Plastic Beach

Plastic Beach is about the accumulation of plastic in an extremely broad sense; it’s about the impact that anything inherently disposable and artificial has on the world. The album’s worldly outlook, though primarily concerned with the environment, extends to those responsible for the problem – the plastic-producing human race.

It is natural for the Gorillaz to make political statements in their music, or as they put it, “social realism parallel with love.” Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn’s perception of the album title, as stated in the Plastic Beach half-hour documentary, began somewhere very plain and simple:

Doesn’t have to be any more narrative than that. It’s everything that goes on on the island, Plastic Beach. My interpretation of the island is that it’s the collection of all the plastic and stuff in the ocean, and it’s all clean now ‘cause it’s all collected into an island.

Plastic Beach is considered to be Phase 3 of the cartoon band’s story, which you can read about in full here.

Plastic Beach is the third studio album by the British virtual band, released 3 March 2010 on Parlophone and Virgin Records. Conceived from an unfinished Gorillaz project called Carousel, the album was recorded from June 2008 to November 2009 and produced primarily by Damon Albarn.

It features guest appearances by several artists, including Snoop Dogg, Gruff Rhys, De La Soul, Bobby Womack, Yasiin Bey, Lou Reed, Mick Jones and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

“Plastic Beach Making Of” Documentary