Stones Throw’s latest discovery is Koushik Ghosh, who unlike many other projects from the label, has nothing to do with Madlib, and is not a funk reissue. Instead, Koushik is a new breed of artist - one that meets at the crossroads of hard-hitting, atmospheric production (ala DJ Shadow) meshed with lightly sung 60′s psyche-rock vocals. Be With is a 15 track release, which combines all three of Koushik’s EP’s (recorded between 2000-2004) into one easy-to-listen-to package. 

       The album begins with the title track, “Be With”, a beautifully breezy arrangement of chopped up acoustic guitars, flutes, harps, and drums, and ‘Shik’s relaxing, light as Air vocals. Also standing out with similar flair in this first section of the album is the drum-crazy “Pretty Soon”, that evokes memories of Fat Jon’s similarly themed instrumental style. Things get darker and eerier as the album progresses, most notably with the Automator-styled drum patterns of “Back To The End”, or the somewhat random “Too Many Ways”. He comes back to somewhat jazz/funk roots on the last section of the album, the Battle Times EP, which delights, with the voyaging “Battle Rhymes For Battle Times” and the sultry, evolving sounds of “Ew”. 

       Stones Throw’s latest works as a good introduction to a potentially big artist of tomorrow, but is over before you know it. With three EP’s combined into one project, we do getto see the artist at different levels in his career, but does come off as somewhat of a hodge-podge of different styles and sounds. Be With shows potential for the new artist, but heads will ultimately decide where they stand with him when either a true full-length is released, or he produced a record with a dynamic, equally talented emcee.