Damon Albarn – “Monkey Bee (Nosaj Thing Remix)”
In our Counting Down of Damon Albarn’s non-Blur projects, I had Monkey: Journey To The West very close to dead last — it was edged out only by Albarn’s excruciating 2003 demo collection Democrazy. Monkey is a really tedious “journey,” if you’re listening to it as an album for, y’know, enjoyment. Of course, it’s meant to be experienced as a stage production, and in that capacity, it might be transcendent. (In fact, reviews suggest “transcendent” might be an understatement.) It’s being staged now at NYC’s Lincoln Center, and to promote its run, L.A. producer Nosaj Thing has remixed one of the songs from the album, “Monkey Bee.” I like the remix more than anything I remember from the original record, and I’d really like to check out the stage production, and experience the music in its intended context. And maybe I will. Of course it ends in less than two weeks (on 7/28), so maybe I won’t. If you wish to do so, cop tickets here, and either way, listen to Nosaj Thing’s remix below, and watch the stage show’s trailer vid below that.