The timeless 2001 hit is powered by a preset titled “Rock 1.”
It turns out those cheesy keyboard presets are good for something after all.
In a recent interview with Zane Lowe of Apple Music, Damon Albarn, the mind behind the iconic digital band Gorillaz, shared that the instrumental of his 2001 hit “Clint Eastwood” was produced from a Suzuki Omnichord preset.
Developed in 1981 by Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation and not to be confused with the car manufacturer, the musical instrument featured a simple preset titled “Rock 1,” which Albarn used as the bedrock of one of his biggest hits.
When exploring Albarn’s studio, Lowe saw some of the instruments that went into the making of the Grammy-winning artist’s expansive library. This, of course, is when the hilarious reveal occurred, as both shared a laugh after realizing the similarities between the instrument’s preset and the final “Clint Eastwood” recording.
Later in the interview, Albarn and Lowe discuss the former’s performances at festivals like Coachella and his new album, Cracker Island, among other topics .Check out the hourlong interview below. The “Clint Eastwood” excerpt comes at the very start of the video.
It’s worth noting this isn’t the first time Albarn has revealed this production tidbit. In a 2020 interview with Vulture, he said the preset beat would ultimately inspire him to purchase many more electronic instruments over the next two decades.
“‘Clint Eastwood.'” I mean you don’t get more perfect than that, really,” Albarn said at the time. “It’s just complete hybrid, weird shit. And, you know, it came from switching on the Suzuki Omnichord [a portable electronic instrument] and the first preset was the beat. That can only happen once: [you take an] electronic instrument and the first thing you play you use, and it becomes a massive hit. As a result of that, in the proceeding 20 years I’ve bought a lot of electronic instruments hoping that that eventually would happen again.”