British rocker Damon Albarn has opened up about his heroin use, insisting taking the drug aided his songwriting and was "incredibly productive'' for his career.
The Blur frontman has previously confessed to taking the heavily addictive narcotic over a period of time during his 1990s heyday, and he has detailed his use of the drug for the first time in an interview with rock magazine Q.
He recalls how he would take it five days a week but ensured he always stayed clean at weekends in a bid to regulate his intake, and he is adamant it was a mainly positive experience.
"You know I hate talking about this because of my daughter, my family. But, for me, it was incredibly creative. It freed me up. If you're talking about odysseys, then that was definitely an odyssey.
"A combination of that and playing really simple, beautiful, repetitive s**t in Africa changed me completely as a musician. I found a sense of rhythm. I somehow managed to break out of something with my voice.'' he said.