virtual band, actual reality

VirtualBand,ActualRealityTheActualizationoftheVirtualbytheGorillaz

ResearchThesis

PresentedinPartialFulfilmentoftheRequirementsforgradation

“withResearchDistinctioninComparativeStudies”intheundergraduatecollegesofTheOhioStateUniversity.

By

IsabelleBrown

TheOhioStateUniversitySpring2018

ProjectAdvisor:ProfessorBarryShank,DepartmentofComparativeStudies

2

Meet Stuart Pot: On May 23, 1978, a baby boy was born in

Hertfordshire, England. His name was Stuart Pot and he had

blue eyes and brown hair. Stuart, or Stu-Pot, grew up to be a

little boy who was not so bright. In fact, many considered him

to be “mentally deficient.” However, he was kind, and he loved music. Parents David

and Rachel often could find ten-year-old Stuart listening to his favorite bands in his

room and bobbing about. At eleven years old Stuart was climbing a tree, as most kids

do, when he fell to the ground. The impact caused all his hair to fall out, and when it

eventually came back it grew out a rich blue tone. Stuart attended St. Wilfred’s

boarding school in Crawly, England. After graduation Stuart got a part time job at

Uncle Norm’s Organ Emporium. He was working on August 15, 1997 when a “Satanist

hoodlum” ran his Vauxhall Astra into the building during an attempted raid, hitting

Stuart. Stuart’s head was fractured in the accident which left him in a catatonic state.

The left side of Stuart’s head was permanently fractured and his left eye turned black as

a result. He did not stay in a coma for long, however. A year later Stuart, still in a

comatose state, was riding in the passenger seat of a car when it suddenly veered into a

360 degree spin and Stuart was thrown out the windshield. He landed face first on the

curb, permanently injuring the right side of his head which resulted in his right eye

turning black. Nevertheless, Stuart was awake.1

1“2-D.”GorillazWiki,gorillaz.wikia.com/wiki/2-D

PicturefromGorillazWiki

3

TheMuseumofVirtualMedia2beginswithanexhibitinstorytelling,whichfollowedby

oneaboutgraphics,thensculpture.Themuseumwindsaround,displayingtoolsandrituals

bothunrecognizableandblaringlyfamiliartomoderndayvisitors;“historyteachesusthatold

medianeverdie—andtheydon'tevennecessarilyfadeaway.Whatdiesaresimplythetoolswe

usetoaccessmediacontent.”3Itendswiththecomputerandtheinternet,toolsthathave

becomealmostintegraltothehumanexperiencedespitebeingsonew.Intheshorttimesince

itsconception,thesetoolshaveinitiatedarenaissanceofcultureinthedigitalrealmforcross-

worldcommunicationandtheproductionandreleaseofart.Theinternethassignificant

potentialtoinfluencesocietalthought;HenryJenkinsindicatesthatmediaworkontwo

differentlevelsinsociety“onthefirst,amediumisatechnologythatenablescommunication;

onthesecond,amediumisasetofassociatedprotocolsorsocialandculturalpracticesthat

havegrownuparoundthattechnology.”4JimBlascovichandJeremyBailensonimaginedthe

MuseumofVirtualMediaasadisplayoftheproximitythevirtualhashadtoactualityforallof

history,andofthemethodsbywhichthevirtualattemptstobeactualized.Thispaperexplores

thewaysinwhichmanyofthesemediaconvergeandactualizeonevirtualrealityintandem;by

theenditappearstheconvergenceofmediaisbothamoreeffectiveandmorefairmethodof

spreadinginformationsincemediumfacesitsownlimits.Asthesearesophisticatedquestions

regardingvirtuality,actualityandconvergence,itseemsalmosthumorousthatthesubjectof

thispapershouldbeagroupoffictional,humanoidbeasts.However,theGorillaz,avirtualband

2JimBlascovichandJeremyBailsenson.2011."AMuseumofVirtualMedia."NaturalHistory.119(8).3HenryJenkins.2006.ConvergenceCulture:WhereOldandNewMediaCollide.NewYork:NewYorkUniversityPress.13.4Jenkins.ConvergenceCulture.14.

4

activesincetheturnofthecentury,representsmasteryofthevirtualandisauniquecasein

boththemusicanddigitalworld.

Asawhole,thebandhasbeenclassifiedasalternativerock,hip-hop,electronica,indie,

andmore.ChristianHoarddescribesitssoundas“aplayful,slightlysurrealmishmashofhip-

hopbeats,popmelodiesanddelicateelectronictouches.”5Aswithmanyotherbands,myfirst

impressionoftheGorillazwasbyapopularsingle,inthiscase“FeelGood,Inc,”fromthe

Gorillaz’ssophomorealbum,DemonDays.Thesongissungby2-Dandquestionstheauthority

andauthenticityofthemusicindustry.

Theverseisperformedinadistortedandfilteredvoice,immediatelysignalingalossof(vocal)immediacythatgoesalongwithanoverallsenseofdisillusionment.Thisistosomeextentsupportedbyalaconicthrustoftheoverallmusicalsoundscape–inthetune’ssignaturebass-line,performingacircular,mirror-imagemovementemphaticallybeginningandendinginthesamenote,andinthethin,twonoteguitarsupportlaconicallyandmonotonouslydescendingafairlysimplethree-stepminor-chordprogression.Butitisespeciallythemelodicprogressionofthevocals,flippantlydescending(‘city’sbreakingdown’)toanalmostdoggedlyrepeatednote(‘onacamel’sback’)towhichtheyemphaticallyreturnin‘don’tknowwhack’,whichsupportsasenseofexhaustionandfrustration.6

