I've blogged about the Mashup Maestro DJ Girl Talk several times before. Here's a very cool look at the pieces that went into making one track from his Feed The Animals CD called "What's It All About". I've included the tracking graphic above and the YouTube clip below so you can listen while you trace the path from beginning to end ala Jeffy or Billy in Family Circus.
from wikipedia... Gregg Michael Gillis (born October 26, 1981 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is an American musician specializing in mashups and digital sampling. Gillis has released four LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on 333 and 12 Apostles.
I know I came late to the party with Girl Talk, but here's a shout to all of you who've never heard of this master of the mashup.
I'm really not into DJs or DJ culture, but when I heard Feed The Animals by Girl Talk, I was won over. This was the first time I ever "got it" with regards to DJ skills. While I never claimed that DJs lacked talent, for years I was left without a clear sensibility about artistic nature of the performance. I often thought, "well that's pretty cool, but doesn't do much for me."
In listening to Girl Talk's release, which I purchased through his website, I found that recognition of the artistic in the choices of samples, and more importantly, the amazing juxtaposition of genre, rhythm and tone. In the first track alone, he successfully mashes up the following:
"Play Your Part (Pt. 1)" - 4:45
0:00 - 0:41 Roy Orbison - "Oh, Pretty Woman"
0:01 - 0:41 UGK featuring OutKast - "International Player's Anthem"
0:01 - 2:11 The Spencer Davis Group - "Gimme Some Lovin'"
0:03 - 0:39 TTC - "J'ai Pas Sommeil"
0:42 - 1:07 DJ Funk - "Pump That Shit Up"
0:55 - 1:20 Cupid - "Cupid Shuffle"
1:08 - 1:56 Pete Townshend - "Let My Love Open the Door"
1:18 - 2:10 Unk - "Walk It Out"
1:59 - 2:37 Twisted Sister - "We're Not Gonna Take It"
2:04 - 2:10 Huey Lewis and the News - "The Heart of Rock & Roll"
2:13 - 2:37 Lil Mama - "G-Slide (Tour Bus)"
2:29 - 3:01 Ludacris featuring Shawnna - "What's Your Fantasy"
2:36 - 3:01 Temple of the Dog - "Hunger Strike"
2:48 - 3:01 Birdman featuring Lil Wayne - "Pop Bottles"
3:01 - 3:15 Rage Against the Machine - "Freedom"
3:02 - 4:05 Aaliyah featuring Timbaland - "We Need a Resolution"
3:02 - 4:06 Birdman and Lil Wayne - "Stuntin' Like My Daddy"
3:05 - 4:25 T.I. - "What You Know"
3:17 - 3:38 Edwin Starr - "War"
3:41 - 4:31 Sinéad O'Connor - "Nothing Compares 2 U"
4:13 - 4:43 Shawnna - "Gettin' Some"
4:32 - 4:45 Jay-Z featuring UGK - "Big Pimpin'"
4:33 - 4:41 Kelis featuring Too $hort - "Bossy"
4:34 - 4:44 Young Jeezy featuring Bone Crusher - "Take It to the Floor"
4:37 - 4:45 Rare Earth - "I Just Want to Celebrate"
And while I have also not been a traditional fan of contemporary rap (and am still not) the mashup combinations won me over.
What can I say? Girl Talk and I listen.