Few music projects have embraced animation as fully as Gorillaz. Since their debut in the late 1990s, the virtual band created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett has built an entire visual mythology around its animated members. With the release of The Mountain, The Moon Cave and The Sad God, that world expands once again—this time through an ambitious animated short that deliberately looks backward to move forward.
Directed by Hewlett alongside Max Taylor and Tim McCourt from the London studio The Line, the eight-minute film follows the band’s characters—2D, Murdoc, Russel, and Noodle—as they journey through the jungles of India toward a mysterious mountain. Along the way, they encounter strange figures, glittering caves, and surreal landscapes that blend adventure with moments of reflection. The story draws on themes of life, loss, and transformation, partly inspired by the recent passing of both Albarn’s and Hewlett’s fathers, giving the film a more introspective tone beneath its fantastical surface.
What makes the short particularly fascinating is its visual philosophy. Rather than chasing the polished perfection typical of modern digital animation, the team set out to recreate the tactile feel of mid-century hand-drawn films. The project took around eighteen months to complete and relied on a hybrid process combining traditional and digital techniques. Real watercolor paintings were created for backgrounds, physical objects were filmed for certain effects, and optical tricks reminiscent of older filmmaking methods were used throughout the production.
Even the imperfections were intentional. The artists worked to emulate the Xeroxed pencil lines and textured cel surfaces that characterized animated features from the late 1950s and 1960s. Film grain, subtle wobble, and other artifacts of analog projection were layered into the final image so that the animation would feel tangible rather than sterile. In some cases, practical props were built specifically for the shoot, including a handmade storybook created by a London bookbinder and filmed opening on camera.
The result is a visual style that feels both nostalgic and fresh. Lush jungle sequences recall classic adventure animation—echoing the spirit of films like The Jungle Book—while other moments break into bold abstraction, such as the Moon Cave sequence where luminous blue figures move against stark black backgrounds.
Ultimately, The Mountain, The Moon Cave and The Sad God works as both a musical companion piece and a celebration of animation itself. By embracing handmade techniques and the quirks of older filmmaking processes, Gorillaz remind us that sometimes the most exciting creative direction is the one that reconnects us with the craft of the past.
