Author: Duke Denham
Header photo courtesy of NPR and Jack Bool
Let’s take a trip back to 2012. I’m scrolling through the Odd Future Tumblr page and stumble upon a track from an artist I’ve never heard of. I click on it and a portal to a whole new world opens up, a gateway to a world filled with hypnotic synths and moody, hazy vocals that differed from the Hip-Hop I knew. I became obsessed and consumed every bit of music from this artist throughout my 8thgrade year. Little did I know, the countless hours I would spend listening to him would deeply affect the way I perceive music till this day. The artist I’m talking about is Toro y Moi.
After graduating college in 2009 with a graphic design degree, Chaz Bear focused on Toro y Moi, a musical project that constantly explores new sonic territory. With every album, Chaz reinvents himself and unveils a new concoction of sounds, genres, and instrumentation. His debut album Causers of This established Toro as one of the pioneers of Chillwave, a genre known for its dreamy, spacey effects, vintage synths, and heavenly vocals. However, just one year later, Chaz changed direction on his 2011 album Underneath the Pine, incorporating more direct production, psychedelic guitar riffs, and funky basslines. His entire career is filled with these twists and turns but it’s what makes following Toro y Moi extremely exciting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gxhLiNypVU
Despite all the variation, Chaz’s easygoing yet charming personality manages to tie everything together. I honestly don’t know anybody with as much drip as Chaz. Just check out his dance moves in the “Freelance” video. Fire. But seriously, Toro is such a peaceful and thoughtful person. He’s contemplated everything from relationships to the power of technology in his music and every album expresses his ideas and aura perfectly.
Chaz’s live show is like a collision of all the different eras in his career, a trip down memory lane of every place he has explored sonically. I’m eager to embark on that adventure with an artist that’s heavily ingrained into my teenage experience and who’s the foundation to much of the music I listen to today.
Toro y Moi will be at The Neptune Theater this Saturday and Sunday to promote his new album Outer Peace. With help from local indie folk artist Valley Maker, Chaz is bound to sweep the crowd off its feet with his lovable charisma. Tickets for both show are sold out, but if you were lucky enough score some tickets, the show starts at 9:00 for the Saturday show and 8:00 for the Sunday show.
Be sure to also follow Chaz Bear on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
DUKE DENHAM| Will be endlessly streaming Outer Peacetill the concert | KXSU Music Reporter