Damon Albarn has unveiled the long-awaited next chapter in the Gorillaz discography. Titled The Mountain, the band’s first album since 2023’s Cracker Island is slated for release on March 20 via their freshly launched label, Kong. The album spans 15 tracks and kicks off with a striking new single, “Happy Dictator”, featuring none other than Sparks.
The record’s production credits include Gorillaz themselves, alongside James Ford, Samuel Egglenton, and Remi Kabaka Jr., with special input from Argentine producer Bizarrap. Recording sessions took place at Albarn’s own Studio 13 in London, his studio in Devon, and spanned across India (Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Varanasi), Turkmenistan (Ashgabat), Syria (Damascus), and cities across the United States including Los Angeles, Miami, and New York.
The Mountain brings Gorillaz’s signature global sound into even sharper focus, with guest appearances that span five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish, and Yoruba. Among the album’s diverse collaborators are Idles, Kara Jackson, Yasiin Bey, Johnny Marr, Black Thought, Anoushka Shankar, and Omar Souleyman. There are also pow
erful posthumous contributions from Bobby Womack, Dave “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper, Mark E. Smith, Proof, and Tony Allen, creating a rich sonic archive that blurs past and present.
Scroll down for the full tracklist and upcoming UK & Ireland tour dates, which kick off March 21 in Manchester and feature guests like Trueno and Sparks on select shows.
The Mountain Tracklist:
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The Mountain (feat. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan Ali Bangash & Ayaan Ali Bangash)
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The Moon Cave (feat. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda & Black Thought)
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The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)
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The Hardest Thing (feat. Tony Allen)
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Orange County (feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson & Anoushka Shankar)
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The God of Lying (feat. Idles)
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The Empty Dream Machine (feat. Black Thought, Johnny Marr & Anoushka Shankar)
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The Manifesto (feat. Trueno & Proof)
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The Plastic Guru (feat. Johnny Marr & Anoushka Shankar)
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Delirium (feat. Mark E. Smith)
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Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman & Yasiin Bey)
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The Shadowy Light (feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash & Ayaan Ali Bangash)
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Casablanca (feat. Paul Simonon & Johnny Marr)
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The Sweet Prince (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr & Anoushka Shankar)
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The Sad God (feat. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna & Anoushka Shankar)
UK + Ireland Tour Dates:
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03-21 – Manchester, England – Co-op Live
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03-22 – Birmingham, England – BP Pulse Live
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03-24 – Glasgow, Scotland – OVO Hydro *
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03-25 – Leeds, England – First Direct Arena *
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03-27 – Cardiff, Wales – Utilita Arena *
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03-28 – Nottingham, England – Motorpoint Arena *
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03-29 – Liverpool, England – M&S Bank Arena *
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03-31 – Belfast, Northern Ireland – SSE Arena *
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04-01 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena *
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06-20 – London, England – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ^*
* with Trueno
^ with Sparks