Virtual band

In music, a virtual band (also called a virtual group, cartoon group, or cartoon band) is any group whose members are not corporeal musicians, but animated characters. The music is recorded (and, in the case of concerts, performed) by human musicians and producers, while any media related to the virtual band, including albums, video clips and the visual component of stage performances, feature the animated line-up; in many cases (including all four of the Gorillaz albums, Gorillaz, Demon Days, Plastic Beach, and The Fall), the virtual band members have been credited as the writers and performers of the songs. Live performances can become rather complex, requiring perfect synchronization between the visual and audio components of the show.

The term virtual band was popularised with Gorillaz in 2000; however, the concept of the virtual band was first demonstrated by Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1958, when their creator, Ross Bagdasarian, accelerated recordings of his own voice to achieve the 'chipmunk voice'. There have since been various bands that have recorded material, including, but not restricted to, The Archies, Dethklok, Freen in Green, Skeleton Staff, and Mistula. Each group has used different animation and recording techniques to achieve their desired effect, the most common being computer animation, traditional animation, and vocal mixing and manipulation.

In recent years, the term has also come to be used for music groups who collaborate using the Internet, no longer requiring the members to be present in the same place.

The members of virtual groups are animated characters, and, like any other fictitious character, have their own personality, voice, history, and playing style. For example, Alvin, the 'front-munk' of the Chipmunks, is considered mischievous, and Skeleton Staff's Guitarist Stanton is a party-going underachiever, furthermore, Freen in Green's bassist Sparky is sluggish and has been described as egotistical and pretentious, while Murdoc of Gorillaz is a middle-aged satanic bass player.

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