You can never guess what Damon Albarn is going to do next. The former frontman for perennial Britpop poster boys Blur has in recent years found a kindred spirit in animator Jamie Hewlett. The duo are the brains behind Gorillaz, a band which consists of four virtual characters. More recently, Hewlett and Albarn collaborated with China's Chen Shi-zeng to create the striking and eccentric Monkey: Journey to the West, a self-described "circus opera". (Read The Vine's review of the album in which Dan Rule says it's "one of Albarn’s finest and most striking achievements".)

But for those who found the latest Albarn/Hewlett project a little too out there, you'll be happy to know that Albarn has renigged on his promise of no more Gorillaz albums. The NME reports that the duo have begun brainstorming ideas for a third Gorillaz album, their first single 2005's Demon Days (and that's not counting the various remix and B-sides collections that have been released).

"We're doing another Gorillaz record," announced Albarn to Canada's CBC. "We came back from summer holidays and realised we could do exactly what we wanted to do with Gorillaz. Essentially, Jamie just had to agree to draw the characters again. 'Cause I just do what I do anyway.

"We're not entirely certain [what it will be like]; we generally just go with our gut," he continued. "I dunno. We are obtuse and quite abstract, really. We play a game but it's not strictly the game. Sometimes it really works and sometimes... Actually, usually it really works."

Let's just hope he's right on this one.