Damon Albarn unveils a snippet from his 'solo' debut

Damon Albarn's first 'solo' album, away from his other myriad guises and collaborative projects, could be nearing completion – today he posted a clip from the new material on YouTube, without comment. In an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year, Albarn spoke about the album, which is produced by Richard Russell, owner of XL Recordings.

"Making a solo record can be such a disaster, so I thought if we're going to make a record with my name on it, I should get someone to really produce it – take that responsibility away from myself," commented the Blur and Gorillaz vocalist. 

He described the album as "sort of folk soul." Russell was also a collaborator on Bobby Womack's The Bravest Man in the Universe, along with Albarn, perhaps indicating the direction these new tracks will take. This year, Albarn has been hard at work on the album Maison De Jeunes by Africa Express, which saw him produce new music for African musicians and bands alongside Brian Eno, Ghostpoet and others.