Where hasn’t Girl Talk been the past three years, since the explosion after Night Ripper, the man, Gregg Gillis, has left his Biomedical Engineering job, released another album, and toured all over this small world of ours. So to celebrate this celebrodome status, we thought we’d get a couple words in with the man himself. – All photos via J. Caldwell, Thanks!
One thing that really came to me – more as a blinding epiphany than anything else – was how this fame has undermined my respect for the man. Everyone seems to be doing “mash-ups” now, but one thing that holds true to Gillis that is often overlooked (or oversimplified, as I did in the interview by saying mash-up instead of sample) – he doesn’t mash anything, he cuts, shortens, speeds, and splices samples into a soundscape that’s comparable to any sample based artist. In the interview he brings up the Avalanches, which got me thinking. There is no difference between the two, only the Avalanches (as well as DJ Shadow [also discussed] and Amon Tobin – Foley Room + more) manage to create a non pop enfused album, with more sound effects instead of songs, whereas Gillis manages to sample a good percentage of U.S hits, forever being mislabeled as a mash-up artist. The following is a lesson in all things Gillis, Enjoy.
Girl Talk – Let’s Start This Party Right (Secret Diary)
Girl Talk – Cleveland, Shake (Unstoppable)
Girl Talk – Smash Your Head (Night Ripper)
Girl Talk – Pump This Party (Girl Talk Murders Seattle)
Girl Talk – Here’s the Thing (Feed The Animals)
Grizzly Bear – Knife (Girl Talk Remix)
