Known for mash-ups that combine small parts of many popular songs, Gregg Gillis is a rising star in the world of dance music. He’s also coming to Georgetown Saturday night, and we caught up with him for a quick interview in advance of the show.
The Voice: So you quit your day job? How has that affected your day-to-day process of making music and how has it affected your touring?
Gillis: Last year, when I was holding down the day job, I played exclusively weekend shows. I played every weekend, though. I did approximately 100 shows in that year while doing the 9 to 5. I was going insane trying to keep that schedule. Without the day job, I basically do music all of the time. Today, I woke up at 3:30 p.m. and will probably make beats until I fall asleep. As far as touring, the weekend show schedule has worked out well for me, so I continue to do that. I just got off a month-long tour with Dan Deacon and White Williams, though. That wouldn’t have been possible with the job.
V: At Georgetown, musicians aren’t exactly our administration’s first priority, and the lack of practice space and help with promotion reflects that. What was it like at Case Western?
Gillis: I was in my own world. My music was not affected by the school almost at all. It was definitely impacted by the people who went there, and I played many parties and shows on-campus. But none of that was officially related to the school. I played shows all over Cleveland, set up my own tours and did those when I had a break from school. I didn’t expect the school to help or hurt me.
V: How much of a change have you seen in the size of your audiences since Night Ripper came out?
Gillis: It’s been a big jump. I’ve been building up a small cult following over the years. Before the press hit for Night Ripper, I’d usually play shows for about 0 to 50 people in most major cities. On my last tour, we were selling out 750+ capacity venues every night.
V: What software do you use to put together your music and when did you start DJing?
Gillis: I’ve never considered what I do DJing. I always thought it was just sound collage. I don’t actually play other peoples’ songs, I manipulate them into new entities. I’ve never played at dance clubs, always at rock ‘n roll-style venues. I have always played with live bands, not DJ’s. It’s just been in the past year that anyone has ever started to use the phrase “DJ” to describe what I’m doing. I use Adobe Audition and Audiomulch. I started doing experimental work with CD manipulation and physical tape collage when I was 16 in my high school band. I was influenced by people like John Oswald, Negativland and Kid 606. I got my first laptop in 2000 and started the Girl Talk project then. I was 18.
V: How frequently (or infrequently) are you recognized in public, either by appearance or, say, when someone sees your name on your credit card?
Gillis: I’ve been noticed in airports a handful of times within the past year. I get recognized in Pittsburgh, but that’s a different story. It’s not a huge city, so I get recognized just as I recognize other people. A couple weeks ago, I was staying in a hotel in the middle of the state of Washington. When I was checking in, they looked at my license, and the guy was like “Whoa, Pittsburgh, that’s pretty far away.” And then he was like “Oh, wow, you’re Girl Talk!” I was like “Yeah.” He followed that up with “Congrats on winning that Taco Bell contest man!” Because the week prior I won $500 worth of free Taco Bell for a contest I entered, and I mentioned it on my myspace blog. He read it, I guess.
V: A lot of indie rock and dance fans have gotten into hip-hop through your music—was that a goal of yours? Do you consider yourself a fan of hip-hop above all else?
Gillis: That was never really a goal. I love all sorts of music. I’m not catering my music to anyone.
V: Who are your favorite MCs of all-time?
Gillis: Bizzy Bone, Ice Cube, Kurt Cobain, Yamatsuka Eye.
V: Are there any new stylistic ideas you are planning on implementing on your next album?
Gillis: Every album for me changes naturally with what I’m doing live that year. I’ve been doing mostly party sets, so it should be somewhat similar to Night Ripper. But I haven’t started assembling the final product yet. I’m not sure what direction it’ll take. I want to get far out.
V: When do you think the next album will be finished?
Gillis: I wanted to do it by the end of the year, but I haven’t been able to find much time so far. Definitely by 2012.
