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Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis) – Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)

by Caleb Moore | June 23rd 2008, 2:12 PM
Posted in Album Review |Audio |girl talk |gregg gillis
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New Girl Talk Album

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MP3: Girl Talk – No Pause

I guess I’m going to music industry hell.

Last Thursday morning, Girl Talk’s fourth official release, “Feed the Animals” was made public by Illegal Art, posted for download on the record company’s website, using the illustrious “pick your own” pricing schematic.

And…. I didn’t pay a single cent for it.

The peeps at illegal art made a few changes to the “Radiohead Model” of online aural distribution– After paying $0.0– the website asked me why. Great idea. Why not gain some insight into the demented brains of cheapskates, hobos, and assholes like me!

There were more innovations– For $5, you get lossless, FLAC audio files of the album, and a seamless mix (one big mp3) of the album. For $10, purchasers received all of the above, as well as the packaged album “when it becomes available”. Not a bad deal. If I had the money, I definitely would have thrown down 2 fugazis for all that Girl Talk (AND I wouldn’t have felt an ounce of guilt!).

I’m going to guess that Gregg will end up making a pretty penny on this format. As the name of the album implies, his fans have been growing ravenous for new material. Days prior, those of you who checked out his myspace page were in for a special (albeit worrisome) treat. There was one song and one song only on the page, and it was not danceable, it was even.. dare I say experimental???

Yes, Gillis teased us a bit. In the end, he ended up sticking to his tried and VERY true format of throwing down any and everything that pleases the ears and reminds us of the good times; a slut bucket of glitchy beats, raunchy rap music from now and the past, alternative rock that millennials like me listened to in middle school and high school, old school rock that our parents smoked weed to, and EVERYTHING else you could possibly predict to sound horrible when joined together.

Now, a lot of people talk trash about Girl Talk. One of my friends said that he was a “no-talent ass clown” I’m pretty sure. People say that he’s not a real DJ. That the software he’s using does all of the hard work. That it’s simply music to get wasted and snort white substances to.

I will disagree with most of that. I say that the software does help a lot– but where would music be today without ProTools? You can’t fucking hate on technology. If you are, well- you’re probably not reading this right now.

Also, it takes a LOT of skill to do what he does. He’s not throwing these samples into a pile of a song and calling it quits. Sometimes its kind of scary how well songs fit together. Take for instance “No Pause”, the 6th track on the album. Towards the end he’s mixing Eminem and Yael Naim (You know it. You’ve heard it. It’s the cutesy Mac Airbook commericial song with the piano). It sounds freaking perfect AND ironic. I thought I hated Eminem. WTF??!! Ok I still do, but “No Pause” has won my heart.

Take “What It’s All About”– at the 3:30 mark we hear Jackson Five make an appearance. Then “Bohemian Rhapsody”. What???? And it sounds good?? Even great?!?! This is evidence of his genius.

The list goes on and on: Nirvana, The Beegees, M.I.A., Kelly Clarkson, Lil Wayne, Kanye, BlackStreet, Spank Rock, Ace of Base, The Police, Eryka Badu. Visit the wiki if you are sick of obsessing over it and want to ruin the fun with a nerdcore list of every sample.

So. He’s finally fed us, I have a feeling most people will be throwing down a good bit of cash money at his internet-savvy ass. Props to you Girl Talk. Thanks for the jams. Thanks for DJing my party when we all got too tired of DJing and just wanted to dance. Thanks for everything.

Don’t miss Gregg Gillis at Whartscape, btw. I am guessing he is going to play Girl Talk stuff, but who knows…

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10 Responses to “Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis) – Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)”

  1. Greg Szeto says:
    June 23, 2008 at 5:12 pm

    Sometimes I listen to Girl Talk just to play a musical pop-culture, aural version of Where’s Waldo.

  2. caroline says:
    June 24, 2008 at 3:33 am

    Great review! Definitely made me laugh a little. “No Pause” is an instant favorite of mine from the new album.

  3. Alex Mudge says:
    June 24, 2008 at 10:14 am

    i’ll try to piece together the transcript of the girl talk interview i did late last summer. i wasnt in my right mind for the interview, and i dont know if greg was either, but i do remember a lot of talk about the KLF.

  4. Laura Koontz says:
    June 24, 2008 at 11:02 pm

    Oh, I think you’re not giving Greg Gillis enough credit here. His album is more than just throwing shit together in a way that sounds good. It’s far more than just internet pandering and I’ll give you three examples of why:

    1. He begins the album with the same track he closes it with. So, you can totally loop that shit all night long (like I did tonight).

    2. On “What it’s all about” Busta Rhymes says “I got the cure…” and the next sample up is… THE CURE’s “Close to Me”. There’s layers of shit there for those that are paying attention. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s grin-inducing if you pick it up.

    3. He mixes a Kraftwerk sample with an Afrikaa Bombaataa sample (which originally samples a DIFFERENT Kraftwerk song). That’s a pretty big wink, possibly even a tip of the hat.

    All in all, I think saying that it’s “great to snort coke to” is a little disengenous.

  5. caleb says:
    June 25, 2008 at 12:03 am

    Agreed.

    I didn’t notice those points.

    But you were missing the point that I was defending Gillis from what some people think about his work, not attacking him.

    You’re also misquoting me.

  6. love/hate says:
    June 25, 2008 at 1:17 pm

    Why would you feel bad about not paying for an album made by a guy who doesn’t pay any money to the people who made the samples he is using?

    I was severely disappointed by his performance at DEMF, not because he looked over at Windsor, Ontario, CA and complimented Detroit on its “lovely skyline.” He jackass its Canada. I don’t think he even knew which festival he was at. “Is this Lollapolooza yet?”

    I guess I’m not 19 and looking at a guy using Ableton taking his clothes off and hyping himself like he was Rahzel just doesn’t cut it. anymore. Maybe I am more into anonymity in dark rooms with repetitive music than bright lights and top 40 irony.

    Yeah you can rock a party, yeah all of the rejects came out of the woodwork to see you and Moby, yeah so what? Same album different songs, IMO. Do something new and by new I mean musically, not new samples.

    Caleb don’t feel bad for stealing music thats already been stolen.

  7. leriseux says:
    June 27, 2008 at 2:25 pm

    I think that software is just a tool or instrument. It’s up to the artist to mold and shape music using whataver tools are available.

    Making beats can be boring and monotonous work (when you’re sober!!) So definitely props. on the production and technical tip for Mr. Girltalk.

    Personally, I was very disappointed by Girltalk at DEMF08. I don’t care if you take your clothes off and let people on stage. Is the music good when you take all the fluff away? Does it blow your mind? Not saying that it always has to be high-minded, but as far as party music goes, this ass was asleep when he was doing his thing.

    Ass shaking is subjective of course.

  8. leriseux says:
    June 27, 2008 at 2:31 pm

    Another note. When I turned to my friend and said: “This stuff is making me loose my buzz” some random dude turned around and said: “Fuck You!” Memories indeed.

  9. rechercher says:
    August 23, 2008 at 11:59 am

    He is a wizard and a true star…(he should sample that, if he hasn’t already).

  10. Sandra Possing says:
    January 14, 2009 at 11:39 pm

    People may say that he’s not a real DJ. But, then, Greg himself insists that he’s not a DJ. At least not in the traditional sense. And, personally, I think that’s what makes him so unique.

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