Toro y Moi | |
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 Toro y Moi in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Born | Chazwick Bradley Bundick (1986-11-07)November 7, 1986 (age 39) Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Origin | Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | toroymoi |
Chaz Bear (bornChazwick Bradley Bundick; November 7, 1986), known professionally asToro y Moi and occasionally referred to asLes Sins[2][3] or simply as "Toro"[citation needed], is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and graphic designer. He is often recognized as a spearhead of thechillwave genre in the 2010s, alongside contemporariesWashed Out andNeon Indian, although his music has explored various styles since.[1] His stage name is amultilingual expression consisting of the Spanish words "toroy" (meaning "bull and") and the French wordmoi (meaning "me").[4][5]
Chaz Bear[6] was born on November 7, 1986, inColumbia, South Carolina,[7] to a Filipino mother and an African-American father.[8] He attendedRidge View High School, where he formed theindie rock band the Heist and the Accomplice with three schoolmates.[9]
Bear graduated from theUniversity of South Carolina in spring of 2009 with abachelor's degree ingraphic design. Late in his school career, Toro y Moi formed a close musical relationship with fellowchillwave artist Ernest Greene, who performs under the nameWashed Out.[10]
In mid-2009, Bear was signed toCarpark Records,[11] on which he released his debut Toro y Moi full-length album,Causers of This, in January 2010. OnCausers of This, Bear experimented with sampling and production techniques using thedigital audio workstationReason.[12] The album garnered comparisons to the "chillwave" subgenre; however, Bear stated that he never classified his music as such. Bear refers to the album's subject matter as "personal," calling it a "break-up album."[13] Tours supportingRuby Suns,Caribou, andPhoenix followed the album's release.[14]
Bear's second album,Underneath the Pine, was released on February 22, 2011.[15] The album was recorded at Bear's home between tours while supportingCausers of This.Underneath the Pine marked a stylistic departure from the previous album in that it was made up of all live instrumentation and contained no samples. Bear cites horror movie soundtracks,space disco, and film composersPiero Umiliani andFrançois de Roubaix as inspiration for the album's sound.[13] Further, Bear states that "...what influencedUnderneath the Pine was finding stuff that I wanted to sample forCausers. A lot of the things I sampled forCausers ended up being the main musical inspiration forUnderneath the Pine."[16]
In an interview with the website At the Sinema, he suggested that he had moved beyond the chillwave genre: "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."[17]
On September 13, 2011, Toro y Moi released an EP titledFreaking Out, featuring a cover of "Saturday Love" byCherrelle andAlexander O'Neal.[18] The EP's sound was heavily influenced by 80'sBoogie and R&B.
The band was chosen byCaribou to perform at theATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival that they co-curated in December 2011 in Minehead, England.[19] Bear also planned a collaboration album with California rapper,Tyler, The Creator, which was recorded between late 2011 and mid 2012.Odd Future posted an unfinished collaboration leaked onSoundCloud titled "Hey You" to theirTumblr blog on July 18, 2012.[20][21] The album has been scrapped since.
In January 2013, Bear released his third Toro y Moi studio album,Anything in Return, which he described as having a '90s dance andR&B sound. According to him, the album was "influenced by lots of different types ofhouse, fromdeep house totwo-step [...] The chords ['Harm in Change' and 'Say That'] use—that's just something I've been a fan of for a while. I really wanted to mess around with those kinds of elements and revisit what I did onCausers of This, but make those elements a little bit better and more apparent."[22] The album was called "highly indebted to the late sacrosanct hip-hop producerJ Dilla" by theSan Francisco Bay Guardian.[23] Bear stated that he wanted to combine the electronic production of his first record with the elements of traditional instrumentation of his second album.[24]
Bear releasedWhat For?, his fourth studio album as Toro y Moi, on April 7, 2015, on Carpark Records.[25] The album marked a further departure in sound from previous releases with a guitar-based rock sound, drawing inspiration from artists such as Big Star, Talking Heads, Todd Rundgren, Tim Maia, and Cortex.[26] He also worked with Tyler, the Creator. Later that year, Bear released the hip hop–influenced mixtapeSamantha via a Dropbox link. The free, 20-track mixtape features collaborations withWashed Out,Rome Fortune andNosaj Thing, among others.
In April 2016, Bear traveled with his touring band to the Mojave Desert to film a live concert film and album. The concert, which had no audience, was filmed in a single day among the Trona Pinnacles. The band added Bay Area multi-instrumentalist Brijean Murphy on congas, and were joined by The Mattson 2 to play the song "JBS".[27] Bear shared withThe Fader that the film was inspired byPink Floyd'sLive At Pompeii, which featured a live performance without an audience.[28]
The film, directed by Harry Israelson, premiered online in August 2016. The live recording was released as a double LP by Carpark Records in August as well.
The studio album follow up toWhat For?,Boo Boo, was released on July 7, 2017, by Carpark Records.[29] In creatingBoo Boo, Bear was influenced by an eclectic mix ofDaft Punk,Frank Ocean,Travis Scott, andOneohtrix Point Never.[30]Boo Boo moved back towards a more R&B, electronic sound, diverging from the live instrumentation ofWhat For?.
Bear released the sixth Toro y Moi album,Outer Peace, on January 18, 2019, on Carpark Records.Outer Peace is arguably the most pop-influenced Toro y Moi album to date. Tracks like "Ordinary Pleasure" and "Freelance" showcase the continued funk, disco, and house influence that is woven through the entire Toro y Moi discography. On First Listen withNPR in January 2019, Bear explained a bit about the album title, stating that "usually the peace is within, so to have peace on the outside is the challenge. I kind of just wanted to call that out."[31]
A week after the release ofOuter Peace and while on tour supporting the album, Bear shared a Dropbox link to a cassette bounce of his mixtape,Soul Trash. In October 2019, an updated version ofSoul Trash was released on streaming platforms. The official release was accompanied by a psychedelic short film directed by Bay Area artist Laneya Billingsley.[32]
In late 2019, Bear started working withFlume on the drum and bass-inspired track "The Difference", which was released on March 11, 2020.[33] The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for 2020.[34]
In October 2021, Bear announced that he had signed withDead Oceans to release the next Toro y Moi album in progress.[35]
On January 26, 2022, Bear announced his seventh studio album as Toro y Moi,Mahal, alongside the release of its first two singles, "Postman" and "Magazine". Two more singles "The Loop" and "Déjà Vu" were released on February 22 and March 31 that year, respectively. The album was released on April 29 via Dead Oceans.[36]
He announced his next albumHole Erth on June 12, 2024, alongside the first single, "Tuesday".[37] The album took a new stylistic approach compared to his previous work, incorporating elements ofemo rap andchoral music,[38] and inviting a number of collaborators, includingDon Toliver,Porches,Kevin Abstract andBenjamin Gibbard. The album was released on September 6, 2024.
Bear DJs and makes electronicdance music under the moniker Les Sins. As Les Sins, Bear has put out a series of 12-inch records on Carpark Records and Jiaolong Records.[39][40] Bear stated that Les Sins "was just another way to make weirder music without having to feel I'm alienating Toro y Moi [fans]. So it's kind of nice to do whatever kind of song I want to do without having to worry about it being accessible."[41] Les Sins's debut full-length album,Michael, was released on November 4, 2014, on Bear's own Company Records (now called Company Studio).[42] The next Les Sins release was a split EP with New York house music producer AceMo calledC'mon Les' Go, released on August 27, 2020, by Company Studio.
Bear produces and performs ambient music as Plum. The first Plum release was a self-titled single-track tape that came out on Leaving Records on September 28, 2016. The next Plum release was a full-length calledStreetView released on Company Studio on October 24, 2020. StreetView's release was accompanied by the debut of an immersive website, plum.link, that paired streaming of the album with drone footage and effects that enhanced the experience of the music.[43]
Bear released a collaborative album,Star Stuff,[44] with The Mattson 2, a jazz duo from California.Star Stuff was released on Company Records on March 31, 2017, and subsequently reached No. 1 on the contemporary jazz Billboard Charts.[45] While touring together in support ofStar Stuff, Bear and the Mattson 2 performed their collaborative album alongside existing songs from Toro y Moi's catalog.
Alongside his music career, Bear also maintains a visual art and design practice. In 2016, Bear founded Company Studio[46] as a framework and vehicle for his visual endeavors. Company Studio works across various disciplines including graphic design, art direction, fine art, murals and installations, event production, and video production. Company studio is located in Oakland California and as of 2025, hosts open studio sessions on select days.
Bear's fine art is primarily centered around painting, but also includes drawing, collage, sculpture,and most recently photography. Bear has had solo shows in at New Image Art (Los Angeles), FISK Projects (Portland), and Gallery Commune (Tokyo).
Company Studio is also the name of Bear's record label, an imprint under Carpark Records, on which he releases his own side projects as well as records by selected artists that he has produced.
