Virtual band  

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In music, a virtual band (also called a virtual 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 some cases (including all four of the Gorillaz albums, Gorillaz, Demon Days, Plastic Beach, and the recently released The Fall), the virtual band members have been listed 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 1959, 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, 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 the virtual group

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, Ragz Mo' Rocka's, group leader, Grayscale is a genius & DJ, while Murdoc of Gorillaz is a demonic fingered bass player.

The style of animation used for depicting the characters varies. Some groups, like The Archies, Gorillaz, Ragz Mo' Rocka and Alvin and the Chipmunks, are hand-drawn characters, and much of their media use traditional animation and cartooning techniques. Others, such as Crazy Frog, JuJu Eyeballs, Genki Rockets, and The Bots, are computer-generated. Mistula is distinct from many of their counterparts by being animated using stop motion.

Some people consider puppetry as a form of animationTemplate:Ref; this consideration means groups like Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem can be considered virtual.

Notable groups

• Alvin and the Chipmunks
• The Archies
• The C'mons
• Midnight Riders
• Love Fist
• Dethklok
• Genki Rockets
• Gorillaz
• Josie and the Pussycats
• Yesterday's New Quintet
• Old Gods of Asgard
• Dvar
• Interstella 5555
• Mistula
• Nutty Squirrels
• Prozzäk
• Pikku Orava
• Silicon Teens
• Strawberry Flower
• Hatsune Miku
• The Boster