Democrazy

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title: "Democrazy" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2000s-demo-albums", "damon-albarn-eps", "songs-written-by-damon-albarn", "2003-debut-eps"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrazy" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	Democrazy
type	EP
artist	Damon Albarn
cover	Albarn Democrazy.jpg
released	8 December 2003
recorded	June–July 2003, various US hotels
genre
length	29:30
label	Honest Jon's
producer	Damon Albarn
prev_title	Think Tank
prev_year	2003
next_title	Demon Days
next_year	2005
misc	{{Extra chronology
artist	Damon Albarn solo
type	EP
title	Democrazy
year	2003
next_title	Dr Dee
next_year	2012
name	Democrazy
type	EP
single1	A Rappy Song
single1date	8 November 2004
::

| name = Democrazy | type = EP | artist = Damon Albarn | cover = Albarn Democrazy.jpg | alt = | released = 8 December 2003 | recorded = June–July 2003, various US hotels | venue = | studio = | genre = | length = 29:30 | label = Honest Jon's | producer = Damon Albarn | prev_title = Think Tank | prev_year = 2003 | next_title = Demon Days | next_year = 2005 | misc = {{Extra chronology | artist = Damon Albarn solo | type = EP | prev_title = | prev_year = | title = Democrazy | year = 2003 | next_title = Dr Dee | next_year = 2012 | name = Democrazy | type = EP | single1 = A Rappy Song | single1date = 8 November 2004

Democrazy is a 2003 vinyl-only double EP of demos by Damon Albarn, frontman of British rock band Blur and the virtual band Gorillaz. It was released through Honest Jon's record label.

Background

Albarn recorded these songs, which are little more than demos, during the US leg of Blur's tour for Think Tank in various hotel rooms. He then decided to issue the result, on 8 December that year, in a double 10" vinyl set on his Honest Jon's label. On 22 December Albarn showcased the demos at a live gig in London's Neighbourhood club.

Some of the EP's tracks were later finished and repurposed for Albarn's other projects; the track "I Need a Gun" was used as the basis for the Gorillaz song "Dirty Harry", which appeared on their 2005 album Demon Days, while the track "Half a Song" was repurposed 20 years later as "The Ballad" appearing on Blur's ninth studio album The Ballad of Darren (2023). The track "A Rappy Song" has often been mis-labeled as an unnamed Gorillaz' track featuring Bootie Brown and Cee-Lo Green, however the song is little more than a remix made by a fan.

Critical reception

| MC = 45/100 | rev1 = Cokemachineglow | rev1score = 25% | rev2 = Dotmusic | rev2score = 3/10 | rev3 = The Guardian | rev3score = | rev4 = Mojo | rev4score = | rev5 = NME | rev5score = 2/10 | rev6 = Pitchfork | rev6score = 3.2/10 | rev7 = Q | rev7score = | rev8 = Stylus | rev8score = F | rev9 = Uncut | rev9score = 6/10

The EP received mixed-to-negative reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 45, which indicates "mixed or average reviews", based on 9 reviews. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian described the album as "occasionally brilliant and frequently irritating beyond belief" and wrote: "It is packed with interesting ideas, but is founded in an appalling self-importance." Mark Beaumont of NME panned the album, describing it as "the half conceived, cottonmouthed rubbish." Pitchfork Media critic Jedediah Gilchrist stated: "He's already recorded such a wealth of great material that no mystique remains, leaving no real reason for anyone—including the most dedicated fan—to seek out these poorly produced musical shreds." Scott of Stylus Magazine wrote: "Serving as nothing more than a temporary diversion or side note to his fully realised work, this is worth a cursory listen for the insight alone."

Track listing

Disc one

1. "I Need a Gun" (demo version of "Dirty Harry") – 1:25
2. "Reedz" – 1:22
3. "Half a Song" (demo version of "The Ballad") – 1:06
4. "Five Star Life" – 2:45
5. "A Rappy Song" – 1:40
6. "Back to Mali" – 1:04
7. "I Miss You" – 2:21
8. "Hymn to Moon" – 1:01

Disc two

1. "Dezert" – 2:51
2. "Sub Species of an American Day" – 2:25
3. "American Welfare Poem" – 3:06
4. "Saz Theory Book" – 2:35
5. "Gotta' Get Down With the Passing of Time" – 2:17
6. "End of Democrazy" – 3:39

References

References

1. "Blur's 'The Ballad of Darren': Dive into our track-by-track".
2. "Damon Albarn – Democrazy". [[Metacritic]].
3. Hepburn, Peter. (20 July 2004). "Damon Albarn - Democrazy".
4. Mulvey, John. (December 4, 2003). "Damon Albarn - ''Democrazy''".
5. Petridis, Alexis. (5 December 2003). "Damon Albarn – Demcorazy". The Guardian.
6. Aside from a handful of instrumental snatches... Democrazy's main events are six or seven tantalising sketches. [Jan 2004, p.96]
7. Beaumont, Mark. (12 September 2005). "Albarn, Damon : Democrazy". [[NME]].
8. Gilchrist, Jedediah. [https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/99-democrazy/ Damon Albarn – Democrazy review] [[Pitchfork (website). Pitchfork]]. 2 March 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
9. A rare peep at the methods of a great songwriter. [Feb 2004, p.98]
10. McKeating, Scott. (10 December 2003). "Damon Albarn – Democrazy". [[Stylus Magazine]].
11. A rare and fascinating glimpse into the raw stuff of the creative process. [Jan 2004, p.103]

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