http://www.soundgenerator.com/news/i...articleid=7554


Gorillaz to score Chinese opera
26 Apr 2006 Other reports include a planned Hollywood assault, Vegas dates.

Gorillaz have been filling up the gossip pages this week in the music press - with a hugely busy six months ahead for the Damon Albarn-led act.

The band - which includes Albarn, as well as animator Jamie Hewlett - are widely thought to be splitting at the year's end and are reportedly working on an animated movie to do***ent their demise. But before all that, Albarn has revealed plans to work with a German opera company on a new project.

'Journey to the West' is a 500-year-old Chinese story about a chimp who achieves enlightenment after undertaking a spiritual quest to India. The tomb brings together action, spirituality, Chinese teachings and a poetic work - making it one of the 'Four Classical Novels' of Chinese literature.

Albarn was approached to work on the project by Berlin's Staatsoper.

In other news, the band have revealed they plan to bring the curtain down this year with a run of dates in Las Vegas.

Following similar runs in Manchester and New York City, Albarn says he plans to end the adventures of the 2-D act with the Sin City shows, after the band complete their full length film.

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