Toro Y Moi: The Bull's Eye

They say, mess with the bull, you get the horns. However, if you deal with South Carolina’s Chazwick Bundick, commonly known as Toro Y Moi, you will get exceptionally good music. Labelled as the ambassador of the popular chillwave movement, the 24-year-old has established his name within the industry. Still, if you meet Chaz, you will find out that he does not really like to be positioned into one particular field as his music usually provides a distinct blend of various genres. With two full-lengths and a set of Extended Plays under his belt, this young man is gaining more and more followers everyday. Obviously, sky’s the limit for him, but read below and find out about his inspirations, his development as a recording artist, and even his thoughts on Odd Future and Justin Bieber.

Thanks for your time. Could you talk a little bit about your first moments when you experienced music and what drove you to pursue a career as a recording artist?
That’s actually hard to say but if I take a guess, I’d say it was when I first heard “Only in Dreams” by Weezer. That music was so intense to me that it made my hair stand up. As for making music I really was tired of learning other people’s music and decided to make my own stuff. Being creative – creating my own craft.

Your stage name could be translated like the “bull and you.” How did you come up with this interesting name and how is it projected onto your music?
There is no specific story behind it actually. It was rather random. I made it up when I was 15 and kept it since then. I think it’s a name everybody can relate to as it reflects multifaceted personalities. I believe my music is a very good representation of complexity.

You are labelled as one of the prime purveyors of the growingly popular chillwave sound but you stated that you have sort of outgrown this specific sound. Where is your sound heading to?
Well, I just want to keep progressing. I like to make electronic music as much as live instrument stuff and I pretty much did that with my previous releases. Hence, it is hard to say right now where I’m heading next. As for chillwave, I really don’t want to associate myself exclusively with that specific genre. It’s a more universal type of thing for me.

You once stated that you are making shoegaze R&B. Could you describe this to our readers?
This actually refers to my inspiration for Causers of This. For that record, I was really influenced by My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless and J. Dilla’s Donuts. The mix of these two albums resulted in the sound of my LP.

What is the relationship between your first full-length Causers of This and your new opus Underneath the Pine? How would you describe the artistic development?
It’s a simple transition. I kind of just ended up making the music that I sampled. I liked having some sort of segue. In my opinion, I think that tying the funkiness in with the soul is the best way to translate my state of mind.

You recently did an interesting rendition of Tyler, the Creator’s “French.” What is your relationship with the Odd Future camp? Any collaborations on the horizon?
Unfortunately, I don’t really know them that well. Hopefully there will be more opportunities in the future. I’m a really big fan of their stuff. They bring something new and fresh to the table. I was happy to do the remix. In my opinion, if we combine our styles it can result in something special. We will see what the future brings.

Speaking of collaborations, any (still) unfulfilled wishes?
Believe it or not, I really want to work with Justin Bieber. I think we can do some special music together.

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