review: Girl Talk, 'All Day'

Nothing like a little Black Sabbath and a rousing, “Move, Bitch” to really get things moving eh? So begins the nonstop 70-minute flow of All Day, the latest musical epic by Girl Talk, alias of mash-up artist Gregg Gillis. This heavy intro heralds the seamless, fluid mix that will surely provide soundtrack for every iPod-controlled party for the next several months, years if one measures it equal to his previous endeavor Feed the Animals in popularity; a very real possibility given the hype of All Day’s release and the many overridden servers it caused.

Of course, that hype was based on the exceptional work of Feed the Animals and many (myself included) wondered how another album could measure up given the repetitive nature of mash-up style. It has to be said that Feed the Animals was no doubt influential, bringing mash-ups to the masses. Amongst the many none are quite as comprehensive or smooth as Girl Talk, whose work flows seamlessly so no matter how polarizing adjacent samples may be all meld perfectly for an entirely new track. And it has serious power in recognition. Take the soundtrack from a party where someone grabbed the iPod and played old favs that got everyone screaming off-key and play that over something spun by a pitch-perfect DJ. It’s no wonder Feed the Animals kept up momentum for so long.

It’s in the energy where All Day steps away from Feed the Animals’ shadow. This new endeavor is a bit slower but overall better developed. Primary vocal samples take the spotlight, backed by the melodies from both obscure and well-known songs which are layered themselves, with one taking precedence and the tempos of the other samples/ voice tracks altered to fit. The method isn’t new but it’s matured; All Day has more depth and variety: more heavily-sampled periods, some obscure instrumental accompaniments. There’s an onion skin element that is undoubtedly complex but appears completely fluid. Take a section of the opening track, Oh No: there is a final heavy Black Sabbath chord when ‘Teach Me How to Dougie’ rings out; Sabbath fades and Jane’s Addiction’s ‘Jane Says’ eases in to replace it; meanwhile, in between the pause in words 'Dougie' has been sped up to meet the pace of ‘Jane Says’. It all lasts about 26 seconds and the older melody folds out, a third eases in and a new vocal track begins. Many times a third instrumental has been barely audible the whole time and fills space in between sets of ‘bigger’ samples, often changing the track’s mood entirely. It’s with that that Gillis has made a slower album, one less conducive to ragers but one that displays much more skill and attention to detail.

Of course, there are a few clutch sections that demand revelry. Let It Out is an excepcional track, especially the ‘Twerk’ midsection and the ‘Rude Boy’ ending with a heavy beat that’s reminiscent of the ‘Lip Gloss’ sample on Feed the Animals. Jump on Stage emerged an early favorite too, including a fantastic Skee-Lo (‘I Wish’) throwback and a pounding ending that combines Gaga’s LoveGame and Beastie Boy’s ‘Hey Ladies’ over instantly recognizable ‘Lust for Life’. Another all-around winner, Steady Shock, samples three oldies – the first 50 seconds combine Nicki Minaj over Blue Oyster Cult and then fades to Bruce’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ topped by Soulja Boy (an admitted favorite of Gillis); later on there’s a little Drake on top of a tweaked Flock of Seagulls.

It’s likely the general population will listen to this album primarily while inebriated and thus find it identical to Feed the Animals, which is a pity. The depth and attention to detail are truly impressive, like hearing "Wiz Khalifa’s ‘Black and Yellow’ while recognizing the Stones 'Paint it Black' in the background – those with attentive ears will appreciate Gillis’ progress on All Day. He has, in fact, done it again.