New Concept Album Created by Gorillaz Members
The debut album by Monkey: Journey to the West, is currently available on CD in the UK and digitally in both the UK and US (the CD will be available on the 23rd September in the US) via XL Recordings.
Monkey: Journey to the West is performed by European and Chinese musicians and singers. It is produced by Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad and the Queen). Based on the ancient Chinese legend and opera ”Monkey Journey to the West”, the album is a natural development of the art and music which Jamie Hewlett (Staged Demon Days) and Damon Albarn created with legendary Chinese theater and opera director Chen Shi-Zheng. Albarn wrote the score, while Hewlett designed the set and costumes. All physical formats and the iTunes album will come with a lyric book in Mandarin with Pinyin and English translations.
The special edition deluxe vinyl box set (available only via monkeyjourneytothewest.com) is presented in a hand-made gold-foiled box, and includes a super-heavyweight 200-gram vinyl double album pressed on the classic EMI 1400 vinyl press.
Crafted by The Vinyl Factory, this box set also includes an exclusive over-sized Jamie Hewlett art poster and a 68-page booklet featuring original drawings, lyrics and interviews. A collectors item, this first edition of the box set is limited to 2,500 copies. Purchase of the deluxe vinyl box set also guarantees you a digital version of the album, which is available for download immediately.
There will be an additional limited edition box set made available this fall, which will include a signed Jamie Hewlett print and hardback book. This hand-numbered edition will be limited to only 2000 copies worldwide.