Feel Good Inc is one of the defining tracks of the 2000s, blending hip-hop production with alternative rock in a way that still sounds fresh. It is a masterclass in restraint, where the power comes not from what is played loudly but from what is held back and released at exactly the right moment.

The track was created by Gorillaz, the virtual band project led by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, and appears on the 2005 album Demon Days, produced with Danger Mouse. The collaboration brought together a wide range of contributors, including De La Soul, and the result is a layered, hypnotic arrangement that rewards repeated listening from any angle.

The groove at the heart of this recording is built on a looping drum pattern that locks tightly with a bass riff of real character. The contrast between the dense, urban verses and the open, melodic section in the middle of the track is one of its most striking features. Harmonically the song stays in a narrow range, letting rhythm and texture do the heavy lifting. The form is clear enough to follow easily, yet the transitions carry genuine surprise.

Approaching this track, the most important skill to develop is pocket. Every part sits precisely in relation to the drum loop, and any player who rushes or drags will immediately feel the groove resist them. Practicing with the recording at a lower volume, focusing on locking to the pulse rather than covering it, is the most effective way in. Dynamics matter enormously here: the shifts between dense and sparse sections are where the arrangement breathes.

• Artist: Gorillaz, the project of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett
• Album: Demon Days, released in 2005
• Producers: Gorillaz and Danger Mouse
• Featured artists: De La Soul
• Feel: sixteenth-note hip-hop groove with strong syncopation and deliberate dynamic contrast
• Won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2006