AccordingtoEckstein,“’FeelGood,Inc.’self-consciously(andironically)playsoutamodernist

discourseofalienationanddespairagainstaromanticistvisionofwholenessandintegrity,both

facingathirddiscourseof‘capitalistrealism.’”7Hisreadingofthesongvariesgreatlyfrommine

whenIfirstheardit.Iwasyoungandthoughtofthesingleas“thatlaughingsong,”thanksto

themaniccacklethatbeginsandendsthetrack.ItwasawhilebeforeIencounteredtheband

again,andthistimeIwasmoreawareofthecomplexitiesEcksteinisreferencing.However,

eveniflistenersarenotawareofanunderlyingmessageofsubversionofthemainstreammusic

5ChristianHoard.2006."Gorillaz.(Concertreview)".RollingStone.(999).6LarsEckstein."Torpedoingtheauthorshipofpopularmusic:areadingofGorillaz'‘FeelGoodInc.”.2009.PopularMusic.28(2):2477Eckstein.“TorpedoingAuthorship.”245

5

industry,mostwillappreciatetheplayfulapproachtosoundandmusicalitythatgivesthissong

andmanyothersbytheGorillazanunrivaledplaceinthemusicindustry.Bothwidelypalatable

anduneasilydefined,theGorillaz’soundhasanextensiverange,anditisforthisreasonthatit

ishardtofititexactlyinasinglegenre.

TheoddityoftheGorillazcontinuesandperhapsintensifiesintheconcertexperience.

Concertsaretheopportunityforfanstowitnessabandphysicallycreatemusic,something

whichisimpossiblefortheGorillazsincethemembersdonotpossessphysicality.Furthermore,

itwouldbeinauthenticforAlbarntoassumethestageandperformthemusicashisown(even

thoughitarguablyis.)Especiallyintheirearlydays,Albarn’sevasionofthespotlighthelped

distinguishthebandasitsownentity.Bytakingthestage,Albarnwouldultimatelydisappoint

fansbyunderminingthevalidityofthevirtualband.Sothen,whatdoesitlooklikewhena

cartoonbandperformsliveinconcert?In2006,1,500fanspayedseventydollarseachto

discoverjustthat,oneofwhombeingRollingStone’sChristianHoard.Theshowfeatureda

“sprawlingcastofcharactersandopen-armedgoodvibes,”thestarsofwhichwere“the

animatedhipsterchimps…poppingupinpuppetformonabalconyforabanteringintroduction

andappearingindreamlikevideosthatplayedthroughouttheshow.”8Accompanyingthe

animatedchimpsonstagewasacollectionofguestmusicianslikeDennisHopper,IkeTurner.

DeLaSoul,anorchestraandtwochoirs.Thehumanguests“wereamixofrefinementand

good-naturedeccentricity,withAlbarnplayingpianoandsinginginaboyishcroonattheback

ofthestage,allowingtheguestperformerstograbthespotlight.”9Anearlierperformanceat

8Hoard.“ConcertReview.”9Hoard.“ConcertReview.”

6

the2002BritAwardsinLondonwassignificantlymoredigitallydependent.TheGorillazopened

theshow,withjustfourloomingscreensforaset.Theshowbeganwhen“thesilhouetted

imageof2-D,theaptlynamedanimatedfrontmanof‘‘virtualband’’Gorillaz,emergedoutof

theprimalmatteroftelevisionstaticinamannerresemblingakeysceneintheclassicsuspense

filmPoltergeist.Threeadditionalfiguresmaterializedonseparatescreens.”10JohnRichardson

wasintheaudiencefortheeventandwroteaboutitlaterinrelationtotheconstructionofthe

virtual.Inthisperformance,“Thebandthemselveswerephysicallyabsent(unlikeKylie,Dido,

Sting,andothers),replacedbyanimatedcaricaturesofthe‘realmusicians.’"Richardsonargues

“thepoorqualityof‘live’soundinthevenue,frequentdisjunctionsinnarrativeflow…allserved

toundermineanysenseofauthenticorunmediatedcommunionbetweenartistsand

audience,”11However,thisearlyshowforeshadowsacommunitythatisundeterredby

unconventionalityofadigitalbandandrather,likeAlbarn,seetheunifyingandcollaborative

potentialofthedigital.

Thebandiscomprisedoffourmembers:frontman2-D,satanicbad-buyMurdoc,

AmericandrummerRusselandcoolgirlNoodle.Thesecharactersperformduringtheirconcerts

andmusicvideos,andhavesocialpresencesonline.Albarnhasbeenquotedsayinghecreated

thecharactersasa“completereactiontowhatisgoingoninthechartsatthemoment…

Everythingissomanufacturedthesedays…Gorillazaredifferent.Theymayonlyappearin

cartoonformbut,believeme,theyarelargerthanlife.”12JamieHewlett’soriginalanimation

10JohnRichardson.2005."“TheDigitalWon'tLetMeGo”:ConstructionsoftheVirtualandtheRealinGorillaz'“ClintEastwood”¹".JournalofPopularMusicStudies.17(1):1-29.11Richardson.“TheDigitalWon’tLetMeGo.”2.12QuotedbyRichardson.“TheDigitalWon’tLetMeGo.”2.

7

styleandthestructureoftheband’snarrativearereminiscentofJapanesemanga,asourceof

inspirationforthecreators.Mangaarecomicswithinstallmentsthatarereleasedoverthespan

ofmultipleyears.Witheachinstallmentreadersstrengthenanddeepentheirperceptionof

characters.Likemanga,theGorillazdevelopasenseofpersonalitiesthroughagradual

revelationofthesecharacters,onlythisisdonethroughdigitalmediasuchasvideos,online

socialprofilesandchatforums.Eachpostonlineisanopportunitytoestablishcharactertraits

andbackstoriesforeachofthemembers.IntricatedetailslikethestoryofhowStuartPotgot

hislastname,orthestoryofMurdocburningdowntheirhomein2005beforemovingtoPlastic

beach,ortheoneofRusselgainingthepowertoinvokethesoulsofdeadrappers,13arestories

thatcannotbetoldthroughmusicvideo,butmattertothesolidifyingofthesecharacters.

Additionally,theyareunlikeotherfictionalcharactersbecausethemembersageinrealtime.

