Gorillaz release the new track “Orange County (ft. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson and Anoushka Shankar),” paired with its companion piece “The Hardest Thing (ft. Tony Allen).” The two songs sit side by side on the upcoming album ‘The Mountain’, out February 27 via the band’s new label KONG, and are also available as a limited-edition Double A-side 7-inch vinyl. Produced by Gorillaz and Bizarrap, “Orange County” was written by Damon Albarn alongside Kara Jackson and Bizarrap, while “The Hardest Thing” opens with the voice of longtime collaborator Tony Allen, recorded prior to his passing in 2020.
“The Hardest Thing” explores grief and farewell, with its central lyric carrying directly into “Orange County,” which expands the emotional scope through layered vocals and instrumentation. The latter features contributions from Kara Jackson and sitar player Anoushka Shankar, weaving spoken word, melody, and rhythmic propulsion into a single eight-minute sequence when heard as intended. Together, the tracks reflect core themes of ‘The Mountain’, an album spanning 15 songs and featuring collaborators from across genres, generations, and languages.
The release coincides with a major Gorillaz moment in Los Angeles. Damon Albarn and the Gorillaz live band will perform ‘The Mountain’ in full at two one-off shows at the Hollywood Palladium on February 22 and 23. This will be followed by the Los Angeles debut and final run of House of Kong, a multi-sensory exhibition opening February 26 at Rolling Greens in Downtown L.A. and running through March 19, marking the closing chapter of the project’s visual and live presentation.
The Mountain Track Listing
Gorillaz / ‘The Mountain’
- The Mountain (feat. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash)
- The Moon Cave (feat. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda and Black Thought)
- The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)
- The Hardest Thing (feat. Tony Allen)
- Orange County (feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson and Anoushka Shankar)
- The God of Lying (feat. IDLES)
- The Empty Dream Machine (feat. Black Thought, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
- The Manifesto (feat. Trueno and Proof)
- The Plastic Guru (feat. Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
- Delirium (feat. Mark E. Smith)
- Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey)
- The Shadowy Light (feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash)
- Casablanca (feat. Paul Simonon and Johnny Marr)
- The Sweet Prince (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar)
- The Sad God (feat. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna and Anoushka Shankar)
Live And Exhibition Dates
Feb 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
Feb 23 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
House of Kong Exhibition
Feb 26 – Mar 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Rolling Greens, Downtown L.A.