Causer of Bliss

“When I take photos, I like to look for something timeless,”

Columbia, South Carolina: The capital of Southern hospitality, Cola-Town, call it what you will. Chaz Bundick calls it home, and he’s happy to be back for a home-cooked meal after a 19-city tour with Islands. The 23-year-old started writing songs in 2001, when he came up with the name Toro y Moi. “It really didn’t have that much meaning when I was 15, but now I keep finding out more things about how the name can relate to my life.”

The half-Filipino, half-black Toro y Moi ties the tongues of the colonizers of the Philippines and parts of Africa. His music combines a variety of genres that span decades. The toro, or bull part could easily belong to some sort of animal collective, sometimes drawing comparisons to Panda Bear. And his girlfriend of five years happens to be a Taurus.

Bundick counts his parents’ record collection as an influence, with the Ramones, Sex Pistols and The Specials as standouts. “I stole my dad’s copy of the blue album by Weezer when I was eight,” he confesses. In seventh grade, he started playing guitar and would play along to his father’s collection.

His blog, “Lessons of the Poor and Lonely,” showcases his photography and design. “When I take photos, I like to look for something timeless,” he explains. The same glow characterizes the music, evoking ’70s soul and ’60s pop, without crossing the retrospectively ersatz line, with touches of freak folk, Daft Punk and Dilla.

Causers of This, Toro y Moi’s debut album due out on February 23 on Carpark, reflects his more futuristic, electronic, experimental pop side. A second album later in the year will feature a more stripped-down, guitar- and piano-based ’70s feel. Far from an artist struggling to find his sound, Toro y Moi is constantly developing and evolving as a creator, providing a soundtrack for when time stands still.