Gorillaz (album)|debut album.]]]]''Gorillaz'' was released on 26 March 2001 and was a major commercial success, debuting at No. 3 on the [[UK Albums Chart]] and No. 14 on the US [[Billboard 200]], going on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide, powered by the success of the "Clint Eastwood" single.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/artists/gorillaz/|title=Artists|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=23 October 2020|archive-date=18 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418103625/https://www.officialcharts.com/search/artists/gorillaz/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/gorillaz/chart-history/tlp/|title=Gorillaz|magazine=Billboard|access-date=23 October 2020|archive-date=9 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109150704/https://www.billboard.com/artist/gorillaz/chart-history/tlp/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vblurpage.com/info/chartography/sales_albums.htm|title=Blur Album Sales|website=vblurpage.com|access-date=1 July 2019|archive-date=15 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915023814/http://www.vblurpage.com/info/chartography/sales_albums.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/brit-certified/ |title=BPI Awards – bpi |access-date=12 July 2020 |archive-date=25 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025074620/https://www.bpi.co.uk/bpi-awards/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The album was promoted with the singles "Clint Eastwood", "[[19-2000]]" and "Rock the House", in addition to the previously released "Tomorrow Comes Today", with each single featuring a music video directed by Hewlett starring the virtual members. Hewlett also helmed the design of the band's website, which was presented as an interactive tour of the band's fictional "Kong Studios" home and recording studio, featuring interactive games and explorative elements.<ref>{{cite journal|date=16 March 2001|title=Gorillaz in Our Midst|journal=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Following the release of the album, the band embarked on a [[Gorillaz Live|brief tour]] of Europe, Japan and the United States to support the album in which a touring band featuring Albarn played completely obscured behind a giant screen on which Hewlett's accompanying visuals were projected. The virtual band member's voice actors were also present at some shows and spoke live to the audience to give the impression that the fictional band was present on stage. In later interviews, Albarn described the band's first tour as difficult due to the limitations imposed by the band playing behind a screen: "For someone who had just spent the last ten years out front being a frontman [with Blur], it was a really weird experience. And I have to say, some nights I just wanted to get a knife and just cut [the screen] and stick my head through."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gogOkQ2GsuI&t=737s |title=Gorillaz Share the Secret Behind Their Animations, Friction & New Album – YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=14 July 2020 |archive-date=3 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803142949/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gogOkQ2GsuI&t=737s |url-status=dead }}</ref> The album was followed by the B-sides compilation ''[[G-Sides]]'' released in December 2001.

On 7 December 2001, the band released the single "[[911 (Gorillaz and D12 song)|911]]", a collaboration with hip hop group [[D12]] (without [[Eminem]]) and singer [[Terry Hall (singer)|Terry Hall]] of [[the Specials]] about the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Brown|first=Cass|author-link=Cass Browne|author2=Gorillaz|title=[[Rise of the Ogre]]|date=2 November 2006|publisher=Penguin|location=United States|isbn=1-59448-931-9|page=99}}</ref> At the [[2002 Brit Awards]] the virtual members of Gorillaz "performed" for the first time, appearing in [[3D animation]] on four large screens along with rap accompaniment by [[Phi Life Cypher]], a production which reportedly cost £300,000 to create.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1830047.stm|title=Brits get underway|access-date=12 July 2020|date=20 February 2002|work=BBC News|archive-date=12 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712170030/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1830047.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The band were nominated for four [[Brit Awards]], including [[Brit Award for British Group|Best British Group]], Best British Album and [[Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act|British Breakthrough Act]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1760402.stm|title=Brit Awards 2002: The nominations|access-date=11 February 2009|date=14 January 2002|work=BBC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111005221/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1760402.stm|archive-date=11 November 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> but did not win any awards.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/G/Gorillaz/2002/02/23/745445.html|title=Gorillaz come out of the mist|access-date=11 February 2009|first=Kieran|last=Grant|date=23 February 2002|work=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709161655/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/G/Gorillaz/2002/02/23/745445.html|archive-date=9 July 2012|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

On 1 July 2002, a [[remix album]] titled ''[[Laika Come Home]]'' was released, containing most of the tracks from ''Gorillaz'' remixed in dub and [[reggae]] style by the DJ group [[Spacemonkeyz]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/gorillaz/6476|title=NME Album Reviews – Space Monkeys vs. Gorillaz: Laika Come Home|work=[[NME]]|date=12 September 2005|access-date=10 January 2012|archive-date=31 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531080043/http://www.nme.com/reviews/gorillaz/6476|url-status=live}}</ref> On 18 November 2002, the band released the DVD ''[[Phase One: Celebrity Take Down]]'', which contained all of the band's released visual content up to that point along with other extras.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/18165-phase-one-celebrity-take-down-dvd|title=Phase One: Celebrity Take Down DVD|access-date=11 February 2009|first=Rob|last=Mitchum|date=5 February 2003|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104010306/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/3525-phase-one-celebrity-take-down-dvd/|archive-date=4 January 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After the success of the debut album, Albarn and Hewlett briefly explored the possibility of creating a Gorillaz theatrical film, but Hewlett claimed the duo later lost interest: "We lost all interest in doing it as soon as we started meeting with studios and talking to these Hollywood executive types, we just weren't on the same page. We said, fuck it, we'll sit on the idea until we can do it ourselves, and maybe even raise the money ourselves."<ref name="Big Issue">{{cite journal|last=Joseph|first=Michael|date=2 November 2006|title=Gorillaz in the Midst|journal=The Big Issue in Scotland|issue=604|page=13}}</ref>