Whenshewasfirstintroduced,Noodlewasachild.Sixteenyearslaterandherfeednow

belongstoayoungadult,herstorydocumentedonInstagramcreatingapermanentdigital

timeline.Whenweasactualbeingsinteractwiththevirtual,itisusuallyanimmersive

experienceforus.TheGorillazareimmersedinourworld.Thebandmembersexistinamiddle

groundofbeingfictionalcharactersbuthavingapresenceinourlivesthatresembleourown.

13“2-D.”GorillazWiki,gorillaz.wikia.com/wiki/


8

Meet Murdoc Niccals: Although no one is certain, it is said

that Murdoc Niccals was born at a halfway house for “the sick,

the needy and the incredibly bored” on June 6, 1966. Murdoc

grew up with an abusive father, harsh teachers, and cruel

peers. However, Murdoc is not completely innocent. He

“gained a reputation for his truancy, pranks, ugliness, poor personal hygiene and bad

behavior,” He would “lurk” around Sodsworth Comprehensive School while he was

attending, distracting students by quacking at them or causing some other sort of

disturbance. In one instance, Murdoc was insulting a rather thuggish bully Tony

Choppers, and in return received a punch to the face and a broken nose. Despite all this,

Murdoc demonstrated an undeniable charisma and a propensity for convincing people

to take his side.

After school, Murdoc would often perform, at his dad’s will, at a local pub.

Although he resented the way his father forced him to perform, Murdoc found a calling

on the stage. He vowed that as a musician he would not take direction from anybody.

However, he was not opposed to help. In fact, Murdoc enlisted the help of a very

powerful entity to become famous. Murdoc started making deals with the devil, the

ultimate being the exchange of Murdoc’s soul for rock greatness. So, Murdoc became a

Satanist for the sake of becoming a rock god, perks of which include a brand-new bass


9

named “El Diablo,” a gift from the devil himself, as well as a new middle name,

“Faust.”

Murdoc was in a few bands during the 1990’s, although none of them was very

popular. In 1994, his band, Murdoc’s Burning Sensations, broke up and Murdoc started

hanging around criminals. A few years later, Murdoc and the gang went on a crime

spree, first stealing a Vauxhall Astra, then heading to Uncle Norm’s Organ Emporium

where certain synthesizer equipment had caught Murdoc’s eye. However, he

miscalculated and drove the stolen car into the building, hitting one worker with deep

azure hair directly in the face. Murdoc was arrested, sentenced to 30,000 hours of

community service and an additional 10 hours a week caring for Stuart Pot, the

employee he had sent into a coma. A year into his sentence, Murdoc was driving

accompanied by Stuart’s comatose body when he spotted a group of women. In an

effort to impress, Murdoc launched into a 360-degree spin, sending Stuart flying out the

windshield and hitting the sidewalk. Stuart woke up, now with a pair of black eyes and

twin dents in his skull. Murdoc nicknamed him 2-D and recruited his post-comatose

friend to join his band.14

14“MurdocNiccals.”GorillazWiki.Gorillaz.wikia.com/wiki/Murdoc_Niccals

10

TheGorillazmaintainsitsmusicalandculturalpresenceonavarietyofdifferentdigital

mediainadditiontothetypicalwayslistenersengagewithmusicians.Theirmembers’online

profilesconvergetocreateonewholeandmulti-dimensionaldigitalidentity.Despiteits

significanceasavirtualband,theGorillazdoesnotrepresenteverymodelofconvergence

culturenordigitalcommunication.Therefore,itwillbehelpfulexamineotherdigitalformsof

convergenceculturetocontextualizethemechanicstheGorillazisimplementing.Herewemay

againrefertoHenryJenkinsandhisexperiencewithanonlinefangroup.Inhisbook,

ConvergenceCulture,Jenkinsstudiesvariousformsofdigitaltechnologyanditstendencyto

converge.Jenkinsacknowledgesashiftfromconverginghardware(forexample,theuniversal

remote)toconvergingcontent.15Hedefinesconvergenceas“theflowofcontentacross

multiplemediaplatforms,thecooperationbetweenmultiplemediaindustries,andthe

migratorybehaviorofmediaaudienceswhowillgoalmostanywhereinsearchofthekindsof

entertainmentexperiencestheywant.”16TherelationshipsandcommunicationsJenkins

observesarefacilitatedbytechnology,whetheritbearealtytelevisionshow,anonlinechat

room,oravideogame.Theboomintechnologyisaboominmethodsofcommunication.

However,Jenkinsremindsusthatconvergencecultureis“morethansimplyatechnological

shift.”17insteadithasthepowertoalterthewaysindividualsandengagewithindustries,

technologies,markets,andeachother.Thephenomenonpresentedinthebookisonetobe

praised,asitencouragescommunication,collaborationandparticipationfrommanypeople

overagreatdistance.TheGorillazfitsintoJenkins’modelofconvergencecultureintwo

15Jenkins.ConvergenceCulture.15.16Jenkins.ConvergenceCulture.2.17Jenkins.ConvergenceCulture.15.

11

variations:theGorillazrepresentsacollectiveofinformationspreadacrossavarietyofmedia

and,simultaneously,apointofconversationandareasonforpeopletocometogether.Ontwo

differentlevelsthebandoffersavirtual,digitalpointofconvergence.

