Flea and Blur’s Damon Albarn Form Rocketjuice and the Moon; Album Expected in March
Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Blur frontman/guitarist Damon Albarn and Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen have gotten together to form a new band -- Rocketjuice and the Moon.
The group have recorded an album and are rehearsing for live shows.
As Flea recently told Mojo magazine:
“We met on a plane in 2008. The three of us were going to Lagos as part of Damon’s Africa Express Collective. I’m a huge Fela Kuti fan and Tony [Allen] is one of my favorite drummers, so to get to talk and play with him was phenomenal. The way I approach rhythm and groove is very similar to the way he does, and I feel with him a special something that is hard to put into words, but it’s a beautiful thing.”
The band's self-titled album, should be out in March. It was recorded in London with overdubs in Paris, Berlin and Chicago. It features guest appearances from Erykah Badu, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and others.
What will it sound like?
“It is all funk,” Allen told Mojo.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
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