In our travels amidst the sprawling Los Angeles area and its baked-in music scene, we get the chance to do some truly amazing and unique things. It’s not all bands performing on stages, sometimes you have to go just out of mere curiosity. At a private media preview, we were allowed an early chance to visit Gorillaz’s new art exhibit timed with the release of their new album The Mountain affectionately titled, House of Kong. We can’t give too much detail about what this was really like, but in truth, it is the full relegalization of what installation art can be. This isn’t just an art gallery; you experience a whole story as you move from room to room. Each attendee is given a pair of headphones and then silently moves through the space while one of a few narrators explain what you’re looking at.
Suffice it to say, if you’re a diehard fan of Gorillaz and their art style/origin, this is not to be missed. You’re shuttled in via a queue greeted by a giant statue of a demon creature the band calls Pazuzu. He factors into this experience, but we can’t tell you how. It starts innocently enough, as you venture forth into rooms featuring never-before-seen sketches from the dawn of the band, all hand-drawn by band cofounder Jamie Hewlett. Hard to believe these sketches even still exist, but it’s wild to see how fully formed the band was even at that early stage. There’s a small section showing storyboards for never-made “Rhinestone Eyes” video and then you’re snapped into the main experience. There’s a lot of love put into the design of each room that follows, so we will not spoil it for you.
After the experience is complete, there is a smattering of other amazing artifacts to see, including the real model used for the creation of the album cover for Plastic Beach and a 15-minute film showing the recording of many of Gorillaz’s legendary guest spots over the years. This leads to a special The Mountain merchandise experience. And if you are a real fan of Gorillaz, get ready to get drunk on product porn. Every available Gorillaz album on CD and vinyl, dozens of different t-shirts and even numerous special jackets and hoodies are all available. There are stickers, sew-on patches, notepads and all kinds of special accoutrement to be had. It’s like a whole department store just for the band, and most likely more available than you would find at their average tour date stop.
House of Kong is available to visit in Los Angeles through March 19th.
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