Superfast Jellyfish

Lore & Background

The song's creation involved a rich tapestry of specific moments and collaborations. Vocals were delivered by Damon Albarn, Gruff Rhys, and the hip-hop group De La Soul. The instrumental backing was crafted through synthesizers, sampled loops, drum programming, and additional guitar work by Gruff Rhys, with extra drums contributed by Gabriel Manuals Wallace. Production duties were handled by Jason Cox for mixing and recording, Stephen Sedgwick for recording and programming, and Howie Weinberg for mastering. The track premiered on BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe show on 25 February 2010. About an hour later, it was uploaded to the official Gorillaz YouTube channel, where it garnered significant attention before the video even dropped.

In Their Own Story

The release timeline moved quickly from radio premiere to live performance and remixes. On 8 March 2010, Jamie Hewlett uploaded the official music video to YouTube. The visual narrative shows a man waking up to an alarm, going downstairs, and cooking a box of Superfast Jellyfish in his microwave. Once ready, he begins to eat one of the jellyfish but is immediately sent into a trance where the jellyfish perform a dance around his head. Before this official video appeared, the song had already received over two million views on Gorillaz' official YouTube channel. On 12 April 2010, the first official remix by Unicorn Kid premiered on BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe show. The momentum continued as the group performed the song live on "Later... with Jools Holland" on 27 April 2010.

Reader's Guide

Fans can explore the track through various formats detailed in the release history. The promotional CD single includes the original version at 2:54 and an instrumental mix at 2:47. For those seeking variations, a remixes edition features "Superfast Jellyfish" (Unicorn Kid Remix) at 3:34, the "Evil Nine Remix" stretching to 6:09, and the "Mighty Mouse Remix" clocking in at 6:48. The official music video is available on YouTube via Jamie Hewlett's upload from 8 March 2010. To hear the track as it first aired, listeners can look for the BBC Radio 1 premiere from 25 February 2010. The song's unique composition relies heavily on the specific samples mentioned, making it a distinct entry in the Plastic Beach era that blends pop sensibilities with documentary and commercial audio.

Did You Know?

• The song samples a 1986 commercial for Swanson's microwave "Great Starts Breakfasts".
• David Attenborough narrates the sampled Natural World episode "Sperm Whales: Back from the Abyss" used in the track.
• The official music video accumulated over two million views on YouTube before it was even officially uploaded.
• De La Soul appeared on this song and were previously featured on Gorillaz' hit "Feel Good Inc."
• The first official remix, by Unicorn Kid, premiered on BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe show.