Trugoy

Lore & Background

David Jolicoeur, known as Trugoy the Dove, was a member of De La Soul and a longtime Gorillaz collaborator. For *The Mountain*, Damon Albarn included unused vocal takes from Jolicoeur, taken from an unreleased song from the band's third album *Plastic Beach* called "Float Tropics." These contributions appear on the track "The Moon Cave." The album's liner notes list Jolicoeur among the past Gorillaz collaborators to whom the album is dedicated, alongside Bobby Womack, Dennis Hopper, Tony Allen, and others. Albarn's decision to include these unused takes was driven by the album's thematic focus on death and grief: "I just thought, if we're going to talk about the subject of death, I need some people who are dead to help me talk about it."

In Their Own Story

In a recording session for *Plastic Beach*, Trugoy laid down verses for a song called "Float Tropics" that never made the final cut. Years later, as Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett worked on *The Mountain*—an album about death, grief, and the afterlife—Albarn returned to those unused recordings. He wove Jolicoeur's voice into "The Moon Cave," a track named after a book Albarn had given his late father. The album's liner notes would later dedicate the work to Jolicoeur, marking his final musical contribution to the Gorillaz universe.

Reader's Guide

Trugoy's appearance on *The Mountain* is a posthumous one, using an unreleased vocal take from the *Plastic Beach* sessions. The track "The Moon Cave" features his contributions alongside those of the late Bobby Womack, whose vocals came from an outtake of a conversation with Albarn. The song also includes Asha Puthli, whose involvement was suggested by producer James Ford. The album was released on 27 February 2026 through Kong Records, distributed by Sony Music subsidiary the Orchard. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number seven on the US Billboard 200.

Did You Know?

• Trugoy's vocals on *The Mountain* come from an unreleased *Plastic Beach* song called "Float Tropics."
• The album's liner notes dedicate the work to Trugoy alongside other late collaborators like Bobby Womack, Dennis Hopper, and Tony Allen.
• Damon Albarn said he included unused vocals from deceased collaborators because he needed 'people who are dead to help me talk about' death.
• Trugoy's contributions appear on the track "The Moon Cave," which is named after a book Albarn gave his late father.
• The album was released on 27 February 2026 and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart.