Toro y Moi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Toro y Moi
Toro y Moi in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Chazwick Bradley Bundick
Also known as	Les Sins PLUM
Born	(1986-11-07) November 7, 1986 (age 38) Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
Origin	Oakland, California, U.S.
Genres	Chillwave indie rock house ambient hip hop techno
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter record producer graphic designer
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Dead Oceans Carpark Mistletone
Associated acts	The Avalanches Chromeo Dev Hynes Flying Lotus Flume Rome Fortune Washed Out

Chaz Bear (born Chazwick Bradley Bundick; November 7, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer. He is best known by his stage name Toro y Moi. You might also hear him called Les Sins or just "Toro". He became famous in the 2010s as a key artist in the chillwave music style, along with other musicians like Washed Out and Neon Indian. However, his music has changed a lot over the years, exploring many different sounds. His stage name, Toro y Moi, is a mix of languages: "toro y" means "bull and" in Spanish, and "moi" means "me" in French.

Early life and music beginnings

Chaz Bear was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on November 7, 1986. His mother is from the Philippines, and his father is African American. When he was in high school at Ridge View High School, he started an indie rock band called "the Heist and the Accomplice" with some friends.

In 2009, Chaz graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in graphic design. During his time at college, he also became good friends with fellow chillwave artist Ernest Greene, who is known as Washed Out. They shared a love for music and helped each other grow.

Music career highlights

2010: Causers of This album

In mid-2009, Chaz Bear signed with Carpark Records. He released his first full album as Toro y Moi, called Causers of This, in January 2010. For this album, Chaz experimented with using samples and special production techniques with music software called Reason. Many people compared the album to the "chillwave" style, but Chaz said he didn't really think of his music that way. He described the album as very "personal," calling it a "break-up album." After the album came out, he went on tour, opening for bands like Ruby Suns, Caribou, and Phoenix.

2011: Underneath the Pine and Freaking Out EP

Chaz's second album, Underneath the Pine, was released on February 22, 2011. He recorded this album at his home while he was on tour for Causers of This. Underneath the Pine sounded very different from his first album because it used live instruments and no samples. Chaz said he was inspired by horror movie soundtracks, space disco, and film composers like Piero Umiliani and François de Roubaix. He also mentioned that the sounds he wanted to sample for Causers ended up inspiring the music for Underneath the Pine.

In an interview, he explained that he felt he had moved past the chillwave genre. He said, "All that stuff is really good music, like Ernest Green (Washed Out) and Neon Indian. I'm a big fan of all of that, but I think [chillwave] was just a small little period where we all were, coincidentally."

On September 13, 2011, Toro y Moi released an EP (a shorter album) called Freaking Out. It included a cover of the song "Saturday Love" by Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal. The EP's sound was heavily influenced by 80s Boogie and R&B music.

Toro y Moi performing at Koko in Camden Town in 2013

2012–2013: Anything in Return

In January 2013, Chaz released his third Toro y Moi album, Anything in Return. He described this album as having a '90s dance and R&B sound. He said it was influenced by many types of house music, like deep house and two-step. He wanted to mix the electronic sounds from his first album with the live instruments from his second.

2014–2015: What For? and Samantha mixtape

Chaz released What For?, his fourth album as Toro y Moi, on April 7, 2015. This album was another big change in sound, focusing more on guitar-based rock. He was inspired by artists like Big Star and Talking Heads.

Later that year, Chaz released a free mixtape called Samantha, which had a hip hop influence. This mixtape had 20 songs and featured collaborations with artists like Washed Out and Rome Fortune.

2016–2017: Live from Trona and Boo Boo

In April 2016, Chaz and his band went to the Mojave Desert to film a live concert movie and album. The concert had no audience and was filmed in one day among the Trona Pinnacles rock formations. The film, directed by Harry Israelson, came out in August 2016, and the live album was also released. Chaz said the film was inspired by Pink Floyd's Live At Pompeii, which also featured a performance without an audience.

His next studio album, Boo Boo, was released on July 7, 2017. For Boo Boo, Chaz was influenced by a mix of artists like Daft Punk, Frank Ocean, and Travis Scott. This album went back to a more R&B and electronic sound, different from the live instruments used in What For?.

2018–2021: Outer Peace and Soul Trash mixtape

Chaz released his sixth Toro y Moi album, Outer Peace, on January 18, 2019. This album is considered one of his most pop-influenced works. Songs like "Ordinary Pleasure" and "Freelance" show the continued influence of funk, disco, and house music in his work. Chaz explained the album title, saying that "usually the peace is within, so to have peace on the outside is the challenge."

Soon after Outer Peace came out, Chaz shared a new mixtape called Soul Trash. An updated version of Soul Trash was later released on music streaming services in October 2019.

In late 2019, Chaz started working with Flume on a drum and bass-inspired song called "The Difference", which was released in March 2020. This song was even nominated for a Grammy Award! In October 2021, Chaz announced he had signed with Dead Oceans for his next Toro y Moi album.

