You know a sound must be fresh when a new genre is created to describe it. Toro Y Moi- the moniker of multi-instrumentalist Chazwick Bundick- released Causers of This early 2010 spearheading the charge for the fledgling chillwave genre. Now, just a year later he’s already moving in a new direction.
He hones his sound in his newest release, Underneath the Pine, adding hip-hop funk and soul to an already diverse palette of genres. “Divina” has an ambient reverb feel, but displays the downtempo side of the album very nicely. Lead single “New Beat,” a symbiotic mix of funk, organ and bass, is one of the most innovative tracks of the year.
Some tracks are instrumental, but the entire album has the same overarching feel- lyrics are there, but they never dominate and it’s clearly meant to be that way. They are just a piece in Bundick’s auditory puzzle.
This is a great sophomore follow-up that will appeal to anyone into electronic, funk and especially chillwave. Overall it’s a solid album with a high replay value. While the debut was a hint, this release is a major clue to keep an eye on the rising Toro Y Moi.