Gregg Gillis, known professionally as musician and producer Girl Talk, gained notoriety in the late 2000s for his perfectly curated mashups of existing songs. But his talents extend into creating his own beats.
The artist is set to release a new collaborative EP with rappers Chris Crack and Michael Christmas on Friday.
The EP was largely recorded in Pittsburgh.
“I started music more than 20 years ago now,” Gillis said in an interview. “I was never trained in anything musically. I was just a fan and I kind of got into the underground music scene.”
In the 1990s, Gillis performed shows while attending Chartiers Valley High School.
“I was just attracted to kind of experimental music. … I was in a band in Pittsburgh in the ’90s that was like noise and experimental music.”
He described that period as “dabbling with electronics.” He got his first computer to go to college not long after, and that allowed him to explore the concept of sampling — a practice that has built his career.
Girl Talk’s first album, “Secret Diary,” was released in 2002. It includes heavily remixed samples of songs including “Izzo” by Jay-Z, “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5, and many more. As the aughts progressed, he released four more albums, refining his mashups as he went. Who doesn’t want to hear Tag Team’s “Whoomp! There It Is!” rapped over the music from “In a Big Country” by Big Country?
Gillis describes his process for pairing songs together as “meticulous.”
“It’s just kind of a trial-and-error process,” he said. “You see what clicks and then certain things stay with you.”
Girl Talk as an act is also well known for his live shows, where he’ll pull out fresh sample combinations that may be unique to that moment. In 2010, he was the first act to perform at the new Stage AE venue on the North Shore.
His production work has expanded in recent years, and the collaborative EP “Don’t Come To My House Sharing Your Location” is a great example of what he enjoys about this kind of work.
“I think the vibe is kind of distinct and different from the mashup album stuff,” he said.
He’s worked with big names such as T-Pain, but his experience with fellow local Wiz Khalifa and Big K.R.I.T. on 2022’s “Full Court Press” was particularly memorable.
“They’re all kind of fulfilling in different ways,” Gillis said. “That was great. I had worked with Wiz prior to that but that was something that was kind of my idea. … That really came together in a way that was how I envisioned it.”
This EP’s recording also had a fun energy around it, which is clear from songs including “Vending Machine Charcuterie Board.”
At his exuberant live shows, Gillis will likely incorporate this new work. “I think the vibe is pretty distinct and different from the mashup album stuff, but when I play shows, I will incorporate new stuff that I did production-wise into the set. So I will remix the Michael Christmas and Chris Crack material in.”
He’s really enjoying getting to be creative with his collaborative work and looks forward to doing more in the future.
“It’s been a light year for me in terms of shows, so I probably want to get out and get on the road a little more,” he said.
“Don’t Come to My House Sharing Your Location” will be available on Friday on streaming platforms.