ear to the ground

In July, Damon Albarn went to the Democratic Republic of Congo with Gorillaz cohort Dan “The Automator” Nakamura, XL label chief Richard Russell, and others to record an album with more than 50 local musicians.

“It all came from a long-term commitment that i made to Oxfam,” Albarn told BBC Radio 4 in a recent interview. “In a way, really, they started the whole kind of ball rolling for me by inviting me to go to Mali. And I didn’t want to go as a sort of ambassador … I wanted to feel something and get involved with people who I thought might be like-minded.” DRC Music‘s official site has more information.

Take a pre-listen here, courtest of the Hype Machine: