Guess which guy in the picture above is producer Gregg Gillis, otherwise known as Girl Talk? Ah, the producer Girl Talk, not the British female pop duo from the 1980s (thanks wikipedia)… Gllis has had a great few weeks. Following the release of his new album, All Day, Girl Talk christened Pittsburgh’s brand new amphitheater (Stage AE) over the weekend, and yesterday presented with a proclamation from the city of Pittsburgh making December 7th “Gregg Gillis” Day. Take that RIAA!
Gillis has come under fire for this music, which utilizes a bevy of samples from all sorts of places. Gillis cites the Fair Use Act in protecting his art, and says media sources are woofing about nothing. He told the Village Voice,
“There’s an idea in United States copyright law called Fair Use. It basically states that you can sample previously existing works without asking for permission if the new work falls under a certain criteria. It looks at the nature of the new work; it looks at if it’s transformative, how it impacts the source materials, the original sales, things like that. The doctrine basically analyzes how you’re using the source material.”
Download Girl Talk’s new album, All Day here.