Spacemonkeyz vs. Gorillaz is the collaborative moniker behind the 2002 dub and reggae remix album, Laika Come Home. The "Spacemonkeyz" are a real-life musical trio consisting of Darren Galea, Richie Stevens, and Gavin Dodds, but in true Gorillaz fashion, they feature their own bizarre fictional backstory. According to the animated band's lore, the Spacemonkeyz (known virtually as D-Zire, Dubversive, and Gavva) are mutated, space-faring chimpanzees who broke into an unlocked Kong Studios while the Gorillaz were on tour in America. After stealing the master tapes for the Gorillaz' debut self-titled album, the mischievous primates reimagined the tracks into a chilled-out, heavily textured dub masterpiece.
To help bring this ambitious rework to life, the trio brought in Stuart Zender, best known as the acclaimed original bassist for the funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai. Zender—who was a former Jamiroquai bandmate with Spacemonkeyz member Gavin Dodds—contributed crucial bass and clarinet lines to Laika Come Home, helping to anchor the album's deep, laid-back reggae grooves. His rich, foundational basswork was a perfect fit for the dub transformation, and his collaboration with the Spacemonkeyz even extended beyond the album when he later worked with them on a 2005 remix of the Gorillaz hit "Dirty Harry."
Tap on any album for track list.
