Great Big Freak founder Steve Langan took what he tabs the “mixed tape approach” to forming a band.

“I asked myself ‘what would my buddies like to see at a party? What tunes would I put on a mixed tape?'” Langan said. “[Our style] is a hodge-podge of all my favorite music.”

If you are Langan, the tape would probably include some Bob Marley, Rage Against The Machine, War and Beastie Boys. Styles would range from dub reggae to hardcore rap.

“Mine would be different than the others in the band,” Langan said. “Tony [Juarez]’s would be everything from the Beatles to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.”

A Great Big Freak recording, in essence, would be the combination of everyone in the band’s mixed tapes — an ultimate blend of styles.

Great Big Freak will test this predicament on Saturday at the band’s official CD release party at The Long Shot.

“I tell everyone if they don’t like it, I’ll give them their money back,” Langan said. “So far no one has given it back yet.”

The disc is called “Deelish” and was recorded in three days early last spring at the Junior’s Motel studio in Otho.

“I would say it is very reflective of our live show,” Langan said. “We didn’t get overly technical with it. We didn’t use any tricks other than a few overdubs.”

Langan said the disc has what he describes as the “x-factor” — the energy often present at a Great Big Freak performance.

Often a difficult task to concur, it may explain why the band has been together for three-and-a-half years and is just now releasing its debut recording.

“We had been going up to the studio just kind of messing around, trying to structure our songs better,” Langan said. “It never felt right. I’m more into orchestrating all of the parts of a song than the rest of the cats.”

Langan’s cats — his current bandmates — include Juarez, bassist Ben Harding, drummer Matt Triplett, vocalist Jose Rivera and guitarist Bert Noll.

The band has gone through a handful of line-up changes since its conception, leaving Langan and Juarez as the only original members. Triplett will be playing his first show Saturday.

“[The sound] changes a bit each time someone new joins the band,” Langan said. “We become stronger, musically. I don’t why that is, but it is.”

Over the years, Great Big Freak’s sound has changed from a traditional style of funk to an Island-sounding flavor. “We were doing the heavier thing at the beginning,” Langan said.

Great Big Freak, who took its name from a Booyah Tribe song, has been building its name via live shows since it first formed. The band has played with Goldfinger, The Urge and Sonia Dada in both Ames and Des Moines.

“With Sonia Dada, we were expecting the people would totally not dig us,” Langan said. “But we had ’em into it by the end of the show.”

Langan said in the past year Great Big Freak has played about one show in Ames for every five out of the city.

“A lot of local clubs don’t give two hoots in hell,” he said. “People’s used to be really cool, but anymore, if you don’t play folk rock, you don’t get in.”

One possible reason for the band’s recent snubbing by People’s Bar and Grill could be a recent Halloween show in which “mass hysteria broke out.”

“I wouldn’t call it a high point in our career, but I’ll always remember it,” Langan said. “There was somewhat of a riot and the cops were busting people. It was weird.”

Langan said building a band in Ames has been like a double-edged sword.

“On the negative side, people here are pretty blase about what they listen to. I don’t want to sound cliche, but they tend to jump on the bandwagon of what’s cool at the time.

“On the positive side, people here can really get caught up in show. You know you kind of got something when you see people grooving to your music.”

Langan said being in a band in Ames “makes you work at it a little more,” a good thing in his eyes. Langan has graduated from Iowa State since he first started the band, but has stayed around “slapping paint on houses” in order to fulfill his dreams.

But Great Big Freak plans to take the underground approach with its new CD and is not planning on putting the disc in stores or in the hands of a record label. “I want to see what I can do on a ground level first,” Langan said.

Fans can pick up a copy of “Deelish” at Great Big Freak’s CD release party Saturday at The Long Shot. The band is scheduled to take stage at 10 p.m.