Gorillaz announce new album details, guests and release date – exclusive

Gorrilaz will release their third album, 'Plastic Beach' on March 8, the cartoon creations of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett have told NME. Confirming the record's full tracklisting, the band also announced that the likes of Lou Reed, Mos Def, Mark E Smith, Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, De La Soul and Super Furry Animals' Gruff Rhys, while The Clash duo Mick Jones and Paul Simonon reunite on the title track."Leeching is the wrong word now isn't it?" the band's 'frontman Murdoc Niccals told NME.COM of the guest stars.

"It's not like I've drawn blood or anything. No, I think the word 'coerced' sings the deal a little better. Although, yes, the coercion did come via chloroform and rohypnol."See this week's issue of NME – on UK newsstands now – for an exclusive comeback interview with Gorrilaz. As with the band's previous releases, the album boasts a back story, which this time sees "the band have taken up residence, recording on a secret floating island deep in the South Pacific, a Plastic Beach HQ, made up of the detritus, debris and washed up remnants of humanity. This Plastic Beach is the furthest point from any landmass on Earth; the most deserted spot on the planet".

Funky Homosapien Del

el The Funky Homosapien played a crucial role in the elaboration of West Coast underground rap with 1991’s I Wish My Brother George Was Here, which though co-produced by his cousin Ice Cube broke quickly from the sinister gangsta rap eclipsing airwaves at the time with its sappy humor and laid back vibe. While his major label days are gone and his most holocene (and biggest) commercial success came via his allocation to Gorillaz’s entry, 2008 proved to be a prolific year for Del, producing the solo effort Eleventh Hour and records with both his Hieroglyphics crew and his Deltron 3030 side project that marked his deduction into the Def Jux roster. He arrive here behind the Internet only 2009 release Funk Man.