XL Recordings boss Richard Russell has lifted the lid on how Damon Albarn‘s solo album ‘Everyday Robots’ sounds.
Albarn, who will be honoured with the NME Award For Innovation at this year’s NME Awards with Austin, Texas, will release his debut solo album ‘Everyday Robots’ on April 28.
Speaking about the album, which he helped produce, Russell says: “It’s definitely a different sound to anything he’s had before.” He then adds: “He’s been very conceptual for the past few records he’s done whereas this is one is just a personal record that’s about him. He worked very hard to express things that were very personal but to do it in an interesting way. That’s what makes the record him. He brought me in to create a particular atmosphere and particular mood, so it’s quite an atmospheric record with a certain palate of sounds and a certain rhythmic feel and very personal stuff.”
As revealed earlier this week (February 10), the Blur frontman will pick up the NME Award For Innovation in person at the Awards, which will take place on Wednesday, February 26 at the O2 Academy, Brixton. The award recognises the singer, songwriter, producer and composer as one of the UK’s most influential and consistently groundbreaking musicians. The NME Award For Innovation not only recognises Albarn’s past, but equally celebrates him as one of the world’s leading music heavyweights in 2014.
Pick up a copy of this week’s NME, which will be on newsstands from today (February 12) and available digitally to read a full review of Albarn’s career from Blur to Gorillaz to Africa Express and his work as a producer on Bobby Womack’s ‘Bravest Man In The Universe’.
Others paying tribute to Albarn in this week’s NME include Bobby Womack, Massive Attack, Jude Law and De La Soul.
Arctic Monkeys lead the nominations this year’s NME Awards with Austin, Texas with eight nods. Haim follow closely with six nominations whilst Queens of The Stone Age, Lily Allen and Arcade Fire all have three. Vote now here.
Ceremony tickets for the NME Awards 2014 with Austin, Texas are on sale right now at NME.com/tickets.