The new Gorillaz album, The Mountain, has been out for a week now. You’ll probably know by now that it’s a concept album, of a sort, about death. Amongst the collaborators on the project are many who’ve passed on – Mark E Smith, Tony Allen, Bobby Womack and David Jolicoeur of De La Soul. For those, Albarn used unused material from when they previously guested on Gorillaz records. Now, the 57-year-old singer-songwriter has admitted for one of those icons – Lou Reed, he had to use a ‘replica’ voice. Speaking to The Needle Drop podcast, Albarn revealed that he ran into problems clearing Reed’s contribution with the Velvet Underground man’s estate. “Some people, their estates wouldn't allow me,” he explained “On (the track) The Plastic Guru, the voice at the beginning, it's actually a replica of Lou Reed's voice.”"It was Lou Reed, and then I was told to take it off. So, I didn't want to take what he'd said to me off... Because I thought it was really interesting."
