To best show off of what I intended with this installation, I'll cite a choice example of how the practice is used by a farily worldwide brand of a band:
Gorillaz.
The still-continuing side project of
Damon Albarn, the once frontman and primary songwriter for the British band
Blur, (I'm still uncertain at this point whether or not the original bandmates have reconnected again) Albarn started the project of his "virtual band" in 1998, alongside the animator Jamie Hewlett.
The premise of Gorillaz, while it can be stated in a multitude of different ways, I'll say myself is almost akin to that of a DJ/producer album, as opposed to an album released and created by a solo artist or a band. The most noticeable way a producer-centric album gains a following is by supplying a good, if not great, foundation of melodic undertones, hooked beats, and perhaps most evident of all, cameo artists who band together to create the whole. In my experience, most albums of this sort are very similar to
concept albums in how it all comes together, and unified by the album's producer.
With that opening foreword, I'll get to the track in question:
Happy Landfill, by Gorillaz
(We Are) Happy Landfill is a B-side bonus track, which if you paid close enough attention to, actually should have been the prominent single and perhaps title track to the Gorillaz's sophomore album.
Demon Days was first mentioned in articles detailing the reopening of Gorillaz' website in early December 2004. Initially, a March or April 2005 release date was announced, but it was later pushed back. In an article for Q magazine in February 2005 it was reported that the album was to be titled 'We Are Happy Landfill'. Another early title was reported to be 'Reject False Icons', which is also the title of Gorillaz' culture jamming project.
But, as you know the eventual story, the above scenario did not come to pass, and the second album was instead titled "
Demon Days", and the once pivotal track was pushed aside as a hidden release tune. In fact, if you were at all once familiar with the Gorillaz's website a few years back, you might have noticed upon inspection of the "virtual playground" that you would occasionally come across "virtual Easter eggs", in the form of audio-cassettes strewn across or hidden in a given room, and it only played some sort of short, disjointed musical tone. Well, once you collected the total 4 or 5 of these cassettes, they could then be "combined" via a virtual boombox, and once played within the site, would allow the user to download the special hidden track straight from the website. It was also available as a special online download for those who purchased the
Demon Days DVD combo.
Hopefully, you've caught most of the history of what I laid down, but if you are still a tad bit confused, you can check out this
informational decree.
Enjoy.
Gorillaz -
Happy Landfill