Hear Gorillaz’s New Psychedelic Disco Song, ‘Sleeping Powder’

Gorillaz virtual member, 2D, released a new song, “Sleeping Powder,” Thursday via the band’s mobile app. Gorillaz shared a psychedelic video for the cut, which sets the scene by sampling the famous “This Is Your Brain on Drugs” advertisement. 

“Sleeping Powder” begins with 2D ”“ voiced by Damon Albarn ”“ sitting at a piano, crooning over a harpsichord and acoustic guitar. The room melts away as the song transforms into an ambient disco, packed with elastic synths and steady drums. Albarn’s voice is coated in static. 

Ahead of the video’s release, the virtual group’s member, 2D, announced on the Gorillaz app: “I’ve just written a song, putting it out today, check back later yeah?” The video for “Sleeping Powder” arrived a few hours after his message, and was exclusively available on the app for the first hour.

In April, Gorillaz released Humanz, their first album since 2011. The LP featured an array of genres, from dancehall (Popcaan), house music (Jamie Principle), gospel (Mavis Staples), soul (Anthony Hamilton), vintage hip-hop (De La Soul), to rock (Jehnny Beth of Savages).

“Every conversation with every artist went like this: ‘I want this record to embody pain, joy and urgency. We are using our dark fantasies to imagine something happening in this town in the near future, that is turning the world on its head,'” Albarn told Rolling Stone in April.

Humanz debuted at Number Two on the Billboard Albums chart. Gorillaz is currently on tour around the U.S. and Canada, making stops at major festivals like Outside Lands in San Francisco and Meadows Music and Arts Festival in New York City.