8/10
By Connor Hayes
Chaz Bundick is an enigma. The 28-year-old South Carolinian, known more commonly by his musical nom de plume Toro Y Moi, has achieved critical acclaim for his genre-bending variety of electronica. Whether it's revival soul backed by the odd, phasing vocal sample, or more in line with contemporary funk, Bundick has always pushed beyond his own boundaries, without abandoning the style that has defined him as a pioneer. Yet, how does this formula for combining retrospective melodies with modern stylings translate to, say, dance music?
That's the very question Bundick, or rather, his new project Les Sins, attempts to answer.
Les Sins debut, entitled Michael, seems at first to be simply musings in a new direction, which is common for an artist trying to break the proverbial ice. Album opener "Talk About" is a deliberate pull from what a "Best of Detroit Techno" compilation would sound like. However, it doesn't take any more than the keyboard lead in of "Past" to realize that Bundick is still clinging to just that, his previous releases and dynamics.
This is not at all a blemish on the album, and may come to some as a relief, but it still means that Les Sins leans heavily on the same pillar that Toro Y Moi has, i.e. effervescent sense of nostalgia in each track. "Why", without the backing beat of a 1990's house track, would not be lonely among the ranks of a Toro Y Moi release, notably Anything in Return. Neither would piano lounge-friendly "Bellow", owing to it's close resemblance of the choral-harmonic dissonance of Toro Y Moi's "Harm in Change". However, the devil is truly in the details, as the subtle embellishments within both of these tracks separate them from anything that has come before; in the former's case, it's the soulful and desperate call of the lyrics ("Tell me you need me here") that defines it's independence from past work, in the latter it's the sheen of the pro-trance tendencies and late Parliament Funkadelic-like warbling synth.
The album in it's entirety is, all the same, a bold step for Bundick, and an exciting release, which manages to keep it's pace throughout the album without slowing down, while also letting it's subtle beauty and depth shine. Michael is at home both on the dance floor, or casual listening with tea at the end of the day.
Check out album track "Why" below:
By Connor Hayes
Chaz Bundick is an enigma. The 28-year-old South Carolinian, known more commonly by his musical nom de plume Toro Y Moi, has achieved critical acclaim for his genre-bending variety of electronica. Whether it's revival soul backed by the odd, phasing vocal sample, or more in line with contemporary funk, Bundick has always pushed beyond his own boundaries, without abandoning the style that has defined him as a pioneer. Yet, how does this formula for combining retrospective melodies with modern stylings translate to, say, dance music?
That's the very question Bundick, or rather, his new project Les Sins, attempts to answer.
Les Sins debut, entitled Michael, seems at first to be simply musings in a new direction, which is common for an artist trying to break the proverbial ice. Album opener "Talk About" is a deliberate pull from what a "Best of Detroit Techno" compilation would sound like. However, it doesn't take any more than the keyboard lead in of "Past" to realize that Bundick is still clinging to just that, his previous releases and dynamics.
This is not at all a blemish on the album, and may come to some as a relief, but it still means that Les Sins leans heavily on the same pillar that Toro Y Moi has, i.e. effervescent sense of nostalgia in each track. "Why", without the backing beat of a 1990's house track, would not be lonely among the ranks of a Toro Y Moi release, notably Anything in Return. Neither would piano lounge-friendly "Bellow", owing to it's close resemblance of the choral-harmonic dissonance of Toro Y Moi's "Harm in Change". However, the devil is truly in the details, as the subtle embellishments within both of these tracks separate them from anything that has come before; in the former's case, it's the soulful and desperate call of the lyrics ("Tell me you need me here") that defines it's independence from past work, in the latter it's the sheen of the pro-trance tendencies and late Parliament Funkadelic-like warbling synth.
The album in it's entirety is, all the same, a bold step for Bundick, and an exciting release, which manages to keep it's pace throughout the album without slowing down, while also letting it's subtle beauty and depth shine. Michael is at home both on the dance floor, or casual listening with tea at the end of the day.
Check out album track "Why" below: