It's been a few years since Girl Talk's most recent release, 2010's All Day, but the mashup king otherwise known as Gregg Gillis will be making his return with Broken Ankles, a new EP made in collaboration with Philadelphia rapper Freeway.
The collection was created during Girl Talk's extended break away from the road, in which time he explored new sounds based around obscure samples — rather than his usual Top 40 material — and more original instrumentation.
Writing over 70 new beats, Gillis called on one of his favourite MCs to get involved. "I've been a fan of Freeway since I first heard him on [Jay-Z's] '1-900-Hustler,' and I just thought he was the perfect fit for what I had in mind," he said in a statement. "I wanted the album to be diverse, and I wanted someone who could manoeuvre around quick changes mid-song. Freeway is the rare rapper who sounds natural on all types of beats, ranging from cut-up soul to menacing synth jams. His energy is unreal, and he's able to keep up with any production."
They recorded for two months, with the tunes apparently featuring more traditional song structures than much of Girl Talk's output. Of course, there are still some some mashups and fast changes, with all of the songs seamlessly linked. A press release promises that "the release combines both artists' distinct, high-energy styles into a continuously flowing collection of bangers."
The full EP details haven't yet been confirmed, but it will come out this fall through free mixtape hub DatPiff.com. Watch a live performance of the song "Tolerated," which was recorded this past weekend in New York, below.
The collection was created during Girl Talk's extended break away from the road, in which time he explored new sounds based around obscure samples — rather than his usual Top 40 material — and more original instrumentation.
Writing over 70 new beats, Gillis called on one of his favourite MCs to get involved. "I've been a fan of Freeway since I first heard him on [Jay-Z's] '1-900-Hustler,' and I just thought he was the perfect fit for what I had in mind," he said in a statement. "I wanted the album to be diverse, and I wanted someone who could manoeuvre around quick changes mid-song. Freeway is the rare rapper who sounds natural on all types of beats, ranging from cut-up soul to menacing synth jams. His energy is unreal, and he's able to keep up with any production."
They recorded for two months, with the tunes apparently featuring more traditional song structures than much of Girl Talk's output. Of course, there are still some some mashups and fast changes, with all of the songs seamlessly linked. A press release promises that "the release combines both artists' distinct, high-energy styles into a continuously flowing collection of bangers."
The full EP details haven't yet been confirmed, but it will come out this fall through free mixtape hub DatPiff.com. Watch a live performance of the song "Tolerated," which was recorded this past weekend in New York, below.