Chaz Bundick, best known as Toro y Moi, will be performing his most experimental electronic LP yet, “Michael,” under his new alter ego of Les Sins at U Street Music Hall on Dec. 3. Royal and Philip Goyette are the scheduled openers for the show.
In contrast with to Bundick’s releases as Toro y Moi, “Michael” was influenced by hip-hop, setting a different tone for his artistic career. The first track, “Talk About,” features samples from the hip-hop classic “One Love” by Nas. This is an extremely multi-faceted album that ranges from harsh throbbing tracks with club-like beats, such as “Call,” “Minato,” and “Drop” (almost reminiscent of tracks by RL Grime) to more lighthearted, wacky tracks like “Sticky” and “Why,” which revert back to Bundick’s Toro y Moi tendencies. Bundick even tackles a house vibe on the LP with tracks like “Bellow” and “Do Right.”
The album is extremely textural. But, by far, the most irresistible track on the LP is “Why (feat. Nate Salman),” which leaves the listener dancing and singing the lyrics for hours, while still retaining the same playfulness of Toro y Moi’s successful album “Anything In Return.”
Much of the sounds used on “Michael” are very futuristic and spacey, making this LP the most interesting yet. This album, compared to Bundick’s previous releases as Toro y Moi gets us moving on the dance floor more than anything else, suggesting that his debut show at U Street Music Hall will be unmissable. Bundick makes an overt move away from his nostalgic, chillwave sound to a more experimental and exciting one that does not leave die-hard Toro y Moi fans disillusioned.
Les Sins will be playing at U St. Music Hall (1115 U St. NW) on Dec. 3. Royal and Philip Goyette will open the show. Doors open at 10 p.m. Tickets are $15.
You can also stream the full album “Michael” on Spotify and can listen to some tracks on Soundcloud.
