Pitchfork

It's been four years since they last held the summer Olympic games, and the powers that be (Zeus, etc.) have come together and decided it might be just as good a summer as any to hold another one. And so they shall: the 2008 Summer Olympics will be held in and around Beijing, China August 8-24. And while we Yanks get reacquainted with the genial trivia font that is Bob Costas, UK sports fans tuning into BBC Sport will be met with an eyeful of Gorillaz.

Yep, Gorillaz-- the fake band with the big hits headed up by Blur frontguy Damon Albarn and animator Jamie Hewlett-- have worked up both a title sequence and original music for the network's broadcast of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, according to NME.com and confirmed by the BBC Sport website. It all sprung out of Monkey Journey to the West, the stage show Albarn and Hewlett created based on a traditional Chinese folktale.

"The idea is that you tell the entire story of Journey to the West in a two-minute opening sequence, which is basically them on their way to the Olympic stadium," Hewlett told the BBC Sport website. Executive producer Jonathan Bramley explained, "Monkey's journey to the West becomes a journey to the East. Monkey and the characters will travel across China to Beijing. While they will use magical powers to fight off various monsters and demons, they'll also use all sorts of Olympic sports as well. So Monkey might use gymnastic powers, Pigsy will be hurdling, and Sandy uses taekwondo."

Here in the U.S., we will probably get the Black Eyed Peas dancing with Al Roker. That is in no way a complaint.

Monkey Journey to the West is currently being performed at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina through June 8. Following that, it'll come to London's Royal Opera House July 23-26. And lest those breakup rumors from last year still have you wondering, Gorillaz (and Roots Manuva) appear on "Soldier Boy", the b-side to the new Martina Topley-Bird single "Poison", which is out now.

Albarn will also preside over the Honest Jon's Revue, a concert taking place at New York City's Lincoln Center on July 12. It features performances from artists on Albarn's Honest Jon's label roster, including Candi Staton, Afel Bocoum, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Kokanko Sata, Lobi Traore, and Simone White.