Fun Fun Fun Fest Artist Spotlight: Toro y Moi

Do you love dreamy synthpop music with a flair of R&B and funk that transports you back to the 1970s? Well, look no further.

Toro y Moi might be a great new addition to your music library! I discovered him after I downloaded a playlist off the Urban Outfitters website, which is a spectacular way to find new music, and was immediately hypnotized by his sound.  Toro y Moi (pronounced toh-roh ee-mwah) is the stage name of 28 year old, South Carolina native, Chazwick (Chaz) Bundick. Music has been a huge influence in Chaz’s life and when he was a teenager, he formed an indie rock band named The Heist and The Accomplice with a few classmates. By the time he graduated college in 2009,  he was well-known within the indie community and was preparing to release his first studio album, Causers of This.

Toro y Moi is considered one of the big three in the “Chillwave” movement and Rolling Stone magazine even named him the “Chillwave godfather.”  The other two are Washed Out and Neon Indian, another band who will be at FFF Fest! If you’ve never listened to the aforementioned bands or chillwave music in general, it’s best described as summertime “chill” music that has heavy usage of sampling, synth, and reverb.

One awesome thing about Toro y Moi is that all of his music videos are very aesthetically pleasing and fit the songs perfectly. Here’s a video to one of his most popular songs, “Still Sound” off of his second album, Underneath the Pine. The song has a killer bassline and a funky rhythm that will make you dance exactly how Chaz dances in the video. The video is recorded with a Super 8 camera and the vintage feel complements the song extremely well.

Toro y Moi has released four studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), and two compilation albums. He’s always experimenting with new sounds to push himself as a musician and his sound has moved from the chillest of chillwave to funky R&B. If you are into chillwave music, I highly recommend listening to his first studio album, Causers of This. It contains lots of great sampling, dreamy vocals, and just sheer perfection. All of his discography is great so whatever album you decide to listen to first will not disappoint!

Song Recommendations: “Freaking Out,” “Blessa,” “Talamak,” “Say That,” “Still Sound,” “Lissoms,” “Empty Nesters,” “Lilly,” “Buffalo, “All Alone,” “So Many Details.”

Toro y Moi will be performing at Fun Fun Fun Fest on Friday, November 6th so definitely check him and his live band out if you are going. More information about the festival and passes can be found here!

Toro y Moi: Website/Twitter/Facebook/Soundcloud

By: Ayisha Mahama