Damon Albarn is known for his short, snappy interviews, mysterious ways and sometimes awkward and outlandish suggestions. This is, of course, bearing in mind that he is one of the greatest musicians in England at the moment. Here are some insightful and beautiful quotes from some of his latest interviews in 2015 and 2016.
1. "Everyone was using the flashes on their cameras, so there was this moment, like a mania, when everyone started flashing-flashing-flashing and you could see it down the coast. In itself, it was kind of a magnificent event" - on the last solar eclipse of the century in 1999.
Albarn always has his way with words. Nostalgic Albarn is even more sentimental.
2. “When I’m lonely, I press play."
Self-explanatory really, though don't get misled from the sexual innuendo. No, we don't think Albarn means something in another context. Really. Albarn admits it in one of the album's singles, the jet-lagged video for which he shot on his iPad.
3. "Actually, a lot of Gorillaz songs were very personal. I mean, that’s why it was interesting, because it wasn’t music being made for a cartoon. It was something different. It was a much more emotional affair. I wasn't necessarily thinking in the third-person then."
4. "Let’s say I believe in the presence of other things. But have I seen a fairy? I’m not going to tell you ...” - when asked whether he believed in fairies in Hong Kong.
5. “No, nothing about Alex annoys me. He’s one of my dearest friends, but I don’t know what Alex’s political views are. We do music, not politics. We’re not a four-piece political act. So whether we agree or disagree is neither here nor there. Besides, I don’t surround myself with people who agree with me. Where’s the fun in that?” - on Alex James's quirks.
6. "Religiously, 10:30AM-5:00PM. I get anxious if it gets to quarter to six” - on his schedule. We see the perfectionist creeping back out of him.
7. "We’re in a moment of extraordinary transition as a species, and what is the outcome of that? Are we going to become closer to ourselves or are we going to become more distant?” - on Everyday Robots and its inspiration. We think Damon is going on a bit of a rant here.
8. "Do you spend all your day talking to everybody as opposed to actually doing something? Is that something that just teenagers do, or will people grow out of it? It only really just occurred to me and it’s probably just a load of old bollocks, but I have been thinking that the reason we had so many big cults back when I was younger is because there was no social media, and that was a way of feeling you were in a community. But now to become part of a community is so much easier." - on questioning the existence of social media.
9. "I have great respect for anyone who makes a fantastic musicial... but I never said that I hate modern musicals." - on BBC Breakfast, defending his hatred for modern musicals.
10. Not a quote- but a little clip:
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