If you'd been putting together an iTunes playlist for a big party this weekend, be sure to leave a good bit of space on it. After a few final listens just to make sure everything's as it should be, Gregg Gillis-- aka mainstream-mining maximalist mashupper Girl Talk-- will release his fourth LP, Feed the Animals, via the Illegal Art label site. Gillis expects the album to hit the web "Wednesday or Thursday" of this week, with a physical release to follow. (The CD is due on Illegal Art, while the vinyl will be handled by Wham City.)

We spoke with Gillis late last week, two days after he finished work on the album's tracks. Mastering work on the LP had just begun. We talked about the how much things have changed for him in the two years since his breakthrough, Night Ripper, the relationship between his ever-evolving live show and his albums, and the proper way to turn "Hollaback Girl" into an enduring classic. [But it already IS an enduring classic! -- Ed.]

Pitchfork: Why did you opt to release the album this way, with a rushed "Radiohead-style" digital release, followed by the physical product at a later date?

Gregg Gilllis: First of all, there's a lot of current pop and hip-hop sampled on the album, and I wanted to get it out there as soon as possible. Unlike when Night Ripper came out, I have an actual fan base who's ready to hear it. I remember when we were doing Night Ripper, we were trying to rush it out and it wasn't really a big deal, because when it actually came out people still didn't know about it 'til maybe a few months later. So for this one, I feel like I'm in a fairly lucky situation to have people who want to hear it already before even hearing it. That much is a rare thing in my career so far. I think what we went for seems like an obvious game plan now, just because as soon as it hits the internet, anyone who reads the internet can get it for free if they want to. So why not tap in and let them actually take a step back and think about it, and maybe offer some money? It seemed to make sense, especially because kids who listen to my music are probably fairly attached to the internet and can get it for free if they actually want to.

Pitchfork: Have you settled on a date for when it's going live?

GG: Pretty much as soon as possible. I finished it Tuesday night (June 10), and the guy who has mastered all my albums is starting the mastering process today. He promised me he'd be done by Monday, so that would give me maybe a couple days to listen to it, but I imagine it will be on the internet by Wednesday or Thursday [June 18 or 19].