TORO Y MOI
LABELS: Carpark Records ||| TEXT: Devi ||| PHOTO: David Greenwald
The one man, multi-instrumentalist wonder, Chaz Bundick made his first album debut as Toro Y Moi (French term for “Bull and Me”) in 2010 with Causers of This. He quickly won the hearts of fellow experimental music fans with his albums’ deep tracks, layered with washy high vocals, lush looping keyboards, and infectious beats. His work could compare to a slower, modified version of those late disco classics with their hushed vinyl allure and catchy, danceable rhythms. But in an interview with Rawkblog, Chaz said he “didn’t want Toro Y Moi to be associated with dance music, mainly because Toro Y Moi is my project for my real emotions and important lyrical content.”
A real dude, making real music that is often shipped to the total indie-based realm of the “chillwave” even though the guy himself prefers the simple term “pop”. Within these musical waters, Toro Y Moi thrives with a humble human edge in his strokes. “It's all 100% embarrassingly accurate” Chaz said of his music in an early interview with About.com. “It’s awkward whenever I’m home playing a show, because everyone in the audience knows who they’re about. It’s like I’m talking about them behind their backs right in front of their face.” To Pitchfork, Chaz remarked on the influences behind his two albums, saying Causers “was pretty much my break-up album” and his sophomore effort “mostly about family and friends”. The latter, titled Underneath the Pine, has recently smashed the shores of the music blogosphere with a force fueling daily streaming and downloading. To support its release, Chaz is currently touring cities across North America and Canada, to be followed by some well earned C&R (chill and relaxation).
PRESS
“Because Toro Y Moi is so closely linked with the likes of Neon Indian, Washed Out, and Memory Tapes, it's tempting to read into the success of Underneath the Pine as some predictor of those bands' collective staying power, or a direction others might take. But Bundick seems to be following nothing but his own internal compass.” —Pitchfork
“...a dreamy synergist at the forefront of a new sound, tentatively known as chillwave.” —The Guardian
"It's obvious that Toro Y Moi creates very confident and individual music which may indicate even better work to come." —Groovemine
LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL 2011 TOUR
SUN 07/17 • CHICAGO, IL • Pitchfork Festival
FRI 08/12 • SAN FRANCISCO, CA • Outside Lands
FRI 09/09 • ATHENS, GA • 40 Watt Club
SAT 09/10 • RALEIGH, NC • Hopscotch Festival
SUN 09/11 • WASHINGTON, DC • Black Cat
MON 09/12 • PHILADELPHIA, PA • First Unitarian Church
WED 09/14 • NEW YORK, NY • Webster Hall
FRI 09/16 • BOSTON, MA • Paradise
SAT 09/17 • MONTREAL, PQ • National
SUN 09/18 • TORONTO, ONT • Opera House
MON 09/19 • DETROIT, MI • Magic Stick
TUE 09/20 • BLOOMINGTON, IN • The Bishop
THU 09/22 • CHAMPAIGN, IL • Pygmalion Music Festival
SUN 09/25 • MINNEAPOLIS, MN • Triple Rock
THU 09/29 • VANCOUVER, BC • Venue
FRI 09/30 • PORTLAND, OR • Star Theater
MON 10/03 • LOS ANGELES, CA • El Rey Theater
THU 10/06 • EL PASO, TX • Lowbrow Palace
FRI 10/07 • DALLAS, TX • Club Dada
SAT 10/08 • AUSTIN, TX • Mohawk
SUN 10/09 • HOUSTON, TX • Fitzgerald’s
MON 10/10 • NEW ORLEANS, LA • One Eyed Jacks
TUE 10/11 • TALLAHASSEE, FL • Club Downunder
THU 10/13 • BIRMINGHAM, AL • Bottletree
FRI 10/14 • ATLANTA, GA • Masquerade
LINKS
+ Toro Y Moi Official Blog
+ Toro Y Moi on Myspace
+ Toro Y Moi on Facebook
+ Toro Y Moi on Twitter
+ FREE Mixtape: “Made In Bed” 
