Send "Toro Y Moi " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Now that there's little choice but to treat chillwave as an actual genre, it's at risk of the same kind of restrictive codification that's strangled so many of its predecessors. The word has come to mean a specific style-- glowing electronic pop that calls to mind faded photographs. But what initially drew comparisons between such groups as Washed Out, Neon Indian, and Memory Tapes wasn't such an easily identifiable set of musical signifiers. As with most category names that stick, chillwave was a feeling.There's no better example of the genre's catholic origins than Toro Y Moi mastermind Chaz Bundick. Last year's Causers of This established Toro Y Moi as one of the mini-scene's leading figures, with the post-crash economic reality of lead single "Blessa" ("I found a job, I do it fine/ Not what I want, but still I try") aligning the album with Neon Indian's "Deadbeat Summer" and Washed Out's High Times-- and Bundick's full-length debut had a warmly nostalgic electro-R&B aesthetic, to boot. But by then he had already released 2009's Body Angles tape, which, yeah, presaged Causers with synthy closer "Timed Pleasure", but mostly emphasized scuzzy guitars. And Bundick has said he actually recorded this year's garage-pop "Leave Everywhere" single in 2006. In the meantime, he's given us straight-up dance (his Les Sins project) and an album that expands on the atmospheric funk of Causers using a lusher, more organic instrumental palette (this year's Underneath the Pine). The definition of chillwave may have to expand yet again. Memory Tapes' solid if disappointing follow-up to 2009's zeitgeist-capturing Seek Magic had more in common than with the sound of this Internet-born subset, but Bundick, along with Neon Indian and Washed Out, continues to embody its spirit, which was always more body-oriented than detractors would care to admit. With the Freaking Out EP, Bundick moves from vaguely funky 1980s-tinged makeout jams to more explicitly funky 80s-tinged dancefloor jams-- think Chromeo. The change isn't as successful as his best work, but it still makes for a plenty rewarding between-albums EP....full text |
| Prettymuchamazing |
| When I double-clicked the first track of Toro Y Moi’s new EP Freaking Out, the song didn’t start. No music came from my speakers. Instead, a fork of blue lightening shot down from the ceiling, engulfing me in blinding light. When the smoke cleared, I was on a superbike, speeding down a vast, deserted road as the morning sun rose in front of me. The more I explored my surroundings, the more I realised I must have travelled through time as well as space – this was Miami thirty years ago. I grinned, put on the pair of aviators that materialised in my pocket, and accelerated into the red dawn. This is what “All Alone” feels like: it’s the opening credits of an 80’s action film. In a good way. It’s refreshingly more dramatic than Chazwick Bundick’s previous work. Superficially, there are similarities: the sound is full, the layers are plenty, and the instruments are bombastic and tongue-in-cheek. But unlike many of his earlier songs, more attention seems to have been put into primarily making these ones accessible; “All Alone” is a very well-crafted pop song with a big beat and catchy melody. From here, Bundick effortlessly slides into an uncannily accurate Prince impression for title track “Freaking Out”. It’s a neck-jerkingly funky, dance groove, and the two tracks work perfectly together. So far, so great. Feeling the inescapable draw of some distant, muffled music, I parked outside the club it was emanating from, and entered its large, steel door. Inside, I was surprised to find the club empty apart from three figures apparently engaged in some kind of dance-off underneath a gigantic disco ball. I moved closer to find Jamiroquai furiously moon-walking in front of the Justice duo. Somehow, these musicians must have been transported here with me. The music playing was Toro Y Moi’s excellent “Sweet” – track three of Freaking Out. I poured myself a drink from behind the deserted bar and went to join in the competition....full text |
| Dippedindollars |
| Toro Y Moi is dropping some material through a new EP titled Freaking Out. So far, the collection of songs I’ve heard sound like a definite nod to his earlier, electronic-based aesthetic, which comes as a big change from the “live” sound of Underneath the Pine. In many ways it sounds like a continuation of Causers of This, which is a welcome treat to my ears. He does well merging some of the better reinventions of disco, 80s synth-pop, and off-the-grid beatology flying around out there with his unique production style and signature vocal presence. You can check out tracks Freaking Out and All Alone while you wait for the full release to drop next Tuesday....full text |
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