Music

Blur's Damon Albarn heading to the Congo to record new album

by Ciaran Thompson

Following the performances of his current Doctor Dee opera, Blur/Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn says he intends to write a brand new album in one week, in the Democratic Republic of Congo no less.

Apparently this isn’t the singer-songwriter’s first trip to Africa as in 2002 he spent some time in Nigeria with Tony Allen from The Good, The Bad and The Queen, however this will mark his first trek to the continent’s second largest country.

The new album will act as a benefit for Oxfam’s tireless contribution to the Francophone country, which has seen within its borders one of the deadliest conflicts since the second world war claiming an estimated 5.4 million lives.

A collective of producers and contributors including Dan the Automator, XL label chief Richard Russell, London DJ Darren Cunningham, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Jneiro Jarel, Marc Antoine, Jo Gunton and Kwes have all joined Albarn for the trip. It’s being documented through this Tumblr.