Girl Talk keeps mash-up party going ‘All Day’

Girl Talk

All Day

Illegal… Girl Talk

All Day

Illegal Art

Rocks Like: The background music to the greatest night of your life

Grade: A-

Even the Internet can’t contain Girl Talk.

Pittsburgh native Gregg Gillis — or, as he is professionally known, Girl Talk — has amassed such a fan base that he successfully crashed the free download page for his new album All Day on his label’s website. It would seem his growing popularity is a result of two things: his ear for music and his unrelenting work ethic.

All Day, Girl Talk’s fifth album, further sets him apart from run-of-the-mill mash-up artists whose creative process consists of thoughtlessly cutting and pasting song pieces together. When listening to All Day, it’s impossible not to notice the craftsmanship in Gillis’ work. Every song sampled complements the previous one, and some of the album’s most shining moments are the seamless fusions of Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and Radiohead’s “Creep,” as well as an unlikely combination of Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” and Drake’s “Money to Blow.”

The album’s only downside is that it’s meant to be listened to as a whole. Whereas all of Girl Talk’s previous records combined translate into an amazing show, they could just as well be enjoyed track-by-track. With All Day, however, imagining yourself in a seamless live performance is a requirement. Of course, this isn’t an entirely bad thing for Gillis, seeing as his concerts are essentially life-changing experiences.

Girl Talk is the most notable name in the fleeting mash-up genre for a reason — he continues to create amazingly cohesive records. All Day is no exception. Though undoubtedly a better album to hear live, All Day provides fans with something to be excited about for the next Girl Talk show.

Girl Talk will perform at Club AE on the North Shore Dec. 3 and 4