| “ | Gorillaz and Phi Life will give you what you ask for! | „ |
The Sounder is a song by Gorillaz and a b-side track to the single Rock the House. The song features rap vocals by Si Phili and Life MC from hip hop group Phi Life Cypher and was produced by Gorillaz writer and live drummer, Cass Browne.
Information[]
The full version of The Sounder was first released on certain formats of the Rock The House single, as a bonus track the French limited edition re-release of the band's debut album, Gorillaz[1] and on certain individual promo CDs[2]. An edited and shorter version of it, titled The Sounder (Edit), was featured on a larger number of releases and as such became the best-known version of it, including most formats of the Rock The House single and as the 4th track of the band's first compilation album, G-Sides.
The song also shares the same bassline as Rock The House.
Background and Recording[]
The Sounder was originally a beat made by Cass Browne at the backstage of the European leg of the Gorillaz LIVE tour on his laptop with Damon Albarn. The tune was experimented with around August and September before being programmed and finalized between the Birmingham and Manchester concerts. In the band's fictional universe, this was done by Russel Hobbs on his new laptop to occupy himself during the tour instead of "arguing like a dunce" with the others (as stated on Rise Of The Ogre). Si Phili and Life's vocals were recorded during the post-gig trek back to London following the Manchester concert.
According to Browne, in an interview for the Hallelujah Monkeyz podcast,[3] The Sounder was originally intended to feature rap group D12 before the September 11 attacksW took place and 911 was recorded instead. Hip hop group Phi-Life Cypher were drafted to deliver their own rap verses to the song as a replacement to D12 shortly before the Live at the Forum performance. Some of its lyrics were modified and adapted versions of the original and previously unreleased Phi Life Cypher Version of Starshine, along with new rhymes and verses for it. This also goes for Phi-Life Cypher's version of Rock the House itself.
Lyrics[]
[Life]
You couldn't escape this music even if your name's Houdini
Our tracks say Lah for Life and don't disappear like a genie
Communicating through your airwaves like a giant C.B.
'Cause this one's for your radios or whether you receive me
Our music is so hot, it feels like the sun in Tahiti
We rickety-rock, Gorillaz style is buck wild, believe me
We heavyweights who phase ya like Ali did with Frasier
We spit the most flava but musically, we'll amaze ya
We've been blessed and we've been gifted like Jesus in his manger
Won't you shout 'Hallelujah!' Here comes your music saviour
From your heart to your mind, your spirits to your souls,
We've come to take control with the Gorillaz on patrol
See, our rhymes possess the powers of a superhero
Supernaturally we rock the mic but wit' a natural flow
If you didn't know before, you know now - We told you so
Gorillaz rock your dome just like the one in Tokyo
[2-D]
It's a hard dream to contemplate
I could fall into the abyss-ah
And I love this interlude
It's the reason to deliver
And they called onto me
Says they came to talk to me though
The more of us that lies,
I guess the kids don't live or die
[Si Phili]
'Cause we're makin' this music that's making you lose it
So people don't abuse it and there ain't no way for you to refuse it
Gorillaz be the army that's startin' this pardy-ardy
Makin' more noise than carnivals mixed with the Mardi-Gradi
We're comin' through your town with the sound that's so profound
Gorillaz with the rappers that straight from the underground
We're tearin' it down, makin' you feel this sort of force
Knockin' you to your senses and knockin' you off your course
'Cause we're the source, got you feeling that's so appealing
We got you jumpin' around and bouncin' off of the ceiling
Makin' music ya feeling from Baltimore into Bristol
I know you're hearin' me 'cause my voice is clearer than crystal
The casual, supernatural flows I be exposin',
makin' sure that you're frozen and makin' sure that I'm chosen
To rip a score, makin' you damage the dance floor
Gorillaz and Phi Life'll give you what you ask for
[2-D]
It's a hard dream to contemplate
I could fall into the abyss-ah
And I love this interlude
It's the reason to deliver
And they called onto me
Says they came to talk to me though
The more of us that lies,
I guess the kids don't live or die
[Life and Si Phili]
Let Gorillaz be your guiding light and your shining star,
Whether you be home alone or drivin' in your car
Don't matter who ya are, whether you be near or far,
You'll be feelin' entertained be our music repertoire
See, our poems, they be flowin' like rivers and resevoirs
'Cause Gorllaz, we be out of this world like men of Mars
We rap stars with supernatural spars
We leave your brains amazed with this super music of ours
So put your hands up and stand up - It's time to get down
'Cause Gorillaz and Phi Life, we be breakin' you 'round
From the right to the left, from the skies to the ground
We're coverin' all angles and you can't escape the sound
On the track, it's laid back - We've come to spray raps
Keep it chilled and relaxed but we still sound phat
It's like that when we write raps
We're not from the Empire but we still Strike Back!
[2-D (humming) and Life]
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm (Scatting)
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm (Scatting)
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm (Scatting)
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm (Scatting)
Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm (Scatting)
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
So put your hands up and stand up - It's time to get down
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
'Cause Gorillaz and Phi Life, we be breakin' you 'round
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
So put your hands up and stand up - It's time to get down
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
'Cause Gorillaz and Phi Life, we be breakin' you 'round
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
So put your hands up and stand up - It's time to get down
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
'Cause Gorillaz and Phi Life, we be breakin' you 'round
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
So put your hands up and stand up - It's time to get down
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
'Cause Gorillaz and Phi Life, we be breakin' you 'round
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
So put your hands up and stand up - It's time to get down
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
'Cause Gorillaz and Phi Life, we be breakin' you 'round
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
So put your hands up and stand up - It's time to get down
(Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm) (Scatting)
'Cause Gorillaz and Phi Life, we be breakin' you 'round...
Availability[]
Full-Length Version[]
- Gorillaz (French 'Limited Edition' re-release bonus disc);
- Rock The House single (EU 2-track CD, UK 12" promo vinyl);
- The Sounder promo CD.
Edited Version[]
- Rock The House single (CD1, 2-track promo CD, Cassette, EU 4-track 12" promo vinyl);
- G-Sides (all versions);
- Included on the Gorillaz 20th Anniversary Box Set.
Video[]
Trivia[]
- This track is one of four Gorillaz songs to contain a reference to Star WarsW, alongside Clint Eastwood — both Phi Life Cypher's and The Last Emperor's (2002 live recordings from the Demon Detour) versions — and the unreleased Phi-Life Cypher version of Starshine. With the exception of Jamal Gray's version, all of them have their rap done by Life and Si Phili.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.discogs.com/release/855662-Gorillaz-Gorillaz
- ↑ https://www.discogs.com/release/3787244-Gorillaz-The-Sounder
- ↑ Hallelujah Monkeyz: A Gorillaz Fancast. "THE PRODIGAL SON RETURNS: The Cass Browne Interview de Hallelujah Monkeyz: A Gorillaz Fancast". SoundCloud. Retrieved 10 December 2018.