AlthoughJenkinsbynomeansassumesallmediatobedigital,themediahechoosesto

engagewithare.TheculturesJenkinsexploresaremostlyfandomsfortelevisionorfilm,butfor

manyofthesefandomstheshowisonlyapartoftheculture.Additionally,aparticipatory

publicinteractswitheachamongstitselfandstudiesthetelevisionshowbydigitalmeans.For

example,asafanofSurvivor,Jenkinsspendsalotoftimewithacommunityof“spoilers,”or

fanswhodedicatetheirtimetodiscoveringtheoutcomesoftheshowbeforetheproducers

themselvesrevealit.OtherfandomslikeStarWarshaveintroducedgames,bothactualand

virtual,thatnotonlyencourageconsumerparticipationbutrequireit.TheGorillaz,initsown

way,requiresparticipationfromitsaudience.Thankstoitsuniquestatusasavirtualband,the

Gorillazplayswithidentityandcelebrityinamannerothermusicianscannot,anditchoseto

constructtheseelementsdigitally.Whileitisnotunusualformusiciansandcelebritiestohave

socialprofilesondigitalsocialnetworks,theprofilesofourbandmembersareuniquebecause

theywerecreatedastheirownentities,independentofaphysicalembodiment.TheGorillaz

canalsoapproachesthehumanbodywithwhimsyandimagination,consideringtheband

membersdonotneedtoexistwithinlimitationsofourphysicalworld.Thechoicetobindthese

fictionalidentitiestofourdigitalbodiesalludestoagreaterdiscussionregardingthevirtual

body,andthereforethevirtualworld,muchofwhichcanbefoundinscholarshipaboutvideo

games.BecausetheGorillazissuchauniquecase,athoroughexaminationofthedigital

12

mechanicstheGorillazismanipulatingpromptsustoexplorevirtualspacesbeyondthosethe

Gorillazisoccupying.

ThereisverylittleaboutsocialmediaplatformssuchasInstagramorFacebookin

Jenkins’book-unsurprisingconsideringitwaspublishedonlythreeyearsaftertheconceptionof

MySpaceandtwoyearsaftertheintroductionofFacebook.However,inthisbookJenkinsstill

believes“weshouldbetalkingaboutcommunalmedia—mediathatbecomepartofourlivesas

membersofcommunities.”18Jenkinsobservesthesecommunitiestobecreatedaroundmedia

suchastelevisionshowsorbooks.Asbothafanandascholar,Jenkinsbelievesintheunifying

poweroftelevision.Hearguesthattelevisionshowsaretheidealsubjectfor“watercooler

conversations,”19conversationswhichhehasacknowledgedhavemovedintothedigitalrealm.

InthepreviouslymentionedSurvivorspoilingcommunity,thesewatercoolerconversations

wereofcourseinspiredbythenarrativeoftheshow,butalsothewaysinwhichmembers

themselvesuncoverthesesecrets.OneofthemembersofthiscommunityisChillOne,alurker

whonotonlytheorizesaboutunrevealedSurvivoroutcomes,butalsoretellsthespoilersonthe

internetforfellowinvestigators.Jenkinsis“lessinterested,ultimately,inwhoChillOneisor

whethertheirinformationwasaccuratethan[heis]withhowthecommunityrespondedto,

evaluated,debated,critiqued,andcametogripswiththekindsofknowledgehebroughtto

them.”20Well,thecommunityrespondsbylaunchingthemintointernetfame.ChillOne’s

formulaforcreatingcontentwassimple:findoutSurvivorspoilersandbeatproducersattheir

owngamebybeatingthemtothepunchline.Theirpostswerearguablymoreeffectiveinstory


13

tellingthantheshowitself,consideringtheycaptivatedanentiredigitalcommunity,andthey

didsobystrategicallyrevealingorwithholdinginformation.Somewherealongthelinethe

focusofthecommunityshiftedfromtheshowtowhatChillOnehadtosayabouttheshow.

Theiridentitybecameatopicofdiscussion.Membersofthespoilercommunitytheorizethat

ChillOneisacoverforsomeonealreadyinthecommunityorthattheyhadintelfromthe

productioncompany,oreventhattheyaremakingeverythingup.21Intheend,Jenkinsclaims

“ChillOne’sinterventionnodoubtshortenedthelifeoftheSurvivorspoilingcommunity,yet

theymerelyspedupwhatwasgoingtobeaninevitabledeclineofinterest.”22Andinthe

meanwhile,ChillOnevirtually,digitallybecamethepointofinterest.Whatthisgivesusandthis

paperisamodel.SimilartoChillOne,theGorillazisthevirtualcreationofanactualhumanand

servesasapointofconvergenceindigitalmedia.Only,unlikethespoilercommunity,the

Gorillazhassofarbeenabletogrowwithandadapttotheever-changingdigitalmediafield.

Jenkinssays,“SurvivoristelevisionfortheInternetage—designedtobediscussed,

dissected,debated,predicted,andcritiqued.”23IbelievethatwhileSurvivormaybeagreat

example,itisbynomeanstheonlyonlinecommunityofitstype.Infact,Iwouldarguethat

Jenkins’sSurvivorspoilersaretheprecursorstoanewonlinecommunity,thetheorists,whodo

notdiscriminateintheirmusings,andinfactconsidermanynarratives(fromfilm,television,

videogamesandmore)atoncewhenbuildingtheirtheories.“Transmediastorytellingistheart


14

ofworldmaking,”24andthedigitalespeciallyencouragesthecreationofstories,ideas,and

theoriesacrossplatforms.

AplatformthatseesalotoftheorizingwouldbeRedditthankstoitsmanyuser-

createdboardscalledsubreddits,whicharetheme-basedchatforumswiththeirowntopic,

socialrules,andparticipants.Thisformatallowsformanyandvaryingpointsofconvergence

thatreflectawidevarietyofinterests,whetheritbeHarryPotterorDIYprojectsforthehome,

orcutepicturesofanimals.Itcomesasnosurprisethatmorethanafewsubredditsareinspired

bytheGorillaz.TheofficialGorillazsubredditisfulloffanart,musicreviews,andofcourse

theories.Thesubreddit,likeothersubredditswithintersectinginterestssuchasr/music,has

alsohostedAMAswithabandmemberortwo,ifnotallfourmembersatonce.AnAMA,or

ask-me-anything,isaformatoftenusedonsubredditstoconnectReddituserswithapersonor

groupofinterest.Recently,topromoteitsmostrecentalbumHumanz,thebandparticipatedin

anAMAonr/music.Alsowithinthelastyear,2-DhostedhisownAMAontheofficialGorillaz

24Jenkins.ConvergenceCulture.21.

