Girl Talk – Feed the Animals

By Rebecca Spence , Staff Contributor

Grade: A+

Girl Talk’s Feed the Animals nourishes your mind, body and soul with some of the tastiest and most energizing mixes ever concocted. But I’m not talking about nourishment in the whole grains and fresh vegetables kind of way. I’m speaking of the sugar high you get from a Mars bar, two Red Bulls and a triple shot of espresso.
The album, which was released online under a “pay what you can” philosophy about a year ago, has also recently become available on vinyl and in CD format.
It is safe to say that Feed the Animals is a huge improvement on Gregg Gillis’s previous endeavor, Night Ripper, in which the mash-ups were generally either hit or miss. On the other hand, Feed the Animals is consistently mind-blowing from beginning to end. Considering that the vast majority of his material is recycled, Gillis creates something surprisingly fresh and unique with this album. By grouping hundreds of unlikely beats together – from Eminem’s “Shake That” with Yäel Naim’s “New Soul”, to Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop” with The Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Under the Bridge” – he completely revolutionizes these otherwise tired and played out tunes.
Girl Talk’s mixes can inspire you to do things you never even thought were possible. These things can be mildly crazy, like when “Don’t Stop” starts playing on your iPod during a workout session and the ensuing adrenaline pushes you to run an extra five kilometers. Or they can be hedonistically insane, like deciding to take ecstasy from a stranger and have a wild orgy on the dance floor after seeing him perform live in Montreal.
The music invigorates your body. It makes you feel good and leaves the listener wanting more. Here’s hoping Gillis’ next recipe is even more delicious.