Chaz Bear is a sonic chameleon, switching between genres and then switching between subgenres within that genre. He has made dance records under the name Les Sins and smooth jazz as Chaz Bundick with The Mattson 2. Most famously, he is known as Toro Y Moi, an electronic musician and rock star whose discography takes on so many different forms. Toro Y Moi translates to I am Toro, meaning that we are all a part of this creative entity that Chaz Bear has created.
Toro Y Moi debuted in 2010 with his hypnotic album Causers of This. This project introduced us to Bear’s unique approach to electronic music, it’s spacey and off-kilter, but the charm of this album comes from his vocals. Though they are seldom, songs like “Talamak” are the highlights. We saw him dive into his songwriting and a new sound two albums later on 2012’s June 2009. This compilation album features Toro indulging more in live instrumentation and finding his true voice as a songwriter. The craziest part is these songs were recorded prior to Causers of This, only furthering proving how far ahead Toro Y Moi thinks when writing and recording his songs.
Toro Y Moi’s career is full of surprising sonic changes, so many that it can be hard to find a place to start. Glide sat down and studied the winding road of his discography and ranked his best works including his side projects.
9. Michael (As Les Sins) – Released in 2014
On Michael, we see Toro Y Moi dive head first into his electronic roots. A mostly instrumental project, this proves just how diverse of a producer he is. Fun dance tracks like “Bother” somehow seem right at home next to more off-kilter tracks like “Call”.
Best Song(s): “Bother,” “Drop”
8. Causers Of This – Released in 2010
While this project holds up on its own, it quickly became a footnote as Toro Y Moi’s approach to music began to encompass more of his influences. Another mostly instrumental project, there are great grooves led by catchy bass lines. In songs like “Thanks Vision” and others, the feature vocals would become a blueprint for Toro’s later projects
Best Song(s): “Talamak,” “Minors,” “Low Shoulders”
7. Star Stuff (with The Mattson 2, as Chaz Bundick Meets the Mattson 2) – Released in 2017
Star Stuff is Toro Y Moi’s venture into a full-blown jazz album. With backing from The Mattson 2, they formed a trio that is able to transcend what is known of the genre. There isn’t much to say about this project besides that it is a stepping stone for Toro Y Moi’s creative process and it is beautifully executed.
Best Song(s): “Steve Pink,” “JBS”
6. Underneath The Pine – (Released in 2011)
Only one year removed from his debut as Toro Y Moi, we find Bear beginning to experiment a little. There are more vocals on this project compared to its predecessor and songs like “Before I’m Done” have Toro going into full singer/songwriter mode. There are terrific moments of songwriting on here that will evolve as he continues to explore this part of his creative process on future projects.
Best Song(s): “Before I’m Done,” “Good Hold,” “Divina”
5. Outer Peace (Released in 2019)
This bouncy and fun has Toro going back to his electronic roots but mixing it with his seasoned songwriting. This also feels like his most autobiographical project to date, songs like “Freelance” or “Ordinary Pleasures” detail Bear’s daily thoughts. This project feels like we’re conversing with Bear outside of a nightclub that was too crowded.
Best Song(s): “New House,” “Baby Drive it Down,” “50-50”
4. What For? (Released in 2015)
This is Bear’s full-blown rock star moment. With terrific guitar riffs and drums coming in at all the right times, this album can stand up against any rock album from that year. It’s a cheery album filled with amazing instrumentation and songwriting. We hear the influences of June 2009 coming to the forefront for the first time in his discography.
Best Song(s): Buffalo, Ratcliff, Empty Nesters
3. Boo Boo (Released in 2017)
Boo Boo might feature some of Bear’s best songwriting. On here we have tracks like “No Show” that bring out everyone’s introverted side and “W.I.W.W.T.W” which makes us question our surroundings. While this project has moments of autobiographical songwriting like Outer Peace, the instrumentals seem to fit better with his lyrics on Boo Boo.
Best Song(s): No Show, Mona Lisa, Mirage
2. Mahal (Released in 2022)
This album feels like Bear’s largest album yet. His first project released through the Dead Oceans label, Mahal feels like a grab bag of Bear’s influences from What For and Underneath The Pine but more mature and reformed. This project also has more featured artists than his past projects, being joined by the likes of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Sofie Royer.
Best Song(s): “The Loop,” “Last Year,” “Postman”
1. Anything In Return (Released in 2013)
This project feels like Toro Y Moi at its peak. Here, Bear is mixing his influences together like never before. Elements of electronic music are weaved together with live piano chords for a unique concoction that is fully Toro Y Moi. Songs like “Studies” and “Grown Up Calls” are examples of perfect Toro Y Moi songs. His songwriting fits perfectly with the sonics on here, his lyrics are simple when they need to be and whenever he feels like it, Bear can add a layer of personality to his songwriting that ties each song together beautifully.
Best Song(s): “Rose Quartz,” “Grown Up Calls,” “Cake”