Fanartbyu/cerrvine,postedtor/gorillaz

PicturefromInstagram

15

subreddit.Iwentoverthequestionsaskedbyfansandthewaysthebandansweredinthese

twoAMAs25anddiscoveredafewthings:fanfavoritebandmembersappeartobeMurdocand

Noodle,sincetheywereaskedforbynamethemost.However,Murdocand2-Darebyfarthe

mostvocal,withoneortheotherofthemansweringmostquestionsnotdirectedtoany

particularmember,andevensomeofthoseaddressingNoodleorRussel.Asforthetopicofthe

question,abouthalfofthequestionsansweredbythebandaddressedmorepracticalmatters–

mattersthatcouldbeaskedofmostbands,regardlessofvirtuality.

Howwouldyouexplainthebandtosomeonewho'sneverheardofyoubefore?

Ifyoucoulddescribeeachofyouralbumsinjustafewwords(say,5?),includingthenewone,whatwouldyousayaboutthem?Whatwouldyousaytothepeoplewhothinkthenewalbumhas"toomuchrapinit"?

Othermemberssimplywantedtoexpresstheiradmiration.

Whyonearthdidyoumakeuswait6yearsforthisgloriousalbum?eitherwaythankyouforreleasingit!

Differentstill,andwhatmakestheGorillazdifferentfromanyotherbandarethequestions

engagingwiththeband’sdigitalandfictionalnature.Thesearethequestionsthatdiscusslore

andengagewiththenarrativeaspectoftheband.

25“AMAWeAreTheGorillazAskUsAnything.”www.reddit.com/r/Music.“HelloWorld2DHereAskMeAnything.”www.reddit.com/r/gorillaz.

16

2D: howdidyoupassthetimewhileinsidethatwhale’sstomach?

I'msurewifiisn'tverygoodinthere.

HasNoodleevermetCyborgNoodle?Ifso,howdidthatmeetinggo?

WhathappenedtoPlasticBeach?

ThesequestionsgivetheGorillaztheopportunitytorevealcharactertraitsandnarrativepoints

andtoestablishtherulesoftheirownworld.Totheuserwhoinquiredabouthistimeinside

thewhale,2-Dresponded,“Thankyouforyourquestion.Ihadtroublefindingawifisignal.So

atfirstIfeltquitelonely.ButIstartedtoenjoyabitofme-timeintheend.Evenwroteafew

songsusingtheribcageasaxilophone.HaveIspeltxlyophoneright?Xylofone.Hangon...”2-D

respondstothequestionandthensome,revealingheissocial,optimistic,andabadspellerin

themeanwhile.Nexttherearethequestionsthataremoreabstract,eitherinsubjectorform.

WhothefuckisthisDamienAlbranfellaandwhyisheconstantlytakingcreditforyourmusic?

Whatdidyouhaveforbreakfast?

Doyoufeelveryblahblahwhenyoublahblahblahblahblah?

Althoughobscureand,frankly,strange,thesequestionsinspiresomeofthebestanswersand

thereforestory-telling.TheGorillazissuccessfulasavirtualbandbecauseitusesevery

interactiononlinewithfansasanopportunitytocultivateitsvirtualworld.Thesimplequestion-

answerformatoftheAMAcouldbeseenaslimiting,buttheGorillazinjectspersonalityand

solidifiestherulesofitsworldineveryanswer.Sincethereislittleleadgiveninstrangeor

17

mundanequestions,thegroupcanreallyflexitsimaginationintheseresponses.Thereis

opportunityalsoforfanstocontributetotheworldbuildingeverytimetheyaskaquestion,

andeveryanswerreceivedisverification.MurdocanswerstheuseraskingaboutDamien

Albarn:“Wedon'tknow,whothefuckisDamienAllbran?Soundslikehe'dmakeagreat

breakfast.”Thisresponseservesagreaterpurposethanjustasamediocrepun.Whilenot

denyingtheconnection,itreinforcestheGorillazasitsownidentityseparatefromAlbarn.The

formatreliesonboththefanstoprovidequestionsandthebandtoelevatethequestionswith

itsanswers.TogetherthefansandthebandcreateandrevealtheintricaciesoftheGorillaz’

world.Theseriesofsmallrevelationscreateasenseofauthenticityasitmirrorslearninginreal

life.MoreimportantforJenkins,however,wouldbetheconvergenceofuserstofurther

developavirtualworldforthesakeofbothbandandfans.JustlikeJenkins’sgroupofspoilers,

thecommunityandtheculturewouldnotexistwithoutthecollectiveeffortofindividual

members.“Thiscirculationofmediacontent—acrossdifferentmediasystems,competing

mediaeconomies,andnationalborders—dependsheavilyonconsumers’active

participation,”26andtheyareduesomeofthecreditforthecultivationofconvergence.The

Gorillazvirtualworldissustainedbyconvergencecultureintwoways:aconvergingoffansand

creatorstowritethenarrativeandaconvergingofmediawithwhichthenarrativeisbeing

written.Asplainasitmightseem,asimplequestionlike“Whatdidyouhaveforbreakfast”isa

brickinacolossalvirtualstructure.Andasyouwonderingwhatthebandhadforbreakfast,

eachbandmemberenjoyedafullservingofnutritiousDamienAllbran.


18

Meet Russel Hobbs: Russel is the only American in the group. He

was born in Brooklyn, New York on June 3, 1975. Although a

bright and polite child, he suffered a rough childhood. He was

expelled from a prestigious school for demonic possession and after enrolled at

Brooklyn High School. There he befriended many hip hop artists and musicians. One

day he and his friends were victims of a drive-by shooting incident. Russel, the sole

survivor, became an unwilling vessel of his friends’ spirits which continue to appear.

