Girl Talk (musician) explained

Girl Talk
Background:solo_singer
Birth Name:Gregg Michael Gillis
Birth Date:1981 10, mf=yes
Birth Place:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Instrument:Laptop, sampler, turntables
Years Active:2001–present
Label:Illegal Art, 333 Recordings, SSS Records, Spasticated Records, 12 Apostles
Associated Acts:Trey Told 'Em
Website:www.girltalkmusic.com

Gregg Michael Gillis (born October 26, 1981), known by the stage name Girl Talk, is an American disc jockey who specializes in mash-ups and digital sampling.[1] [2] [3] Gillis has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on both 333 and 12 Apostles. He was trained as an engineer.

Early life and education

Gillis began experimenting with electronic music and sampling while a student at Chartiers Valley High School in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania suburb of Bridgeville. After a few collaborative efforts, he started the solo "Girl Talk" project while studying biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. In school, Gillis focused on tissue engineering.

Influences

Gillis states his musical inspirations to have been Squarepusher, Aphex Twin, Just Blaze, Nirvana and Kid606 among others.[4] [5] [6] He has also stated interest in punk rock, as well as noise musician Merzbow. He stated that he was first introduced to the genre of Plunderphonics by John Oswald.[7] Gillis has also stated that he was always into hip-hop and pop music. As he aged, he started to like older musicians such as The Beatles.[8]

Career

Gillis worked as an engineer, but he quit in May 2007 to focus solely on music.[9]

He produces mash-up remixes, in which he uses often a dozen or more unauthorized samples from different songs to create a mash-up. The New York Times Magazine has called his releases "a lawsuit waiting to happen",[10] a criticism that Gillis has attributed to news media that want "to create controversy where it doesn't really exist", citing fair use as a legal backbone for his sampling practices.[11]

Gillis has given his own different explanations for the origin of his stage name, once saying that it alluded to a Jim Morrison poem[12] and once saying that it alluded to an early Merzbow side project.[13] In 2009, he attributed the name to Tad, the early 1990s SubPop band, based in Seattle.[14] Gillis has said the name sounded like a Disney music teen girl group.[15]

In a 2009 interview with FMLY, Gillis stated:

The name Girl Talk is a reference to many things, products, magazines, books. It's a pop culture phrase. The whole point of choosing the name early on was basically to just stir things up a little within the small scene I was operating from. I came from a more experimental background and there were some very overly serious, borderline academic type electronic musicians. I wanted to pick a name that they would be embarrassed to play with. You know Girl Talk sounded exactly the opposite of a man playing a laptop, so that's what I chose.[16]

Gillis is featured heavily in the 2008 open source documentary .

Girl Talk released his fifth LP All Day on November 15, 2010 for free through the Illegal Art website.[17] A U.S. tour in support of All Day began in Gillis's hometown of Pittsburgh with two sold-out shows at the then-recently completed Stage AE concert hall.[18] Since Gillis releases his music under Creative Commons licenses, fans may legally use it in derivative works. Many create mash-up video collages using the samples' original music videos.[19] Filmmaker Jacob Krupnick chose Gillis's full-length album All Day as the soundtrack for Girl Walk//All Day, an extended music video set in New York City.[20]

In 2014, Girl Talk brought out Freeway as a special guest during a show at the Brooklyn Bowl.[21] They announced that they were releasing a collaborative EP together called Broken Ankles. The project was released on April 8, 2014.[22]

Gillis played at the Coachella Festival in 2014. For the first time in one of his live shows, artists performed their vocals over his mash-ups. During the first weekend, he was joined by Too Short, E-40, Juicy J, and Busta Rhymes.[23] [24] On the second weekend, he was joined by Freeway, Waka Flocka Flame, Tyga, and Busta Rhymes.[25]

In the years following the release of Broken Ankles, Girl Talk continued to tour and play festivals. He also began to do more production and collaborative work with other artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Young Nudy, T-Pain, Smoke DZA, Bas, and G Perico.[26]

Album pricing

After the success of his album Feed the Animals, for which listeners were asked to pay a price of their choosing, Gillis made all of his other albums similarly available via the Illegal Art website.

Awards

Night Ripper was number 34 on Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2006,[27] number 22 on Rolling Stone's Best Albums of 2006,[28] and number 27 on Spin's 40 Best Albums of 2006.[29] In 2007, Gillis was the recipient of a Wired magazine Rave Award.[30]

Feed the Animals was number four on Time's Top 10 Albums of 2008.[31] Rolling Stone gave the album four stars and ranked the album #24 on their Top 50 albums of 2008.[32] Blender rated it the second-best recording/album of 2008,[33] and National Public Radio listeners rated it the 16th best album of the year.[34]

Gillis' hometown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, named December 7, 2010 "Gregg Gillis Day".[35]

Film appearances

In 2007, Girl Talk appeared in Good Copy Bad Copy, a documentary about the current state of copyright law and remix culture.

