Stones Throw Records presents
Move

featuring

PEANUT BUTTER WOLF
JAMES PANTS
ARABIAN PRINCE
with Sonotheque resident DJ
JOE BRYL

9pm-3am
$10 cover

Link:
http://stonesthrow.com/

Peanut Butter Wolf:

As a young kid growing up in San Jose, Chris Manak sought out an escape from suburbian life in the Silicon Valley. The age of nine was his coming of age. This was the year he discovered sports (Pittsburgh Pirates), video games (Pac man), girls (Anita Balderama), and hip hop ("Rappers Delight"). Alongside partner Sweet Steve, young Chris fashioned primitive mix-tapes (using the pause button) and ran amok at the local roller rink.

He took on the name Peanut Butter Wolf in the late-80s when he realized that, in an odd turn of events, a girlfriend’s youngest brother feared the “peanut butter wolf monster” more than death itself. Wolf and his more conventionally-named counterpart, Charizma, began recording in 1989 when the two were still teenagers. Within three years, the duo signed a contract with Hollywood Basic (Disney) alongside label mates Organized Konfusion and DJ Shadow. Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf were riding high, touring Europe, receiving press in magazines such as Billboard and (a then newspaper format) Urb , hanging with radio legends Sway & King Tech on Wake Up Show and performing live shows with groups like House of Pain, Nas and The Pharcyde. Then, in December of 1993, Charizma tragically lost his life. Stunned, Wolf temporarily gave up on music.

After releasing the song "Just Like A Test" with Charizma for David Paul's Bomb Hip Hop Compilation early in 1994, Upstairs Records, a label known primarily for house music, approached Wolf to record an instrumental LP. Thus, the Peanut Butter Breaks was born; the record became the Wolf’s calling card, leading to meetings and collaborations with like-minded DJs like Q-bert, Cut Chemist and Rob Swift.

After the release of Peanut Butter Breaks, PB Wolf found himself in demand as a producer. His track for the all-scratching compilation Return of the DJ was labeled “incredible” by The Source magazine. He released a 6 song compilation for South Paw Records in 1995, featuring collaborations with up and coming San Jose MCs. He also produced Kool Keith's first single as a solo artist "Wanna Be A Star." These releases, amongst others, led to a picture disc EP for British label 2 Kool Records.

In 1996, Peanut Butter Wolf founded Stones Throw Records. Charizma’s posthumous "My World Premiere" was the single to launch the label. A few highlights in the beginning were the songs "Unassisted" by Rasco, Super Duck Breaks LP by DJ Babu, and hip hop 7” series.

Lately, PB Wolf has moved away from producing (save the odd remix or compilation track) to build the Stones Throw label and to travel as a DJ to Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and across the US. Through his willingness to experiment and provide Stones Throw’s artists with musical carte blanche, he has overseen the releases of Lootpack’s Soundpieces, Quasimoto’s The Unseen, Breakestra’s Live Mix, Yesterdays New Quintet’s Angles Without Edges, Madlib's Shades of Blue, and Jaylib's Champion Sound.

James Pants:

Interview with Peanut Butter Wolf about Stones Throw artist James Pants:

When and how did you meet James Pants?

I met James at a show in Texas 6 years ago. I was DJing a rave and he came to the show after his high school prom with his date and offered to take me record shopping out there. Magic words for me if you wanna become my friend.

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 does all kinds of stuff and a lot of it is 80’s soul, electro boogie, early (and regional) rap, and new wave influenced, but he’s really into ambient 70’s stuff without a drum beat like Ralph Lundston as well as 60’s psych and bubble gum pop. Definitely all over the place, like Koushik, Madlib, or myself and his mix CDs reflected that early on and the music he makes is an extension of that.

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?

James plays drums, keys, and I think guitar. He definitely sings and yells on a lot of songs as well. He samples sometimes, but not so much anymore.

When did you decide to sign him to Stones Throw?

About 8 months ago. We hadn’t even spent a dime on studio time and he had already recorded several albums worth of stuff for me to pick from to develop the album I wanted, but I personally liked what I heard from him better than some of the stuff that we were putting out at the time and this was without my involvement whatsoever.

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.

I think his album is similar to Madvillain, Ruff Draft, both Dudley albums, Georgia, YNQ, Baron Zen, Stark Reality, Koushik. All those albums have the loosest records as far as Stones Throw’s catalog go in my opinion. His music is different from all those albums as well.

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 have an idea that came to me in my sleep a few nights ago. It goes like this. In the dream, we did a James Pants 45 and gave copies of it to people who ran the hot dog stands next to the nightclubs late at night. It can be a hotdog stand in front of any club night that would like the James Pants record if they heard it, even though they knew nothing about him. We could pay someone to stand out there when the clubs get out and yell, “Buy a hotdog and get your free James Pants record here.” They can be animated like a cross between the sign spinners and the guys who sell food at the baseball games.

I know James’ goal was to have a 45 out on Stones Throw, so by doing the album, he surpassed his goal.

Arabian Prince:

One of the pioneers of the West Coast Electro and DJ Scene, and one of the founding fathers of Gangsta Rap, Arabian Prince entered the DJ/Music scene in 1981 while in high school mixing and producing. He produced and performed many West Coast Electro hits, including Innovator, Panic Zone (NWA)and JJ Fad's Supersonic. Also known as DJ Professor X he recorded electro funk hits like Professor X Saga.

During his early DJ days he DJ'd with Egyptian Lover and Dr Dre rocking party people in Los Angeles with crowds up to 10,000 people. He later joined forces with Dr Dre to form the Multi-Platinum selling group NWA.

Today he travels the world producing for many top artists, and spinning under many different names just to stay low key and keep an eye on what people are grooving to in the clubs.

Link: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=35888811

Joe Bryl:

DJ Joe Bryl was once named by the Chicago Tribune as Chicago's "Most Interesting DJ.” He has been working in the club and entertainment industry for the last 20 years and was an original partner in the creation of HotHouse. A true pioneer continuing to push the international sounds as a DJ, he is also the artistic director for Sonotheque where he presents internationally renowned DJs. He holds the monthly "Braziliance" residency at Sonotheque which showcases the best in Brazilian beats, soulful Samba anfd funky favela. He has opened up for Seu Jorge at Millenium Park, Os Mutantes at the Metro and has curated film events at The Chicago Cultural Center. Recently, he was featured in New City and Proximity magazines. He has also DJ'ed with the people as diverse as Madlib. Tetine, Greyboy, Giles Peterson, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Peanut Butter Wolf, Bonobo and Diplo.

New City article link: http://www.newcitychicago.com/chicago/7344.html