Sound Check (Gravity)

Sound Check (Gravity) is the eighth track on Gorillaz' 2001 album "Gorillaz".

Recording
When the band was recording in Jamaica, 2-D and Noodle were outside at 2 o'clock in the morning, on top of the roof of the hut hotel next to the beach which the band were staying at. 2-D stared at the starry sky and simply sang about the universe, while Noodle used a Dictaphone to record him which also picked up the crickets humming underneath.

Russel Hobbs wanted a feel reminiscent of the Hank Shocklee Bomb Squad, but he played the decks too hard that they caught fire and the vinyl melted, so Dan the Automator got Kid Koala to do all the scratches and breaks instead.

Since Murdoc had overslept that day, the dub bass legend Junior Dan came in and replaced him in the song, though Murdoc was apparently angered about his bass being used by someone else.

Due to the crickets appearing in the song, the band later got a large royalty check that went out to "The Jamaican Wildlife".

Trivia

 * The song was simply titled "Sound Check" on the Un-mastered Version and Instrumental versions of the self-titled album.
 * It is also adressed to in this way on the Live at the Forum, 2001 LP.
 * The Spacemonkeyz Remix of the song is Crooked Dub.