James Pants, 'Welcome' (Stones Throw)
Peanut Butter Wolf protégé's retro beats have a bent charm.
By Mosi Reeves 05.15.08 3:07 PM
The latest weirdo to emerge from Stones Throw's hip-hop factory, this Spokane, Washington native takes a distinctively primitive approach to breakbeats. His charming, lo-fi repertoire navigates through funky disco rhythms that clop and clap like an old Larry Levan jam ("We're Through"), '80s electro fantasies reminiscent of Cybotron ("My Tree"), and a plaintive funk homage to Pharrell Williams ("Ka$h"). Though Welcome doesn't quite congeal into an artistic statement -- it's more like a collection of promising demos -- Pants flips his shopworn styles with more panache than the average bedroom producer.
