May 23, 2012 14:07

William Orbit: 'Damon Albarn halted new Blur recording sessions'

'13' producer says band were in the studio last month

Photo Gallery: Blur
Photo: Dean Chalkley/NME

Damon Albarn has halted work on new Blur material, producer William Orbit has told NME.

The producer, who worked on the reunited Britpop band's 1999 album '13', confirmed that the four-piece had been recording new material, but that the sessions were stopped "suddenly" three weeks ago.

"The new stuff sounded amazing," he says in this week's NME, which is on newsstands from today or available digitally now. "Then it all stopped suddenly. It was all over with Damon, and the rest of the band were like, 'Is this it?'".

Orbit had previously hinted that he was recording with the band in a series of tweets. Back in January, he wrote: "I just found out that she [Diawara] has done tracks with Damon A, who I’m in the studio with from Wednesday!" He later added to the band's guitarist Graham Coxon: ‘Loving the guitars you laid down! Vocal session March 3!’, suggesting that the sessions ?were with Blur and not one of Albarn's many side-projects.

However, another tweet later suggested the work may have stalled. Replying to a tweet from one fan who asked for Blur news in March, Orbit replied: "Blur could have been good. But Damon, brilliant and talented tho he is, is kinda a shit to the rest of Blur."

Last month, Albarn denied he was finished with Blur after earlier suggesting that their huge Hyde Park reunion gig to coincide with the close of this summer's Olympics in August would be their final show. Click below to watch an NME video interview with Graham Coxon talking about the band's preparations for the show.

The band are due to warm up for the show with a short tour taking in dates in Margate, Wolverhampton and Plymouth, along with headlining Sweden's Way Out West in the same month.

To check the availability of Blur tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/TICKETS now, or call 0871 230 1094.