Toro y Moi – Causers of This

Check out Toro y Moi at http://www.myspace.com/toroymoi

By, Nick Rizzuto

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Album: Causers of This

Artist: Toro y Moi

Release Date: February 2nd, 2010

Sounds Like: Discovery, Matt & Kim, The XX, Panda Bear, Washed Out, Beach House

Buzz Tracks:”Causers of This”, “Blessa”, “Fax Shadow”

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I love when an album just grabs my ears and my imagination and demands that I tell everyone I know about it. The best albums, in my opinion, are the ones that make me disciple of the band in this way, in no more than 2 listens. This is exactly what Toro y Moi did to me this weekend. Toro Y Moi is not just one thing or one genre – it transcends any one name that I can think of and confuses me like Galapagos must have confused Darwin. Despite being such an amalgam of tastes and genres, Toro y Moi was created by one man – the very musically-talented Chaz Bundick, formerly of The Heist and the Accomplice. Causers of This, which is allegedly the first of 2 LPs from Toro y Moi in 2010, can be purchased on iTunes now! Also check Toro y Moi out at www.myspace.com/toroymoi

What’s so special about Toro y Moi, you ask? Well, if you’re indie-savvy then you’ll know what I mean when I say that Causers of This is very reminiscent of Washed Out, jj, Neon Indian, and, at some points, Beach House. These bands together comprise the new indie genre phenomenon know as Chillwave. For those of you not familiar with the genre asking “WTF is Chillwave?” -  Wikipedia describes it as being “characterized by heavy use of synthesizers, downtempo disco beats, looping, sampling, and heavily filtered vocals with simple melodic lines.” Honestly, I couldn’t give a much better description myself – the genre uses mainly synthetic instruments and stresses melody and complex arrangements. However, the overall vibe is one of relaxation. Essentially, Chillwave feels like one is sunbathing in the hallucinogenic sun-rays of a star in some distant and deranged galaxy.

Toro y Moi, contains all of these things – atmospheric synthesized parts, ethereal vocal melodies, and tastefully bumping bass, all of which conjure up images of an acid-infused rave in slow motion. Although the title (and final) track “Causers of This” may seem like a track straight out of an 80s disco club, you can feel the element of pure relaxation that gives Chillwave its name. “Fax Shadow” and “Thanks Vision” echo this soothing atmosphere and together, in my opinion, offer a suite of spacey and almost meditative jams. “Blessa”, the opening track, brings to mind the distant melodies and looping of indie giants Animal Collective, while “Talamak” is reminiscent of a hip-hop-esque feel that is rarely apparent in indie releases. Both “Blessa” and “Talamak” can be heard in full over at the bands Myspace.

I’m not writing this to turn you onto Chillwave though. Although I do like the bands that are usually associated with the movement, I’m here to turn you on to Toro y Moi, because of all of these bands I feel like they have something completely new and unique and eclectic. Its hard to say how few times I pushed play on a record and then in an hour felt like my ears were exposed to an entirely new genre of music, however, that’s how I feel about Toro y Moi. The debut album balances elements of hip-hop and indie (much like the band Discovery), but mixes these elements into something entirely original and experimental.

In short, why I am currently loving this Toro y Moi album is because it fits so many situations. It is perfect playlist for a sunny day such as today, it’s bass heavy so great for bumping in the car, and yet is great just as background music. It’s heavy with musical and production subtleties, angelic melodies, and infectious beats. And absolute must have for music fans. Call it Chillwave if you want, I call Toro y Moi the wave of the future.

So, pick up Causers of This and keep your eyes and ears open for the bands second LP coming sometime this year.