The project of Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, and Flea, Rocket Juice & the Moon began when the three musicians met on a plane in 2008 when they were going to Lagos to work with Albarn's Africa Express collective. Realizing how much they all had in common, the three musicians made plans to record when they could, and by late 2010, they had nearly finished their first album. With the help of Chicago's Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara, Erykah Badu, and West African rapper M.anifest. Rocket Juice & the Moon's self-titled debut arrived in March 2012 on Honest Jon's Records. ~ Heather Phares