![]() ![]() “Our music was never a celebration of England,” he replies. We should have coalitions, like almost everywhere else, but it’s impossible.” When asked if he regrets the political use of his alleged proximity to the Labor Party, after he agreed to meet with Tony Blair shortly before he won the 1997 elections, he dodges. We ask the frontman: is being British rather uncool these days? “Clearly, it’s not ideal,” Albarn sighs. Reuben Bastienne-Lewisīlur became famous in the early years of Blairism, when the Thatcher era had come to an end. After all, we’re called Blur,” Albarn shrugs. Their lyrics seem to reflect a state of perplexity and disorientation. (According to a quick check, it was actually Mao’s prime minister, Zhou Enlai, who said this in reference to the protests that gripped France in May 1968, but it wouldn’t occur to us to correct him.) As Mao said about the French Revolution, it’s too early to judge the effects it will have,” Albarn notes. Since our last album, we’ve lived through Brexit, a pandemic and the war scenario in Europe. “So many things have happened over the years. When asked to define the record with one word, Albarn chooses “aftershock.” That is to say, the aftershock of an earthquake - the tremor that comes after the roar caused by a bigger one. “Actually, that basic thing sounded a bit dry to me. But then, he changes his mind, taking issue with the word “basic.” That was exactly what we wanted to do,” Albarn says enthusiastically, in his only energetic moment during the interview. We can see the album as getting back to basics, to the essentials - to what defined the group when it formed more than 35 years ago. When they close with The Universal - one of their classics - some of the bandmates shed tears. The best part of the concert is the final bit, with a long succession of perfect hits from the height of the band’s fame. The answer ends up being a resounding yes (even though he continues to wear the same sweatshirts as in the 1990s). I guess tonight we’ll see if we’re still modern,” Albarn chuckles defiantly. After all of this, the reunion of Blur seemed unlikely, but unlike other veteran bands that try to take advantage of nostalgia for their work, the reunited members don’t seem to be guided by cynicism. The record ends the long period in which Albarn seemed most enthusiastic about Gorillaz, his excellent solo records, his Cantonese Chinese musicals, his collaborations with African artists, or his rock operas about 16th-century English mathematicians. For me, the reason is always to make good music again. We’re not just people playing music, because there are expectations, the memory of your previous songs. “There always has to be a good reason to get back to playing with people you’ve known since your teens. In short, the songs are like a return home for Blur. It’s a return to the crystalline melodies, the riffs of the band’s glory days, and the mischievous and witty lyrics, as if they’ve woken up after a cryogenic period. Getty ImagesĪs we listen to the songs about a dozen times before the meeting, the album sounds like the opposite of the previous one. Alex James, Dave Rowntree, Graham Coxon and Damon Albarn, in 1991. Since they reconciled in 2009, the group has recorded two albums: The Magic Whip (2015) - a murky album that they recorded in Hong Kong - and their latest work, The Ballad of Darren, which will be released on July 21. But there was nothing left - they had built a new building. ![]() “Recently, we had the romantic idea of going back there, to connect with our past. He isn’t at the height of likability, either, but compared to Albarn, he’s a cross between Mother Teresa and a UN blue helmet.Īlbarn and Coxon met as schoolchildren in Colchester, East London. Graham Coxon -another creative soul from Blur - joins the interview. She told Rolling Stone that their encounter “ended up being one of those ‘don’t meet your idol’ moments.” One recalls how he criticized Adele when she attempted to collaborate with him on some songs. It’s difficult to find the authentic city that I discovered in 1988,” Albarn sighs. We’re set to meet him on the terrace of a seaside Barcelona hotel, just a few hours before his concert at the Primavera Sound Music Festival. He has phlegm in his British accent, which gives him the gravitas of a Roman emperor.Ī few minutes before the interview, his publicist drops by to tell us that Albarn isn’t in a good mood. “What, exactly?” Damon Albarn, 55, answers his first question from EL PAÍS with a touch of detachment.
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