For a guy who invented his own breed of organic “freak” dancing, choice of denim is critical. With his recently-released record Secret Lawns, the debut album off new label Fryk Beat, Chicago-grown and now Portland-based Panther (a.k.a. Charlie Salas-Humara) has been touring the country and using his funky, electronic-disco beats to inspire concert-goers.

If you haven’t seen one of his live shows, do yourself a favor and check out YouTube, which features Panther’s avant-garde video for 'How Well Can You Swim' or the entirely-cardboard-box-constructed video for 'You Don’t Want Yr Nails Done'. Watch as he busts a move (or three).

For such an intrinsically creative dude, only a fair-trade, eco-friendly, all-natural pair of jeans would do. So, to test out the new socially-conscious, premium-denim label Sling & Stones, whose mission seems to be saving the world (housing orphans in India and preventing suicide in Japan, for starters), we at Psychopedia had the uber-active 33-year-old take his green (literally and figuratively) pair for a spin. Here’s what he told us about them:

Hey Charlie. Is it a good time to talk?
Yeah. I’m actually walking the dog. No! [yelling at dog] Sorry, he obsesses over squirrels.

Are you wearing the jeans right now?
Right now, no. But the jeans are awesome.

Great. But, first, about your music: how would you describe what you do to someone who’s never heard your music?
Well, for a while it’s been me and various instruments - all pre-recorded music. But now I’m working with a drummer and a violinist, so it’s more of a band.

Describe the new sound…
Ethiopian-inspired music with big sweeping symphonic sounds, cello, multi-tracks. It’s basically chamber track music.

Did you go to school for music?
No. I went for English… real pointless [laughs].

And you just finished a nationwide tour?
Yeah, just over a month.

What was the general reaction to your shows?
Depends on the different cities. In certain places, people watch, and in others they get into it. This tour was really good though, because people seem to know my stuff now.

Do you think it’s true that no one dances anymore?
It’s funny that people say that. Do people dance at a Stephen Malkmus show? Probably not… I guess it depends on the crowd. Like at the last show in NYC [at Third Ward] everyone was dancing. It was such a fire hazard. That place was packed with a million kids. I kept thinking, I’m just going to hang out near the fire escape. The fire marshal came and everything. It was so surreal.

Tell me about your impressions of the jeans…
They look really good. I’m not really into weird washes, which is why I asked for a dark pair. The green’s really nice.Normally, I wouldn’t wear something like that, because I don’t like stuff that stands out too much. But I really like them. They fit really well. And I was stoked because the company seems socially-conscious – the ink is organic and they’re fair-trade.

Is it fair to say you subscribe to the green movement?
Yeah. And it’s definitely good that it’s to the point where people are thinking about it. I mean they [the jeans] have to be expensive. How could the company afford it otherwise? I don’t really shop that often, but when I do, it’s from smaller companies, and organic is in the front of my mind.

Do you wear a lot of other jeans?
The only other ones that I ever wear are APC’s... maybe some old Levis. They [the Sling & Stones] kind of fit the same way as APC’s, except they’re a little more pegged. I’m already ridiculously skinny, so when I see myself in these it’s like ‘whoa!’ They make you look extra-skinny.

Have you worn them out and about?
Yeah. It was tough at first– when you have a new pair, you have to commit to them. I’ve worn them out bike riding and to work. It’s seems like they’ll last forever. I haven’t been able to find a pair of jeans like this where they’re not trying to be overt, and they fit my body naturally. They fit people with no ass really well [laughs].

What have you been pairing the jeans with?
Lately, the weather’s been nice, so I’ve been pretty much just wearing T-shirts and army shirts.

How would you describe your style?
I don’t know… burnt-out preppy. It’s been like that for probably 15 years. You know, preppy clothes that are falling apart – an early-30s hipster.

Tell us more about the dancing in your performances, as it’s something that critics and fans have really held on to?
I’ve done it for a couple of years. It’s kind of modern dance – performance art-ish, kind of late-‘80s choreographed. Basically making myself look uglier, spastic. It’s non-stop throughout the performance.

How do people tend to react?
A lot just stand and stare, but a lot are dancing too.

What are some signature dance moves?
It’s all pretty much improvised– the sign of the cross, kneeling, putting my hand out [laughs]… It’s barely dancing. More like chaotic, epileptic seizures. Fluid seizures. Those jeans would be great for dancing. They allow for a lot of movement.

So you’ll definitely be bringing them along next time you tour?
Oh yeah. I’ll blast through them so quick. I’m always on the floor.

~Leann Peterson