Bear lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he moved after leaving South Carolina. On June 27, 2017, the city ofBerkeley, California officially declared June 27 to be 'Chaz Bundick Day'. This public recognition of Bear's contribution to music and the arts was presented byJesse Arreguín,Mayor of Berkeley.[47]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US [48] | ||
| Causers of This | — | |
| Underneath the Pine |
| 186 |
| Anything in Return |
| 60 |
| Michael(as Les Sins) |
| — |
| What For? |
| 123 |
| Star Stuff(with the Mattson 2, as Chaz Bundick Meets the Mattson 2) |
| — |
| Boo Boo |
| 136 |
| Outer Peace |
| 114 |
| Mahal |
| 167 [49] |
| Hole Erth |
| — |
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| June 2009 |
|
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Left Alone at Night" | 2009 | Non-album single |
| "Blessa" | Causers of This | |
| "Leave Everywhere" | 2010 | Non-album singles |
| "I Will Talk to You" / "For No Reason" (split 7-inch withCloud Nothings) | 2011 | |
| "So Many Details" | 2012 | Anything in Return |
| "Say That" | 2013 | |
| "Campo" | Non-album single | |
| "Slough" | ||
| "Empty Nesters" | 2015 | What For? |
| "Buffalo" | ||
| "Grown Up Calls" (Live) | 2016 | Live from Trona |
| "Girl Like You" | 2017 | Boo Boo |
| "You and I" | ||
| "Omaha" | Non-album single | |
| "Freelance" | 2018 | Outer Peace |
| "Ordinary Pleasure" | ||
| "The Difference" (withFlume) | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Ordinary Guy" (with The Mattson 2) | ||
| "Postman" / "Magazine" | 2022 | Mahal |
| "The Loop" | ||
| "Déjà Vu" | ||
| "Tuesday" | 2024 | Hole Erth |
| "Heaven" (featuringKevin Abstract and Lev) | ||
| "Hollywood" (featuringBen Gibbard) b/w "CD-R" |
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Try" (Nosaj Thing featuring Toro y Moi) | 2013 | Home |
| "Chaz Interlude" (Travis Scott featuring Toro y Moi) | Owl Pharaoh | |
| "Come Alive" (Chromeo featuring Toro y Moi) | 2014 | White Women |
| "Flying High" (Travis Scott featuring Toro y Moi) | 2015 | Rodeo |
| "Run" (Tyler, the Creator featuring Chaz Bear) | Cherry Bomb | |
| "Fucking Young / Perfect" (Tyler, the Creator featuring Chaz Bear) | ||
| "If I Was a Folkstar" (The Avalanches featuring Toro y Moi) | 2016 | Wildflower |
| "9 Carrots" (Flying Lotus featuring Toro y Moi) | 2019 | Flamagra |
| "Dark and Handsome" (Blood Orange featuring Toro y Moi) | Angel's Pulse | |
| "Money Up" (MadeinTYO featuring Toro y Moi) | 2020 | (Non-Album Single) |
| "Cinderella" (Don Toliver featuring Toro y Moi) | 2023 | Love Sick |
| "All Ur Luv" (Wavedash &Madeon featuring Toro y Moi) | 2024 | (Non-Album Single) |
| "ASPEN" (Channel Tres featuring Toro y Moi) | Head Rush | |
| "Body High" (Rich Brian featuring Toro y Moi) | 2025 | Where Is My Head? |
| "Sunrise" (Ampersounds featuring Toro y Moi) | 2025 | Generations |
| "CURIOUS" (Sam Gellaitry featuring Toro y Moi) | 2025 | (Non-Album Single) |
| Title | Year | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Feel It All Around"[50] | 2009 | Washed Out |
| "Repeated"[51] | The Longcut | |
| "At a Glance"[52] | 2010 | Body Language |
| "Alligator"[53] | Tegan and Sara | |
| "Fire Escape"[54] | Fanfarlo | |
| "Deadbeat Summer"[55] | Neon Indian | |
| "French!"[56] | 2011 | Tyler, The Creator featuringHodgy Beats |
| "Blink and You'll Miss a Revolution"[57] | Cut Copy | |
| "You & Me"[58] | 2013 | Disclosure featuringEliza Doolittle |
| "My Man"[59] | Billie Holiday | |
| "Bombs Away" | 2019 | Charlotte Gainsbourg |
| "Hit Me Where It Hurts"[60] | 2020 | Caroline Polachek |
| "3 AM"[61] | HAIM |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
