Gorillaz Continue Release of Digital EPs, Prep Opera

Considering Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s past creative successes, it should come as no surprise that the duo behind the Gorillaz are set to drop their third imaginative multi-media EP, El Manana, Dec. 5. Available exclusively via iTunes, the EP contains unreleased tracks and features live videos, images, screensavers, and wallpaper, a post on the band’s website reveals. The Dec. 5th release is preceded by the Nov. 21 release of the Dirty Harry EP and the Nov. 7 release of the DARE EP.

Also according to a post on their site, the duo behind the Gorillaz have also officially begun work on Monkey: Journey to the West, “a groundbreaking new circus opera based on the Chinese legend set to a musical score by Albarn and a visual setting designed by Hewlett.” The show, which the post calls “an epic journey of enlightenment retold through circus, martial arts, and music, featuring Shaolin Monks and Chinese vocalists,” was written and directed by Chen Shi-Zheng. It’s set to premiere at the inaugural Manchester International Festival next June.

Here’s the tracklisting for the El Manana EP:

1. El Manana – Demon Days live in Harlem (video)
2. Kids with Guns (video / visuals)
3. Hong Kong Live in Manchester (audio Only)
4. Stop the Dams (audio)