Tinkering with the Electronics

After a quite prolonged period of worshipping British punk I'm back around to experimenting with several types of music, the latest of which has been a bit of DJ/hip-hop/electronica mixing.

I think probably the most fun of listening to and watching a DJ at work is to know the kind of skill it takes to pick out a series in any one song and combine it seamlessly with another. Not to mention the memory you need to file away the ridiculous library of songs with which you may - at some point - want to mix with another. Oh yeah, and the actual mental capacity you need to operate turntables. I once tried to use a (singular) turntable - it was wildly unsuccessful.

The above being said, Philadelphia DJ Girl-Talk (Greg Gills) is mind-blowingly good. His latest album - Night-Ripper - was released this year and samples (by my count) no less than 150 songs. And the best part is that his arsenal of music has no boundries. He samples everything from Dirty South hip-hop to Disco to Eminem to The Breeders and The Pixies - with no indication that any of these songs are artists belong anywhere than right at the center of Night Ripper.

Girl-Talk, despite the deceptive name, is anything but girly or frivilous. His songs are powerful and fun, making you at once both furrow your brow trying to figure out who he's sampling and at the same time nod your head to the beat (as well as in agreement with whatever way Gills is taking the rhythm).

If you like... Basement Jaxx, You'll like Girl-Talk

Girl-Talk will be opening up for Peeping Tom at Irving Plaza Sept 29th, and again on his own Nov 1 at a CMJ event.

www.myspace.com/girltalkmusic
Download: That's My DJ, Hold Up, Bounce That.

Also wanted to briefly mention some of the more electronic and instrumental folks I've been turned on to: London based Hot Chip and Brooklyn based Ratatat.

Both dropped albums this year and both are worth listening to. Hot Chip is a bit more dance-y, with repetive lyrics and short, upbeat rythms, while Ratatat is slower, a bit softer and perhaps more deliberate, sampling not just beats but a selection of string instruments as well.

Perhaps tellingly, Ratatat will be playing at the Guggenheim museum on Oct 6 (I think the Zaha Hadid exhibit will still be there - worth going on it's own!). Hot Chip will also be in NY on Nov 2 for CMJ.

If you like Goldfrapp/Flaming Lips, You'll Like Hot Chip and Ratatat

www.myspace.com/ratatatmusic
www.myspace.com/hotchip