In 2008, he appeared as a test case for fair use in Brett Gaylor's , a call to overhaul copyright laws. His parents, in one scene, complain to him about his frequent stripping during his performances.

Discography

Albums

Collaborative albums

EPs

Compilation appearances

Singles

Remixes

Production credits

Live performances

Gillis began producing music with AudioMulch software, which he still uses, played live from a computer. During a live performance, he uses samples and loops to play a set — allowing room for variation throughout the set. His live sets are typically accompanied by video content on stage. He has been known to bring fans on stage to dance during performances.[52]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Lindsay, Cam."The Trouble with Girl Talk", Exclaim!, November 2008.
  2. Web site: Girl Talk Coachella 2009-4 . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/ZOGz7QlftAE . 2021-12-21 . live. YouTube . April 19, 2009 . May 30, 2010.
  3. Web site: Girl Talk Get Naked. Often . Tough. Paul. October 2009. . 24 January 2014 .
  4. Web site: Dombal . Ryan . Girl Talk . Pitchfork . 30 August 2006 . Condé Nast . 18 March 2021.
  5. Web site: Scarano . Ross . Interview: Girl Talk Defends Soulja Boy, Offers Advice About Blacking Out in Pittsburgh . Complex . 18 March 2021.
  6. Web site: One on One: Girl Talk, Computer Musician . Nick . Bilton . February 28, 2011 . 2015-01-13.
  7. Web site: Girl Talk Interview Part 1 . YouTube . November 15, 2010 . March 25, 2015.
  8. Web site: Girl Talk Interview (October 2011) . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/SRUijfrNOgg . 2021-12-21 . live. YouTube . September 29, 2011 . March 25, 2015.
  9. Web site: Quit Your Day Job: Girl Talk . Stereogum . May 30, 2010 . March 15, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090315112159/http://stereogum.com/archives/quit-your-day-job/quit-your-day-job-girl-talk_004530.html . dead .
  10. Walker . Rob . Mash-up Model . The New York Times Magazine. July 20, 2008. 15 . July 30, 2008 .
  11. Web site: McLendon . Ryan . Interview: Girl Talk a/k/a Gregg Gillis . . November 14, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100730071554/http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2008/11/interview_girl.php . July 30, 2010 .
  12. Web site: Cardace . Sara . Pants-Off Dance-Off . Nerve.com Screening Room . February 10, 2007 .
  13. Web site: GOTTY . The Art Of Persuasion... . The Smoking Section . May 23, 2007 . July 11, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080226001301/http://smokingsection.rawkus.com/TSS/?p=1392 . February 26, 2008.
  14. Web site: Hamilton . Ted . Girl Talk and Rock . The Cornell Daily Sun . 30 November 2001 . April 7, 2009 .
  15. Web site: One on One: Girl Talk, Computer Musician. Nick . Bolton. 28 February 2011 .
  16. Web site: a (girl) talk with gregg gillis . Thefmly.com . April 30, 2009 . May 30, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100510125827/http://thefmly.com/2009/04/30/a-girl-talk-with-greg-gillis/ . May 10, 2010 . dead .
  17. Web site: Ryan . Dombal . Girl Talk Dishes on New LP . Pitchfork . October 26, 2010 . October 26, 2010.
  18. News: The 373-Hit Wonder . The New York Times. July 14, 2011 . Zachary . Lazar . January 6, 2011.
  19. News: Jentzen . Aaron . Girl Talk on YouTube: 10 must-see videos . . June 22, 2011 . June 23, 2011 . March 11, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120311155414/http://blog.mysanantonio.com/the-music-beat/2011/06/girl-talk-on-youtube-10-must-see-videos/ . dead .
  20. News: Girl Walk//All Day: A Q&A With the Director . March 21, 2012 . Art Beat Blog, The New York Times . Julie . Bloom . December 6, 2011.
  21. Krishnamurthy . Sowmya . Girl Talk Debuts New Song with Freeway . Rolling Stone . 6 October 2013 . Rolling Stone, LLC . 18 March 2021.
  22. Web site: Camp . Zoe . Girl Talk and Freeway Release Broken Ankles EP . Pitchfork . 8 April 2014 . Condé Nast . 18 March 2021.
  23. Web site: Minsker . Evan . Girl Talk Brought Out Busta Rhymes, E-40, Juicy J During Coachella Set . Pitchfork . 12 April 2014 . 8 March 2021.
  24. Miller . Jeff . Coachella 2014: Girl Talk's Main Stage Debut Hits All the Same, Right Notes . Billboard . Billboard . 8 March 2021.
  25. Web site: Woods II . Wes . Coachella 2014: Girl Talk surprises second weekend festival-goers . The San Bernardino Sun . 19 April 2014 . MediaNews Group . 8 March 2021.
