June 2, 2004 - Xfm.co.uk:

X-clusive: Blur Start On New Album

Xfm Online can exclusively reveal that Blur have already started work on the follow up to their 2003 album ‘Think Tank’ with frontman Damon Albarn’s recent low fi solo demo album ‘Democrazy’ forming the basis for the new record.

Speaking to Xfm Online, Blur drummer Dave Rountree explained that the band have already returned to the studio, and while a release date isn’t set, progress is being made.

“We’ve done a week or so recording, and we’ll do another couple of weeks, I think in September,” he explained, “There’s no deadlines we’ll just chip away, like we did with the last one. It’s sounding very good.

It’ll never be in a similar vein [to ‘Think Tank’]. What would be the point in doing that? The basis of the record is Damon’s ‘Democrazy’ album so anyone who listens to that will have a good headstart on what we’re doing. That’s the basis, so some of those tracks will end up being on the record. No working titles yet though, no its far to early for all that rubbish. This is the fun bit where you don’t have to worry about ridiculous working titles.

As previously reported, Blur had been thinking about releasing individual EP’s rather than a full album, an idea that still remains.

“We may do [a standalone EP],” Rountree continued, “But as I say we’re just recording at the moment. In fact, right this moment, we’re not even recording, we’re enjoying the sunshine.”

Rountree also explained that Blur’s other members singer Damon Albarn and bassist Alex James have all got side projects in the pipeline.

“Everyone’s put a lot of things off for the last two years,” he said, “They put off for doing Blur work, so we’re catching up on those projects. Damon’s got two or three projects on the go, Alex has, I have.

“I’m involved with a record label called ‘The Transistor Project’, I’m managing new un-established artists, I’ve got a record that I’m making myself and I’ve got an animation show so. So I have a drum bag, an animation bag and a management bag. Alex has a farm bag, and a Wellington boot bag and a baby, and Damon has a Gorillaz bag, a couple of African bag”

© 2004 Xfm

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