Toro Y Moi

Toro Y Moi

Toro Y Moi is the solo project of Chaz Bear, also known as Chaz Bundick, a Columbia, South Carolina native and resident. Bear starts the project in 2007 as a bedroom recording venture that develops into live performance. Born in 1986, he earns a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of South Carolina in 2009.

Style and influences

The project is associated with chillwave, and its sound also draws on freak folk, R&B and French house. Other genre labels connected with Toro Y Moi include alternative dance, alternative R&B, breakbeat, breaks and dance. Bear cites his parents’ vinyl and tape collection as an early influence, and names Animal Collective, Sonic Youth, J Dilla and Daft Punk among his contemporary influences.

Career

Toro Y Moi is signed to Carpark Records. The first full-length album, Causers of This, appears in 2010, followed by Underneath the Pine in 2011. That year also brings the EP Freaking Out. In 2012, a compilation titled June 2009 is released. Anything In Return follows in 2013, then What For? in 2015 and Boo Boo in 2017.

In 2019, Toro Y Moi releases Outer Peace, described as bringing in French house and indietronica, along with Soul Trash, a collection that includes unfinished and unreleased recordings dating back to 2015. The following year brings the Grammy-nominated collaboration with Flume, The Difference, as well as remixes for Caroline Polachek and HAIM. Later releases include Mahal in 2022, the five-track EP Sandhills in 2023, and the seventh album Hole Erth in 2024.