MP3: Toro Y Moi – “Human Nature (Michael Jackson Cover)
Toro Y Moi is the musical creation of 22 year old Columbia, South Carolina resident Chaz Bundick.
Carpark will release two very different Toro Y Moi full lengths in 2010. The two songs on this single are representative of those two albums. The single A side “Blessa” could just as easily be called “Blissa”. Melodic ambient samples swirl around Chaz’s cleverly arranged pop song structures. Hazy summer sounds with a New Jack shine, as if Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced the Cocteau Twins. The B side “109” showcases another side of Toro Y Moi. This one is an almost perfectly crafted lo fi pop gem; 60s style pop meets 21st century lo fi. Kinda like Ariel Pink jamming with Motown’s finest.
Bio:
Toro Y Moi is 23 year old Columbia, South Carolina native and resident Chaz Bundick. After earning a BFA in Graphic Design at The University of South Carolina, Chaz decided to push his music further now that he has more time on his hands. His mom came from the Phillipines to the United States, where she met her future husband (who’s African American) in college. They lived in New York City taking in all the wonderful cultural influences the city’s rising underground scene had to offer at the time (late 70s/early 80s). Deciding to slow down and be closer to family, they moved to Columbia, South Carolina where they had their first child…
Chaz Bundick’s methods are constantly changing and evolving. Heavily influenced by his parent’s vinyl and tape collection, he also possesses great admiration for contemporary influences like Animal Collective, Sonic Youth, J Dilla, and Daft Punk. Like most prepubescent teens, he had his punk band and once that died out, the “side project” soon became the main focus.
Toro y Moi started in 2001 as a bedroom project but quickly grew into the live performance realm. The songs are born from a plethora of different genres, from freak-folk to R&B to French House- which is heavily influential on Chaz’s newest dance alias, Les Sins.
Before any full length album has been released, Toro Y Moi has already received praise from music websites like Pitchfork and Gorilla Vs. Bear as well as upcoming print features in the NME and Dazed and Confused.
TORO Y MOI
August 18th – Austin, TX @ Emos*
August 19th – Dallas, TX @ Pastime Tavern*
August 20th – Houston, TX @ Notsuoh*
August 21st – Tampa, FL @ TBC*
August 22nd – Miami, FL @ Poplife*
August 23rd – Orlando, FL @ Back Booth*
August 24th – Columbia, SC @ The Whig*
August 25th – Charleston, SC @ The Recovery Room*
August 26th – Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light*
August 27th – Asheville, NC @ Bobo Gallery*
August 28th – Atlanta, GA @ 529*
August 29th – Charlotte, NC @ Milestone*
August 30th – Chapel Hill, NC @ Nightlight*
August 31st – Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat backstage*
September 1st – Charlottesville, VA @ Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar*
October 15th – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean+%
October 18th – Missoula, MT @ The Palace+%
October 19th – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey+%
October 20th – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre+%
October 21st – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre+%
October 22nd – Davis, CA @ UC Davis Odd Fellows Lodge+%
October 23rd – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill+%
October 24th – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour+%
October 25th – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room+%
October 27th – Austin, TX @ Mohawk+%
October 28th – Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves+%
October 29th – Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe+%
October 30th – Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree+%
November 1st – Durham, NC @ Duke Coffee House+%
November 2nd – Baltimore, MD @ G Spot+%
November 3rd – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church+%
November 4th – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs+%
November 5th – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom+%
November 7th – Montreal, QC @ TBA+%
+ with Islands
* with Ear Pwr
% with Jemina Pearl
Toro Y Moi
Blessa 7″ Single
(Carpark)
Street Date: Oct. 6, 2009
TORO Y MOI LINKS:
Band Page – toroymoi.blogspot.com
MySpace – www.myspace.com/toroymoi
Press Materials – www.carparkrecords.com/toroymoipresspage.html