After the incident, Russel moved to the United Kingdom and found a job at Big

Rick Black’s Record Shack in London’s Soho. One day while he was working a customer

came in and asked to see an obscure 50s record. Russel turned from the customer and

immediately the customer slipped a bag over his head and kidnapped him. The

customer, who was later revealed to be Murdoc, brought Russel to his recently acquired

property, Kong Studios. He and his automotive-accident-victim-turned-friend 2-D

showed Russel the music they were working on. Russel was impressed and decided to

join the band as a drummer. As 2-D’s girlfriend, Paula Cracker, also joined the band he

was the fourth and final member. That was, until, Russel caught Paula Cracker and

Murdoc hooking up in the toilets. Paula Cracker left the band after that and Murdoc

received five more punches to the nose, this time by Russel’s fist. And the band was left

without a guitarist. 27

27RusselHobbs.”GorillazWiki,gorillaz.wikia.com/wiki/Russel_Hobbs


19

Inthepresentday,manyofouronlinecommunitiesgatherviasocialnetworkssuchas

InstagramandFacebook.However,communitiesarenottheonlyculturalphenomenontobe

foundonsocialnetworks.Anotherwouldbethecreationandpreservationofdigital,social

identities.Understandingthecreationofthedigitalidentityandhowitrelatestothereal

identityismoreeasilyseenwhenfocusingonsignificantandheavily-followedidentitiesonline,

suchastheprofilesofcelebrities,athletesandmusicians.Theycultivateonlineidentitiesas

anotherbranchoftheirselves,perhapsthankstotheeasycommodificationofadigitalidentity.

Inphotosand140characters,withthehelpofmakeupartistsandphotoeditors,celebrities

projectaversionoftheirselfintothedigital,typicallyanidealizedversion.Inasense,weall

formcaricaturesorelseidealizedversionsofourselvesonsocialmediaorinpublicspaces.We

presentthepartsofourselvesthatconstructanimageofusthatwewantotherpeopletohave.

ThemembersoftheGorillazarealsoconstructionsofonlineprofiles.They,however,donot

havetheadditionofphysicalbodiesthatmanycelebritiesdo.Still,theymakeupforalackof

bodybyexpandingthemethodsbywhichcelebritiesandfansdigitallyinteract.Afterall,social

mediaplatformsarenottheonlywaysbywhichwecreatedigitalidentities.

Anelementofthevirtualidentitythatisnotoftenimplementedonsocialmedia

platformsistheavatar,avirtuallyphysicalembodimentofanidentityinanonlineworld.Very

often,avirtualbodycomesintheformofanavatar,andveryoftentheseavatarsare

mechanicsinwhatTiziannaManciniandFedericaSibillacallmassivelymultiplayeronlinerole-

playinggames,orMMORPGs.28ManciniandSibillainvestigatedthewaysinwhichplayers

28TizianaManciniandFedericaSibilla.2017."Offlinepersonalityandavatarcustomisation.DiscrepancyprofilesandavataridentificationinasampleofMMORPGplayers".ComputersinHumanBehavior.69:275-283.

20

engagewiththeiravatarsinahandfuloftheseMMOORPGs.Theyfoundthatusersengagewith

theiravatarstovarietyofdegrees,sometimesusingtheirofflineselvesasaninspirationforan

onlinecharacterbutnotalways.Whenitcomestothecreationoftheavatar,“Avatarsmaybe

closertoeithertheplayer'sactualofflineself(actualization)orhisorheridealofflineself

(idealization).”However,“theplayer’sofflinepersonalityisnotalwaysthestartingpointfor

avatarcustomization;sometimesanavatarembodiesthesociallydesirablecharacteristicsthat

theplayerwouldliketohave,sometimesitembodiessociallyundesirablecharacteristics.”29

Onemightsayourbandmemberspossessafewsociallyundesirablecharacteristicsaswell.So,

despitethefactthatthemembersoftheGorillazaremanufacturedatthehandsofanartist

andmusician,andrememberingthatsomeofAlbarnandanimatorJamieHewlett’spersonality

probablyservedasinspirationfortheband,thecharactersthemselvesstilloperateasunique

personalitieswiththeirownsetofcharacteristics.Buthowdoesanavatarexistinasocial

space?ManciniandSibillafoundthatusersconstructtheidentityoftheavatarnotwith

“individualpersonalityfactorsbutatthelevelofoverallsocialdesirability,i.e.,ratherthan

settingouttoconstructanavatarwhichismore(orless)extrovertthanhisorheractual(or

ideal)self,aplayerfocusesontheoverallpersonalityoftheavatar,”30implyingself-

discrepancy.AlthoughtheydonotexistinanMMOORGP,theGorillazstillexhibitstraitsfound

inthedigitalself-discrepancymodel.Armedwiththistextwecanseethepurposeofthe

Gorillazisnotasrepresentationforthecreatorsbutassocialcreaturesmeantforthe

consumptionoffans.FansarenotdevelopingrelationshipswithAlbarnwheninteractingwith

29ManciniandSibilla.“OfflinePersonalityandAvatarCustomisation.”281.30ManciniandSibilla.“OfflinePersonalityandAvatarCustomisation.”282.

21

themembersoftheband.Albarnisnotthemanbehindthemaskbutratherathirdpartyall

together;heisnotapuppetmasterbutratheraninsidejokeamongthebandandtheirfriends

(fans).

Iseetwoimmediatecounterstomyargumenthere.Thefirstwouldbetheobjection

thatbecausetheGorillaziscomposedofdigitalfictionalcharacterscreatedbyAlbarn,they

themselvesarenotabletofoster“realrelationships.”AndIwouldsaythatistruebutonlytoa

certainextent.ItistruethattheGorillazarenotcreatureswithindependentagency,asthey

arebeingcontrolledbyAlbarn.However,itisalsotruethatthesebandmemberscanform

pseudorelationships,oratleast,fanscanfosterrelationshipswithbandmembers.These

pseudorelationshipsarecalledparasocial,andfiguresrangingfromcelebritiestocharactersin

booksarepotentialsubjects.Theyareoriginatedandsustainedbythefan,andthefansofthe

Gorillazaregoodattheirjob.ThesecondobjectionIanticipatewouldbethethattheGorillaz

arenotavatarswalkingaroundanMMOORGPworld,sotheemphasisontheimportanceof

theirbodiesisreduced.Iwouldagaincounterthatthechoicetocreatebodieshelpsboth

visuallegibilityandmattersofidentificationamongmusiciansandfans.AlbarnandHewlett’s

particularchoicesofbandmembersindicateanassumptionaboutthewayscertainbodies

engagewithmusic.However,withquestionsofappropriationafoot,thistopicisbestleftto

anotherpaper.

