A name foreign to only a handful at this point, Toro y Moi is a pioneer at what he does, and while most can't chalk up his style with a single word, Chaz Bundick has given us further material to ponder over with his latest, 20-track-carrying album, Samantha. We had a chance to scan through the lustrous efforts within, and our favorites of the bunch included the likes of Nosaj Thing, Washed Out and Atlanta emcee Rome Fortune. The introductory track entitled "Power Of Now" is everything you'd expect from Chaz, with clean atmospheric bass dictating the backdrop and mesmerizing vocals kicking in unpredictably, and it's all knit together with click-heavy, polished percussion. The other solo pieces we're sharing include "Room for 1zone", "ambient Rainbow", and "bytheneck", and they do differ greatly from each other, typically in vocal terms, as Toro employs everything from tuned effects, to raw, wistful deliveries. Talents along for the ride like the aforementioned Nosaj and Washed Out only adds to the marvelous coalescence of sonic inclusions here, and the former's take on electronic adds further sonic character on "Enough Of You", while Washed's vocal contributions give "Want" a dream-like, melancholic texture throughout. "Benjiminiz" is the Rome Fortune-featured track, and the rapper certainly doesn't hold back on his delivery, spitting fiery verses on a sooty, grime-filled piece. Chaz's album as a whole here is quite the sonic expedition for any listener—those familiar with his work and those oblivious to it—so make sure you grab a download of the thing over on Dropbox now. It's worth it.
Toro y Moi