To coincide with the release of their ninth studio album The Mountain on 27 February via the band’s own label KONG, Gorillaz have premiered an eight-minute animated short titled The Mountain, The Moon Cave & The Sad God.
Directed by co-creator Jamie Hewlett with Max Taylor and Tim McCourt of London-based studio THE LINE, the film follows Noodle, Murdoc, 2D and Russel as they travel across India. The storyline mirrors the record’s themes of mortality, reinvention and the search for meaning, while placing the band in a distinctly Indian setting.
The project was developed over 18 months using a hybrid analogue-digital workflow that prioritised hand-painted backgrounds, practical effects and period techniques. Drawing from 1960s animated cinema, Hewlett reimagines the Gorillaz universe through detailed 2D craftsmanship rather than contemporary CGI-heavy aesthetics.
In the film’s narrative, the band arrive in Mumbai under assumed identities, stepping away from global pop celebrity and immersing themselves in a more introspective chapter. The Indian backdrop aligns with the album’s collaborator list, which features a notable presence of artists from the region, including Asha Bhosle, Amaan Ali Bangash, Ayaan Ali Bangash, Asha Puthli, Anoushka Shankar and Ajay Prasanna.
Across 15 tracks, The Mountain continues the band’s long-running collaborative model. International contributors include Bizarrap, Black Thought, Johnny Marr and Yasiin Bey, alongside archival appearances from late collaborators such as Bobby Womack and Tony Allen.
Early UK reviews have positioned the album among the band’s strongest in recent years, citing its thematic focus and emotional weight 25 years into the project.
For Indian audiences and industry observers, the scale and depth of Indian participation on a global alternative release of this size signals a shift. These are not guest spots but substantive creative roles within a major international project.