22

Meet Noodle: Noodle is the youngest of the group by 15 years. She

was born on October 31, 1990 in Osaka, Japan. She and 22 other

children were subjects of a classified project. The children were

training with the purpose of becoming super soldiers. However, the

project was eventually found to be unethical, and the destruction of

the grounds as well as subjects was ordered. Mr. Kyuzo was the head scientist for the

project, and killed 22 children by order of the government. When he came upon the last

child, an eight year old girl, Mr. Kyuzo was unable to follow through. He had grown

emotionally attached to the girl and could not stand to see her harmed. Instead, he

arranged to hide the child from the Japanese government. To ensure her safety, Mr.

Kyuzo gave the girl amnesia. Before the girl could begin to relearn her memories, Mr.

Kyuzo shipped her off to an address he copied from an advertisement placed in a

British newspaper soliciting guitarists to audition for a band. The girl arrived by a

FedEx freight container brandishing a Gibson Les Paul. She was brought into the

haunted studio, surprising the three boys there when she jumped out of the box and

launched into the “riff to end all riffs.” She ended her performance with a karate kick.

Although she spoke quick Japanese, she could say one English word: Noodle. And so

that became her name. With Noodle to fill the position of lead guitarist, they had a

complete band.31

31“Noodle.”GorillazWiki,gorillaz.wikia.com/wiki/Noodle


23

WhenIfirstbeganworkingonthisproject,therewasonequestionIneverseemedable

toanswer:whatdoesabandgainbygoingvirtual?Howdoesitmatter?Pastiterationsofthis

projecteithergaveanswersbutprovidedlittlesupport,orelsejustignoredthequestion

entirely.Ratherfaralongintheproject,however,Istumbleduponanarticlethatbroughtthis

discussionfullcircle.WilliamEchard’sworkontheDeleuziantheoryofvirtualityisthemissing

puzzlepiecethatbringsthevirtualtothemusicalandtiesuplooseends.32Althoughnever

displayedintheMuseumofVirtualMedia,Echardprovesthatmusicisamediumjustlikestory-

tellingandthecomputer,amediumthathasthepotentialtoactualizethevirtual.Echarduses

GillesDeleuze’sphilosophyofvirtualityandactualitytodescribemusic’srelationtoboth

instrumentsandthebody.Theideatoapproachmusicasaportaltothevirtualisbynomeans

radical.Musicrevealsthevirtualovertime,whetheritbeathree-minute-longpopsongora

two-houropera.Itbuildsastory,butrequiresanaudiencetohearit,evenifit’sthemaker

themselves.Additionally,musiccreatestheopportunityforconvergence.Thesoundsofvarious

instrumentsconvergeinasong,anddanceaddsanelementofphysicality.Sincemediaarejust

methodsbywhichtoactualizethevirtual,“eachofusconstructsourownpersonalmythology

frombitsandfragmentsofinformationextractedfromthemediaflowandtransformedinto

resourcesthroughwhichwemakesenseofoureverydaylives,”33meaningconvergenceculture

seeksoutmultiplemethodsofactualizingthevirtual.ItiswithEchard’stheorywecannow

reexamineourdefinitionofthevirtualandinvestigatefurtherthemany-layeredrelationship

betweentheself,thedigital,andconvergencecommunities.

32WilliamEchard.2006."Sensiblevirtualselves:Bodies,instrumentsandthebecoming-concreteofMusic".ContemporaryMusicReview.25(1-2):7-16.33Jenkins.ConvergenceCulture.3.

24

IconsideredmanydifferenttheoriesforthisessaybeforereadingEchard’sworkon

musicalityandvirtually,butitwasonlyuponreadinghimthatmyownargumentcame

together.UsingEchard’sworkallowsmetounpackfurthertheterm“thevirtualself”while

alwaysgroundingtheargumentwithinthecontextofmusic.WhatIfindaccordingtoDeluezian

thoughtisthattheterm“virtualself”issomewhatredundantbecausetheselfisinnately

virtual.Echardspendsmuchofhistimedebatingthethreecomponentsoftheactualizationof

thevirtual,alwaysconsideringthelimitationsheldbywhatEchardcallsthemusicalsubjects

performingtheactualization.Ibelievedigitalmechanismslikeanavatarorasocialmedia

platformcanfulfillthesameroleasEchard’smusicalsubjectsbyactualizingthevirtualself,

muchlikeourownbodiesareanactualizationofourselves.Deleuze’svirtualrequiresthe

actual,whichbegsthequestion,whatistheactualinthecaseoftheGorillaz?

Beforemovingon,letustakethetimenowtobreakdownDeleuze’sconceptof

virtualityasusedbyEchard.Deleuze’svirtualencompassesallthatisrealbutnotactual.

Deleuze’svirtualisalsoideal,buthereiswheretheparallelswithourdigitalvirtualityend.As

evidentfromthemembers’backstories,creatorsinthedigitalareinterestedinexploring

identitiesthatarenotnecessarilyself-reflectiveandnotnecessarilyideal.However,idealor

not,thevirtualrequiresacounterpart:theactual.Actualityisnotlessormorerealthan

virtuality,butitpossessesaphysicalitythatvirtualitylacksand,moreimportantly,itisalways

present.Deleuze’svirtualexistsontheedgeoftheactual,alwaysaccessiblebutsimultaneously

fleeting.Thevirtualandtheactualaregreaterthansimpleopposites;theypossessacomplex

andmany-layeredrelationshipinwhichtheactualhasthepowertophysicallyvalidatethe

virtual.“Deleuzeframeseveryhumanactivity(e.g.,philosophy,artandscience)asattemptsto

25

giveconsistencyandactualitytothevirtual,”34andcertainlymusicisnodifferent.Byframing

musicasanattempttogiveactualitytothevirtual,thepossibilityofthevirtualbecomes

apparent.Echardimagines“amusician’shandsandallthepossiblepositionstheycanassume.

