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Oct 08, 2013 By Mike Hilleary Girl Talk

Mash-up musical artist Gregg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk, has announced that he has teamed up with rapper Freeway on a new collaborative EP Broken Ankles. Due out later this fall, the new batch of music will be Girl Talk’s first since 2010’s All Day.

According to a press release, earlier this year Gillis “began working on beats with a wider range of samples, some more obscure than what he would normally use in his Top 40-focused work. He also experimented with different techniques of sample manipulation and incorporated more original instrumentation. ‘It was liberating and exciting working on a different style of material. I couldn’t stop. A bunch of the ideas were things I’ve been wanting to do for years.’

Gillis amassed a collection of over 70 beats and decided to approach one of his favorite rappers to see if he would be interested in doing a project together. ‘I’ve been a fan of Freeway since I first heard him on “1-900-Hustler,” and I just thought he was the perfect fit for what I had in mind,’ he said. ‘I wanted the album to be diverse, and I wanted someone who could maneuver around quick changes mid-song. Freeway is the rare rapper who sounds natural on all types of beats, ranging from cut-up soul to menacing synth-jams. His energy is unreal, and he’s able to keep up with any production.’

Following two months of recording together, the resulting Girl Talk & Freeway Broken Ankles collaborative EP reflects the meticulous nature of Girl Talk’s prior work while setting a fitting pace for Freeway’s dynamic, high-powered flow. ‘I wanted to work closer to traditional song structure compared to my last few albums, but still include some detailed sample splicing and change-ups when it felt appropriate. The overall structure is what I thought worked best with Freeway’s style,’ says Gillis. Keeping in line with the Girl Talk aesthetic, the varied range of songs are all tied seamlessly together. He stated, ‘It’s always important to me to have an album that works as a whole; something that has a calculated flow to it, which is intended to be listened to front to back.’”