The wait is over Girl Talk fans. The mix master otherwise known as Gregg Gillis has stayed true to his word and released his new album Feed the Animals Radiohead-style on Thursday via his label Illegal Art's Web site.
Here's the deal. People who pay any amount, or none at all, get access to the entire record as high-quality 320kbps MP3s. Those who drop $5 or more can download non-compressed FLAC files (but word to the wise and impatient, it takes a little longer to download). Finally, the truly dedicated who drop $10 or more get the files now in whichever format they want and will be sent a physical copy of the CD when it's released in September.
Also, Gillis and Illegal Art must really trust the fans because it is possible for "buyers" to promise the five bucks, start the download and then not proceed to the checkout to actually pay up. But what jerk would do that?
When Gillis talked to Pitchfork earlier this week he noted that he wanted to do an immediate release because a lot of the 300 or so samples on the record are current pop and hip-hop hits that might sound less fresh in a couple months. He wasn't kidding. Lil Wayne's "Lollipop," Kanye West's "Flashing Lights" and Jay-Z's "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)..." (mixed with Radiohead's "Paranoid Android," hat tip) are all in full effect.
But much like 2006's Night Ripper the freshness is weaved in with classics (check it – Queen!). Tears For Fears, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica (heh heh) and that Jackson 5 "ABC" snippet that everyone goes ballistic over at Girl Talk's live shows are all sampled as well. Oh, and it's quite possible Gillis rickrolled everyone in there somewhere.
That's the other thing with Girl Talk albums. They turn every listening experience into one giant game of Name That Tune. Here we go!
See Also:
- Girl Talk to Kick It Radiohead Style For Next Album
- The 2007 Wired Rave Awards: Girl Talk
- David Byrne and Thom Yorke on the Real Value of Music
(Photo: MySpace)