2022–present: Mahal and Hole Erth

On January 26, 2022, Chaz announced his seventh album as Toro y Moi, called Mahal. He also released two new songs from it, "Postman" and "Magazine." The album was released on April 29 through Dead Oceans.

He announced his newest album, Hole Erth, on June 12, 2024, along with the first song, "Tuesday." This album has a new style, mixing elements of emo rap and choral music. It also features many guest artists, including Don Toliver, Porches, Kevin Abstract, and Benjamin Gibbard. The album was released on September 6, 2024.

Other music projects

Les Sins (2014–present)

Chaz also makes electronic dance music and DJs under the name Les Sins. He has released several records as Les Sins. Chaz said that Les Sins was a way for him to make "weirder music" without worrying if it would sound like typical Toro y Moi songs. The first full album for Les Sins, called Michael, came out on November 4, 2014, on Chaz's own record label, Company Records (now Company Studio).

Plum (2016–present)

Chaz also creates ambient music under the name Plum. Ambient music is usually calm and relaxing. The first Plum release was a single song tape in 2016. The next Plum release was a full album called StreetView in 2020. This album came with a special website that showed drone footage and effects while you listened to the music.

Chaz Bundick Meets the Mattson 2 (2016–2017)

Chaz worked with The Mattson 2, a jazz duo, to create a collaborative album called Star Stuff. This album was released on March 31, 2017, and even reached #1 on the contemporary jazz Billboard Charts! When they toured together, they played songs from Star Stuff as well as Toro y Moi songs.

Art and design work

Besides making music, Chaz Bear is also a talented visual artist and designer. In 2016, he started Company Studio to help with his visual projects. Company Studio does many things, including graphic design, art direction, painting, murals, and even video production.

Chaz's art mainly focuses on painting, but he also does drawing, collage, and sculpture. He has had his art shown in galleries in Los Angeles, Portland, and Tokyo.

Company Studio is also the name of Chaz's record label, which is part of Carpark Records. He uses it to release his own side projects and music from other artists he has produced.

Live band members

When Toro y Moi performs live, Chaz is joined by other musicians:

• Chaz Bear – sings, plays guitar, and keyboards (since 2008)
• Imari Mubarak – plays bass (current)
• Andy Woodward – plays drums (since 2010)
• Anthony Ferraro – plays keyboards and sings backup (since 2013)

Personal life

Chaz Bear lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he moved after leaving South Carolina. On June 27, 2017, the city of Berkeley, California even declared June 27 to be 'Chaz Bundick Day'! This was a special way to recognize his important contributions to music and art.

Discography

Here are some of the albums and songs Toro y Moi has released:

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Mixtapes

• Guest Mix for Andrew Meza's BTS Radio (2012)
• Boiler Room Los Angeles Mix (2012)
• Samantha (2015)
• Soul Trash (2019)

Live albums

• Live from Trona (2016)
• Mahal (Live from Big Sur) (2023)

EPs

• Body Angles (2009)
• Sides of Chaz (2010)
• Freaking Out (2011)
• Smartbeats (for Glaceau Smartwater) (2019)
• C'mon Les' Go (as Les Sins; split with AceMo) (2020)
• Sandhills (2023)

Singles

Music videos

• "Blessa" (2009)
• "Talamak" (2010)
• "Low Shoulders" (2010)
• "Still Sound" (2011)
• "New Beat" (2011)
• "How I Know" (2011)
• "So Many Details" (2012)
• "Say That" (2013)
• "Never Matter" (2013)
• "Rose Quartz" (2013)
• "Empty Nesters" (2015)
• "Half Dome" (2015)
• "Lilly" (2015)
• "Girl Like You" (2017)
• "You and I" (2017)
• "Windows" (2017)
• "Pavement" (2017)
• "No Show" (2017)
• "Omaha" (2017)
• "Freelance" (2018)
• "Ordinary Pleasure" (2019)
• "50-50" (2019)
• "drip bounce _7_24_18" (2019)
• "New House" (2019)
• "Magazine" (2022)
• "Postman" (2022)
• "The Loop" (2022)
• "Déjá Vu" (2022)
• "Millennium" (2022)
• "Back Then" (2023)
• "Sidelines" (2023)
• "Sandhills" (2023)
• "The View" (2023)
• "Said Goodbye to Rock n Roll" (2023)
• "Tuesday" (2024)
• "Heaven" (2024)
• "Madonna" (2024)
• "Babydaddy" (2024)
• "Walking In The Rain" (2024)

Demo albums

• Woodlands (2007)
• My Touch (2009)

As producer

• Sunday Dinner by Keath Mead (2015)
• Signals EP by Madeline Kenney (2016)
• Radiolove EP by Tanukichan (2016)
• Night Night at First Landing by Madeline Kenney (2017)
• Star Stuff by Chaz Bundick Meets The Mattson 2 (2017)
• Toro y Rome Vol.1 (with Rome Fortune) (2018)
• Sundays by Tanukichan (2018)
• Living in Symbol by Astronauts, etc. (2018)
• Rhododendron by Valley Maker (2018)

As featured artist

Remixes

See also

In Spanish: Toro y Moi para niños