‘Toro y Moi’ is the solo project of Columbia, South Carolina, native and resident Chaz Bear (aka Chaz Bundick). In 2009, Bear earned a BFA in Graphic Design from The University of South Carolina. When it comes to Bear’s methods, they are constantly evolving. Aside from being heavily influenced by his parent’s vinyl and tape collections, Animal Collective, Sonic Youth, J Dilla, and Daft Punk are among his contemporary influences.

When Toro y Moi began in 2007, it was primarily a bedroom project that quickly evolved into live shows. Despite being associated with chillwave, the sound is also influenced by freak folk, R&B, and French house. Currently, Toro y Moi is signed to Carpark Records with his first full-length album, Causers of This, being released in January 2010.

Bear’s intrinsic melodic abilities and sonic shape-shifting demonstrate resistance to genre shifts and sonic zigzags, whether they are used to delve into the mainstream zeitgeist, as on 2017’s modern R&B-inspired Boo Boo, or veer off into the funky psychedelic realms of 2022’s Mahal.