Call it frustration or psychoacoustic evolution, Chaz Bundick’s newest work as Les Sins highlights a state of defiance, a wild reluctance to incarceration behind the bars of categorization. Michael, his first full-length album under the moniker brings “the chillwave godfather”- as labeled by Rolling Stone, to yet a different shelf in the record store. Describing his own pass through the micro-genre that brought Toro y Moi to international spotlight to be a small period of time where he found himself, coincidentally.
As you’ll come to realize, the album caresses electronic landscapes alike without compromise. Conscious of his mainstream appeal, Les Sins is hardly abrupt, more so inviting to revisit the dance-floor with kinetic instrumentation and less talk.
The pulsing, synth-driven start of the album frames a cleared Nas sample in response to a metaphoric intro, as a way of saying “I’m tired of being asked the same questions, lets do something new”. Whether or not, this innovation in sound portrays a lack of direction is left to interpretation – tracks like “Why”, “Below” and “Sticky” show signs of early Daft Punk influences, back when Le Knight Club. Others like “Bother” make for a perfect answering machine. “Don’t bother me, I’m working, working”.
Les Sins contributes the functionality of the LP to designer Paul Rand and his quote “don’t try to be original, just try to be good”- a motto that prevails along Michael’s gamut. The digital version released Monday on iTunes but you can still get a free track through Toro y Moi’s website. You can also catch him in a city near you as he tours North America from now until December.
But for now, check out “Bother Me” accompanied by the colorful Harry Schleiff & Harry Israelson directed video and a couple more fresh selects off Michael below. You’ll quickly realize the potential of Bundick’s newly adapted sound and his constant knack for cleverly testing his listeners in unconventional ways.
Post by Dupersonic
