Has Gorillaz’s fictional guitarist Noodle dropped another clue about the animated band’s long-awaited new album? After creating an OkCupid profile with the cryptic self-summary “”Ready? 12:11 xxDA,” the 26-year-old “queer, woman, single” shredder has shared a half-hour mix of the “kick-ass women” who have lately been inspiring her sound. It includes a whole bunch of i-D faves including Grimes, Abra, Kali Uchis, and Fatima Al Qadiri, plus material from some serious O.G.s. Synth pioneer Delia Derbyshire’s original arrangement for hit BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who closes the mix, while snippets of vintage interviews with Derbyshire and deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie are spliced in as narration.
“In search of new sounds and new inspiration, I found these kick-ass women who in their own individual ways are true pioneers in the writing, production and creation of MUSIC,” Noodle wrote on her band’s Soundcloud and her personal Instagram account. “They have inspired me, and I hope they inspire you too.”
This could just be a recap of what Noodle has been listening to over the holidays, but some fans are speculating that the artists on the mix will feature on the new album. De La Soul and Snoop Dogg have already been confirmed as musical guests, while Kali Uchis was spotted in the studio with Gorillaz last September. The ethereal vocals and innovative production styles of Grimes and Abra would make particularly exciting contributions to whatever the coolest cartoon band of the noughties has planned next.
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Text Hannah Ongley
Image via Instagram