Theseconfigurationsareneverallpresenttogether,buttheyarearealpartofthehands.”35In

thevirtual,alltheconfigurationsexistsimultaneously,whileintheactualtheymayonlyexist

onceatatime.Thevirtualisadvantageousinthisway.Althoughmusicalsubjectsgivea

physical,actualpresencetovirtualconcepts,thesubjectsarenotequippedtorepresentthe

conceptinitsvirtualentirety.TheGorillazspecificallycombatthelimitationsofasinglemedium

byusingconvergence.Beyondjustthequestionofpossibility,thereisalsothematterofthe

physicallimitationsofasubjectitself;sheetmusicisunabletoactualizemusicthewayan

instrumentcanandviceversa.Likewise,differentsocialmediaplatformsfacilitatedifferent

sortsofinteractionsbasedontheirmechanisms(evenFacebookandTwitter,platformsthat

prefertexts,fostervastlydifferentwritingstyles).Hereiswhereconvergencecultureis

especiallyhandy.TheGorillazusesamultitudeofmediatoactualizeitsmusicandtheband.By

expandingtherangeofsubjectsperformingactualization,theGorillazbroadensits

representationintheactualworld,theworldofitsfans.

Echarddefinesthreepillarsinhisarticle:theinstrument,theperformingbody,and

music,andproceedstoexplorethepeculiaritiesoftherelationshipsamongthethree:

Abodycanbesubjecttoinstrumentsandtomusic:transformedoverlongyearsofpracticetoastateofproficientcompliance.Or,aninstrumentcanbesubjecttomusicandtobodies:designed,refinedandproducedtosatisfyaestheticandbiomechanicalspecifications.Or,bothcanbesubjecttomusic,andviceversa.36

34Echard,William."SensibleVirtualSelves.”935Echard,William."SensibleVirtualSelves.”836Echard,William."SensibleVirtualSelves.”7.

26

WhileEcharddiscussesthisinmusicalterms,theseconvolutedrelationshipsarealsopresentin

thedigitalactualizationofthevirtual.Amongthese,thethreepillarsIwouldconsiderthereto

bethevirtualwhichneedsactualizing,theinstigatoroftheactualization(orrathertheactual

recipient/observer),andlastlyatooloramodeforactualization.Thedigital,too,dependsupon

thesethreepillarsasitoffersmanymediawithwhichtoactualizethevirtual.TheGorillazand

itsworldarevirtual,butitisbeingactualizedbythevisualembodimentofthecharacters,by

themusicthatAlbarnwrites,andbytheconvergenceofconsumers.So,thequestionisnot

reallywhatdoesthebandgainbygoingvirtual,becausemusichasalwaysbeenamediumfor

virtualawaitingactualization.However,bypairingitsointimatelywithanotherpowerfulform

ofactualizationlikedigitalmedia,theGorillazisexecutingconvergencecultureinamethod

unseenelsewhereineitherindustry.

ThepotentialinfluenceofconvergencecultureisevidentintheGoriilaz’implementation

ofmultipledigitalmeanstoactualizetheirvirtualselves.Convergencecultureisbeneficial

becauseitallowsforamorefair,moreefficient,more“ideal”37collectionofknowledge.Online

communitieslikeSurvivorspoilersareevidenceofconvergencecultureastheyaresustainedby

constantcontributionfromavarietyofsources.Asavirtualband,theGorillaz’approachto

onlineidentityisuniquefrommanyotherartistsoutthere,partiallyduetotheGorillaz’own

dependenceonconvergenceculture.TheGorillazsustainsitspresenceandpositionindigital

culturethankstofaninteractionthroughmedialikesocialmedia,andreddit.Theuseofdigital

bodiesbytheGorillazaidslegibilityandtiestheprojecttothehumanbody,somethingmusic


27

requiresbuttheinternetlacks.Thesedigitalmediaareofcoursesupplementarytothemedium

ofmusic,afterallwearetalkingaboutaband.However,itisnothardnowtoseehowthese

digitalmediaarejustanotherevolutionofmoretraditionalmedialikemusic.Aswrittenby

DeleuzeandthenEchard,mediaaremethodsofactualization,andhumanzhavebeen

attemptingtoactualizethevirtualsincetheybegantocreatemusic.Theadditionofdigital

mediabytheGorillazonlyhelptheband’scase.


28

Bibliography

Blascovich,Jim,andJeremyBailsenson.2011."AMuseumofVirtualMedia."Natural History.119(8).Echard,William.2006."Sensiblevirtualselves:Bodies,instrumentsandthebecoming-concrete ofMusic".ContemporaryMusicReview.25(1-2):7-16.Eckstein,Lars"Torpedoingtheauthorshipofpopularmusic:areadingofGorillaz'‘FeelGood Inc.”.2009.PopularMusic.28(2):239-255GorillazWiki.www.gorillaz.wikia.comHoard,Christian.2006."Gorillaz.(Concertreview)".RollingStone.(999).Jenkins,Henry.2006.ConvergenceCulture:WhereOldandNewMediaCollide.NewYork:New YorkUniversityPress.Jin,Seung-A.Annie.2012."Thevirtualmalleableselfandthevirtualidentitydiscrepancymodel: Investigativeframeworksforvirtualpossibleselvesandothersinavatar-basedidentity constructionandsocialinteraction".ComputersinHumanBehavior.28(6):2160-2168.Mancini,Tiziana,andFedericaSibilla.2017."OfflinePersonalityandAvatarCustomisation.

DiscrepancyprofilesandavataridentificationinasampleofMMORPGplayers".ComputersinHumanBehavior.69:275-283.

Reddit.www.reddit.com/r/music,www.reddit.com/r/gorillazRichardson,John.2005."“TheDigitalWon'tLetMeGo”:ConstructionsoftheVirtualandthe RealinGorillaz'“ClintEastwood”¹".JournalofPopularMusicStudies.17(1):1-29.Rojek,Chris.2001.Celebrity.London:ReaktionBooks.

virtual band, actual reality

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