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Gorillaz will revolutionise the very concept of musical performance, as they transform the streets of New York and London into stages for two groundbreaking performances of their brand new track “Skinny Ape”. Taking place at 14.30 ET on 17 December in Times Square and 14:00 GMT on 18 December in Piccadilly Circus, these first-of-their-kind immersive experiences will allow fans to gather together to witness Gorillaz play in real life – actually larger than life –  as Murdoc, 2D, Noodle and Russel literally tower over them, playing in the midst of two of the world’s most iconic skylines. All the info here.

Directed by artist and Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett and the Emmy nominated director Fx Goby, the “Skinny Ape” performances are created by Nexus Studios and utilize Google’s ARCore Geospatial API, using AR to transforms public spaces with cultural experiences,bringing “Skinny Ape” and the world of Gorillaz to life as never before.

Music’s most (in)famous virtual bass player Murdoc Niccals commented – “To all our followers, get ready for the biggest Times Square takeover since that other gorilla smashed the place up. Bigger in fact cos there’s four of us. Thanks to the techies at Google, we’ve created the music video event of the century, so don your pink robes and come see Gorillaz like you’ve never seen us before. The future is nigh!”

“Skinny Ape” is the fourth single from Gorillaz upcoming new album Cracker Island and is already a fan favourite having debuted live on the band’s hugely successful 2022 World Tour.

Cracker Island, out 24 February 2023 on Parlophone, is the eighth studio album from Gorillaz, an energetic, upbeat,  genre-expansive collection of 10 tracks featuring yet another stellar lineup of artist collaborators: Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny and Bootie Brown and Beck. Recorded in London and L.A. earlier this year, it is produced by eight-time Grammy Award-winning producer/ multi-instrumentalist/ songwriter extraordinaire Greg Kurstin, Gorillaz and Remi Kabaka Jr.

OUTFRONT and Ocean Outdoor are at the intersection of immersive experiences which bridge the physical and virtual worlds. Situated in the cultural heart of New York and London’s entertainment districts, Times Square and the Piccadilly Lights are the perfect portals to unveil the music video of the future.

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About Gorillaz

Created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz is singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and Japanese guitar prodigy Noodle. The BRIT and Grammy-winning virtual band formed following a collision of mishaps, meetings and pure luck to blow up a pre-digital world with their colourful backstory and ground-breaking virtual ways. Based at Kong Studios in West London, Gorillaz settled into a life of musical innovation with an eye-wateringly exciting roster of collaborators, a list that includes musical legends, geniuses and future stars from Elton John to Little Simz, MF Doom to Jean-Michel Jarre, Grace Jones to slowthai, Kali Uchis to Sidiki Diabaté, plus so many more. With seven albums to their name, Gorillaz (2001), Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (2011), Humanz (2017), The Now Now (2018) and Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez (2020), Gorillaz is a truly global phenomenon, achieving success in entirely new and unique ways, touring the world from San Diego to Syria, Montevideo to Manchester and winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor.

About Google’s ARCore Geospatial API

ARCore is Google’s AR developer platform that works across billions of devices, providing developers with simple yet powerful tools to build immersive experiences that seamlessly blend the digital and physical worlds.

Launched in May 2022, ARCore’s Geospatial API opens up nearly 15 years of our understanding of the world through Google Maps and enables immersive experiences to be deployed at world scale in more than 100 countries. Content creators can turn cities into live canvases.

About Nexus Studios

Nexus Studios is a next-gen entertainment company creating award-winning stories and experiences across film and episodic tv, immersive and branded content. With studios in LA, London and Sydney, they specialize in animation and Real-Time technology with an in-house team of artists and engineers working side by side. Their prolific multi-platform output includes a Grammy-nominated music film for Billie Eilish and a recent Emmy-award-winning animated feature film for Netflix. Their innovative work in Real-Time animation includes Emmy-nominated VR and AR experiences for Google and Marvel, multiple innovative sports activations for the likes of the NFL, NBA and MLB, and a digital puppetry live show for Amazon Studios, to name a few. Clients include Netflix, Niantic, Disney, BBC, Gorillaz, Sony, Google, Billie Eilish, U2, Apple, Headspace, and Meta.

About OUTFRONT Media Inc.

OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its technology platform, OUTFRONT will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go.

About Ocean Outdoor

Ocean Outdoor is a leading operator of digital out of home (DOOH) advertising across the UK, Northern and Continental Europe. The Group’s network of 4,000+ screens covers seven countries and 351 cities, with its technological capabilities delivering the most impactful and measurable DOOH brand and advertising experiences.

Ocean’s portfolio comprises of some of the most iconic locations, such as the Piccadilly Lights and the BFI IMAX, whilst it also works closely with high-profile landlords, including Landsec, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), the BFI, Nuveen and the Canary Wharf Group, as well as major city councils on the development of its network.

To date the Group’s growth has been driven by tender wins and the rollout of new locations, as well acquisitions that complement the existing portfolio. Since 2018, Ocean has completed seven acquisitions, which has enabled it to expand its UK footprint and move into the Netherlands, the Nordics and Germany.

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Follow GORILLAZ
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram

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AMNPLIFY – DB