ARISE, SIR DAMON!

DAMON ALBARN's collaboration with hip-hop producer DAN 'THE AUTOMATOR' NAKAMURA will be released in October, and will find the Blur frontman appearing under an unwieldy pseudonym, nme.com can reveal.

Albarn appears on an intro and outro for Nakamura's new LP, a science fiction/hip-hop concept album called 'Deltron 3030', as well as singing falsetto backing vocals on one track.

He will appear alongside other guests, including Sean Lennon, former De La Soul producer Prince Paul, San Francisco DJ/label owner Peanut Butter Wolf and Brad from the Crash Test Dummies.

The album, to be released in the UK on Automator's own 75ARK label on October 23, is based around a core group of Nakamura, noted scratch DJ Kid Koala and Ice Cube's cousin, Bay Area rapper Del Tha Funkee Homosapien.

Albarn appears as Sir Damien Thorn VII Of The Cockfosters Clan, while Lennon plays Walt "Clyde" Mercado, Crash Test Dummies' Brad is That Guy From Canada, Prince Paul takes on the mantle of Vince Paul McMahon and Beastie Boy keyboard player "Money" Mark Nishita temporarily becomes That Bickering Old Guy.

Albarn's appearances bookend the album, when he delivers two identical spoken word segments.

Albarn's singing appears on 'Time Keeps On Slipping'[/b].

Meanwhile, Blur have announced that they will be giving away a limited edition live CD recorded at London's Wembley Arena in December last year with the first few copies of their forthcoming album Food/Parlophone.

The full track listing of the live bonus CD is: 'She's So High', 'Girls & Boys', 'To The End', 'End Of A Century', 'Stereotypes', 'Charmless Man', 'Beetlebum', 'M.O.R.', 'Tender' and 'No Distance Left To Run'.