Chaz Bundick, better known by his stage name Toro y Moi, is mild mannered and even a little shy. His recently released EP, Freaking Out, moves away from his previous work and shows more confidence with its ‘80s dance vibes. For someone who has been pigeonholed into the lo-fi electro/synth genre called “chillwave,” Bundick is taking his music into new waters and attempting to find a new direction.

 

Why is the new EP called Freaking Out?

I was just like that. I was freaking out [laughs]. The songs are about me, about not being sure what’s going on.

What were you influences in making this album?

Definitely the ‘80s. I’m just trying to figure out what I want, what direction I’m going in. I ended up trying to experiment with different elements from previous albums.

What drew you to the ’80s in particular?

The beats and rhythms were really what I was trying to pick out from that era. How upbeat they were.

Favorite artists form the ‘80s?

I really love Bobby Brown and I like Cherrelle. I don’t have favorite songs, though.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deuSgKszlk4[/youtube]

You graduated with a degree in graphic design. Do you use your knowledge of design in your music or inspiration?

I love looking at design blogs, and I’m very visual. I always do my own album artwork and all my merch artwork. I’m still using that skill.

Are you looking at particular artists?

There’s a lot of art around. A lot of my friends are artists and I’m always looking at their blogs. There are a lot of abstract, digital pieces too that are really awesome.

Do you spend a lot of time on blogs?

Just a lot of visual blogs. It’s really gone far and it’s getting to the point where I don’t even look at a lot of them anymore. I used to be really into music blogs but now I just try to find specialty blogs, ones that have just fusion jazz or something. But now, through blogging, people are reposting, so it’s easier to check up.

Your music got really popular because of blogging, and now you’re touring a lot. Do you have favorite places to perform?

I like New York and San Francisco. It’s also my first time going to South America. I’m looking forward to Rio de Janeiro. It should be insane.

One more question…What is your favorite dinosaur?

My favorite dinosaur? Hm…probably the velociraptor.

 

Toro y Moi plays One Eyed Jacks tonight, October 10, at 9 p.m. with Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Bass Drum of Death. Tickets are available for $12.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-n7N1RXJbM[/youtube]