Gorillaz, Dan the Automator's Newest Electro-Rock Hiphop Ensemble

Dan the Automator is a master of disguises. The San Francisco-based producer's cheerful schizophrenia has resulted in projects as diverse as Dr. Octagon, Deltron 3030 and his newest, the electro-rock hiphop ensemble Gorillaz. Formed with moonlighting Blur frontman Damon Albarn, Gorillaz also includes the talent of Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), Miho Hatori (Cibo Matto) and frequent Automator collaborator Del Tha Funkee Homosapien.

Each member of this concept group goes by a playful alibi and the band itself exists as a cartoon fantasy inked by Tank Girl artist Jamie Hewlett. The Gorillaz website?which takes an eternity for anyone without the proper gear to download?is a minutely detailed alternate universe, where famous pop stars take an hiatus from their regular gigs by exploring animated alter egos. It's an idea not unlike another simian-themed enterprise, that one from the mid-60s, but while the Monkees were brought together for the sole purpose of the tv show, Gorillaz members are established musicians in their own right, merely taking a breath of fresh air with some friends. Every member has creative input, but Dan is undoubtedly the man behind the curtain, primarily responsible for constructing the framework of beats and samples the album explores.

The range of influences here?Jamaican dub, punk rock, hiphop and even Cuban beats, with the help of Buena Vista Social Club's Ibrahim Ferrer?is classic Automator, a man who once said, "I think I love every music equally." This democratic embrace gives Gorillaz a kind of hit-or-miss quality that's held in check by the ballast of Albarn's vocals, which appear on most of the album's 17 tracks. Due to his consistency Gorillaz is free to take as many hairpin curves as it needs to. The music goes where it wishes, Automator's multiple passions hovering over it like a ghost.

On the album's first single, "Clint Eastwood," a harmonica blows a threat through what is otherwise a cheery number, a happy mess of synth and scratch and deep rolling piano licks. Albarn's rollicking chorus forms the perfect counterpoint to Del's uniquely loping rap style. On "Man Research (Clapper)" Albarn matches Automator's tricks with a maniacal "La La La" chorus and his vocal acrobatics stand out on tracks like "New Genious (Brother)" and "Sound Check (Gravity)." In large part due to its stylistic all-inclusiveness, the album's tone is strangely disorienting, veering from the melancholic angst of "Tomorrow Comes Today" to the sly menace of "Slow Country" to the abstract goofiness of tracks like "19-2000" and "Rock the House." Despite these variations Gorillaz's musical menagerie manages to keep from collapsing in on itself. The musicianship here is admirable and the chaos enjoyable even when without a cohesive theme. One only wishes that Automator would stick with one project for more than a few albums to see what evolves. Until then, we'll have to appreciate the scattered nuggets of his genius where we find them.