  26. Shaffer . Claire . Girl Talk Announces First North American Tour in Eight Years . Rolling Stone . 10 February 2020 . Rolling Stone . 8 March 2021.
  27. Web site: Staff . Pitchfork. Top 50 Albums of 2006 . Pitchfork. December 19, 2006 . March 25, 2015 .
  28. Staff . Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone's Best Albums Of '06 . Rolling Stone. December 14, 2006 . March 25, 2015 .
  29. Web site: Staff . Spin. The 40 Best Albums of 2006 . Spin. January 1, 2007 . March 25, 2015 .
  30. Watercutter . Angela . The 2007 Rave Awards . Wired . August 15, 2008 . April 24, 2007.
  31. Tyrangiel. Josh. 4. Feed the Animals by Girl Talk – The Top 10 Everything of 2008. Time. https://web.archive.org/web/20081211071134/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/top10/article/0,30583,1855948_1864324_1864335,00.html. dead. December 11, 2008. December 10, 2008. March 25, 2015.
  32. Web site: Staff . Rolling Stone . Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums Of 2008 . Stereogum. December 7, 2010 . December 7, 2010 .
  33. Web site: Lapatine . Scott . Blender's Top 33 Of 2008 . Stereogum. November 22, 2008 . March 26, 2015 .
  34. Web site: NPR Listeners Pick The Year's Best Music . NPR.org . December 2008 . August 30, 2009 .
  35. Web site: Stiernberg . Bonnie . Pittsburgh Celebrates Gregg Gillis Day . Paste Magazine . December 7, 2010 . December 7, 2010 . December 10, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101210013724/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/12/pittsburgh-celebrates-gregg-gillis-day.html . dead .
  36. Web site: Dave . Maher . High Places, Trey Told 'Em, Fuck Buttons on Huge Comp . Pitchfork Media . March 4, 2008 . August 28, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080306083937/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/49004-high-places-trey-told-em-fuck-buttons-on-huge-comp . March 6, 2008.
  37. Web site: Joyce . Colin . Girl Talk Has Quietly Become a Great Rap Producer . Vice . 15 August 2019 . 8 March 2021.
  38. Web site: Cho . Regina . Smoke DZA, Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T., & Curren$y get together for "Santos Party House" . Revolt . 8 March 2021.
  39. Web site: Kreps . Daniel . Girl Talk Teams Up With Bas for New Song 'Fallin . 30 September 2020 . Rolling Stone . 8 March 2021.
  40. Web site: Beck Song Information – Cellphone's Dead . Whiskeyclone.net . August 28, 2008.
  41. Web site: Non-Tradition (Girl Talk Remix)/It's So Fun (Andrew WK Remix) . The Brooklyn Vegan . June 4, 2009 . December 12, 2009.
  42. Web site: Jessica . Suarez . "Cheer It On" (Trey Told Em remix) [MP3] ]. Pitchfork Media . April 17, 2007 . August 28, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070522105618/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/42422-tokyo-police-club-cheer-it-on-trey-told-em-remix-mp3 . May 22, 2007.
  43. Web site: iskeith3 . Girl Talk at the Pitchfork Music Festival . YouTube . July 19, 2007 . July 11, 2008.
  44. Web site: Miles . Raymer . The Thrill Isn't Gone . The Chicago Reader . October 13, 2007 . August 18, 2008 . December 7, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081207142928/http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/sharpdarts/071213/ . dead .
  45. News: Aaron . Jentzen . Girl Talk finds ways to grow . . June 23, 2011 . June 23, 2011.
  46. Web site: Aaron . Jentzen . Girl Talk interview (audio) . San Antonio Express-News . June 23, 2011 . June 23, 2011.
  47. Web site: Carey . Jonathan . Wiz Khalifa – Steam Room Feat. Chevy Woods (Prod. By Girl Talk) . Hot New Hip Hop . 27 June 2017 . Urbanlinx Media . 8 March 2021.
  48. Web site: Mojica . Nick . Don Q Stacks His Money in "Lil Bitch" Video . XXL Magazine . 3 November 2017 . 8 March 2021.
  49. Web site: Bubble feat. Ty Dolla $ign [Prod by: GIRL TALK] ]. Punchland . 27 December 2020 . 8 March 2021.
  50. Web site: Caraan . Sophie . Curren$y & Smoke DZA Link up for New Album 'Prestige Worldwide' . Hypebeast . 29 November 2019 . 8 March 2021.
  51. Web site: Breihan . Tom . G Perico – "Toolie" (Prod. Girl Talk) . Stereogum . 14 August 2020 . 8 March 2021.
  52. Web site: Girl Talk Interview Part 1 . YouTube . November 15, 2010 . March 25, 2015.

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