 Photo by Jake Green
Media Downloads + James Pants stickers by Parra |
THE YEAR IS 2001 AND THE PLACE IS TEXAS. Stones Throw head honcho Peanut Butter Wolf is DJing while a sharply dressed young man approaches the DJ Booth with his Prom date in tow to formally introduce himself. Thus begins the story of James Pants. What began as a dream Prom night to see his hero DJ went to an internship at the label to eventually landing the ultimate fantasy by being signed to the roster and championed as the ‘next big thing’ by none other than Peanut Butter Wolf himself – on top of critics like Busy P, Urb, XLR8R, & Dazed & Confused Magazines. Mr. Pants is a purveyor par excellence of that unmistakable “fresh beat”: 80’s Soul, Electro Boogie, Early Rap, New Wave, & Post-Punk Disco, all of which can be found on Welcome where James plays drums, keys, guitar and sings. From a radio perspective, what format does this fall under - this new style that Pants has invented? Do you play it on the groove alongside the likes of Skyy, Cameo, or even Pharrell (listen to ‘KA$H’)? Or do you play it in the underground alongside the up-to-the-minute electro pulse of Egyptian Lover, Cybotron and even Too $hort? The answer, of course, is both! There’s enough Pants to fit any style.
Interview with Peanut Butter Wolf about Stones Throw artist James Pants. “I have this idea that came to me in a dream. It goes like this. Free James Pants 45 with the purchase of a hot dog.” When and how did you meet James Pants? Does he create many different styles of music? If so, what styles?
The reason I ask this is because I know he’s made hip hop beats
for Diverse, and the three songs released by him on Chrome Children Vols
1-2 and the Hella International Box Set all sound extremely different.
He’s into doing themed stuff. He didn’t want any hip hop sounding beats he made on the first album because he felt they didn’t fit the album, but I had to convince him to put 2 on there. His break record is more of a single theme but his mix tapes are all over the place and his debut album is as well. But as far as what makes all his different styles fit together, he’s the master of sound. He knows how to make his stuff sound just sloppy and dirty enough to not be boring, whether it be the drums, the vocals, the reverbs and effects, etc. He plays a lot of different instruments too, so he’s able to control every aspect better than someone who needs to work with a band to record an album. Does he produce beats with an MPC 2000, track out his music
on pro-tools, or does he use a 8 track cassette player? Does he sing or
rap? Does he play any instruments? When did you decide to sign him to Stones Throw? Is James’s music similar to any other artists on Stones
Throw? Or, conversely, is his music different from other artists on Stones
Throw? Please develop similarities and/or differences as best you can. What different avenues would you like to try with James that
you’ve never been able to try with a Stones Throw artist before? I know James’ goal was to have a 45 out on Stones Throw, so by doing the album, he surpassed his goal. |
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Debut album “Welcome” coming May 27, 2008
