The animated members of Gorillaz have collided with the band’s real life mastermind Damon Albarn, along with  performer slowthai and hardcore band Slaves on the new song “Momentary Bliss.” This track is featured on the first episode of the new series Song Machine Season 1, which will feature new musical releases, along with bitesized conversations between cartoon band members and its real life collaborators.

“Momentary Bliss” opens up with the theme song shown in its trailer release, and transitions into a shot of Kong studios, where the virtual band members are shown recording with real performers. This eclectic track stays true to the band’s eclectic mix of hip hop, electronic music and rock, with slowthai’s raps complimented by Slaves hardcore punk style and the Gorillaz use of synths.

The band teases Song Machine Season 1 earlier this week on social media platforms and YouTube, where they advised fans to subscribe to stay updated on their new content. This release follows Reject False Icons, which documents the release of their two most recent studio albums Humanz and The Now Now. 

“Song Machine is a whole new way of doing what we do. Gorillaz breaking the mold ‘cos the mold got old. World is moving faster than a supercharged particle, so we’ve gotta stay ready to drop,” the band’s virtual drummer Russel said in a press release. “We don’t even know who’s stepping through the studio next. Song Machine feeds on the unknown, runs on pure chaos. So whatever the hell’s coming, we’re primed and ready to produce like there’s no tomorrow. Y’know, just in case…”