About a month ago I got to see Chaz Bundick play as his solo act Toro Y Moi, I sent it to Scott and we’ve been both hooked to his new album Causers Of This ever since. Below is a few question I asked him about everything from his blog which seems to have shrunk a bit since I was last there to what he’d be doing if he wasn’t doing music.
ISO50: First, your new album “Causers Of This” that just came out will be in our best of 2010 without a doubt but I read that you’ll be releasing 2 records this year, is this true? If so, can we expect more of this loveliness style wise?
TYM: Yeah, the plan is to do two records. This one is going to sound more songwriter based and non-electronic. The goal we’re shooting for is to have it out by August…
ISO50: I went to your blog, you have some great photos, can you tell us a little bit about them and what people are seeing on your blog? Is it a bit of the initimate and fun side of you?
TYM: Thanks. A lot of the photos are of my friends. It’s fun, I love taking pictures of people but I’m getting more into more inanimate photos and odd still lifes.
ISO50: Your from South Carolina[i’ve never been there] and I see that your pretty fashionable for a guy (I admire a good pair of eyewear), is there something that the rest of the world doesn’t know about South Carolina in music and the young people? Does the clothing world at all interest you? Any good thrifting there?
TYM: Well, i had to say one thing, it’s be that, us, south carolinians don’t all live in the backwoods. The thrifting is great down here. But, really a lot of trends, whether it be fashion, music, or art, spreads majorly because of internet theses days.
ISO50: I saw you play live in Brooklyn, you really look like you have a ton of fun on stage like a natural, does that come from anything like an old band or performing before?
TYM: I’ve played in bands since i was 15. I’m just getting use to being on stage by myself, but i’m willing to be embarassed and learn from my mistakes…
ISO50: Would you share any advice on production techniques and what synths you use or dream of owning?
TYM: hmmmm, proly stay away from direct lines when recording, sounds gross and flat. a dream synth? anything from Realistic.
ISO50: To put it bluntly, I hear “heavy melodic avant pop” early Max Tundra meets “I wanna make people move” 50’s and 80’s pop in the best way possible when I hear your music, can you share what records shaped your sound?
TYM: Most likely Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys, Loveless by My Bloody Valentine and Donuts by J Dilla.
5 quick questions:
ISO50: Something your fans might not know about you: I dont shower often.
ISO50: Dream gig (location, mood, show opener or closer): SNL and zach galifianakis as the host.
ISO50: Favorite new band you’ve heard: Cloud Nothings
ISO50: If you weren’t doing music, where would you like to work: DDEESSIIGGNN
ISO50: Share a childhood memory that might relate to your music: Seeing my dad dressed in heavy winter clothing.
With more and more of the 1980’s PBS/older cartoon watching generation maturing and fine tuning their craft as musicians the more i’m excited about where hip hop is going. I’m sure if we asked a ton of these guys like Paul White, Bullion, Lone, Prefuse 73, Powell etc what they grew up on it would probably be a heavy dose Disney, Looney Tunes, and Hanna Barbara. I hear a great LP in Sounds From The Skylight, one that shows a crate digging addict, an open playful mind, and someone that truly cares and believes in taking this sound further and having fun doing it.
Insect54 has a great Flickr set of 70’s and 80’s Modern Publicity issues. Still waiting to find a stack of something like this in an old closet or at a garage sale, not holding my breath. Where do you find stuff like this anyways? I suppose at this point it’s down to going to shows and swap meets, I doubt there are many gems like this just floating around anymore.
Published Annually by Studio VIsta. Showcasing the best work submitted by designers from around the world.
Shown here are:
Number 40 –– 1970/71
Number 42 –– 1972/73
Number 50 –– 1981
I’ve been a huge Signer fan for awhile now, Carpark Records has just been on a tear lately, rereleasing some of their original artists that made me fall in love with the label and this new one by Toro Y Moi, here’s to more in 2010. Signer’s track almost makes me delusional with the synth notes holding on for so long, its a nice break from beat and guitar material like the Toro Y Moi but both are on repeat at my house.
Nite Jewel truly reminds me of Public Access Television in Lansing, MI in the 80’s, its jaw dropping how charming these girls are. The songs touch on synth sounds that i’d need Scott to help me pin point what they are but I want them all.
Kurt Vile has a less lo-fi album that just came out but his material on Mexican Summer was what really grabbed my ear. check out Prom King as well, such simple singer songwriter material that doesn’t make you snore.
Signer – Break my arms around you
[audio:breakarm.mp3]
Nite Jewel – Artificial Intelligence
[audio:artin.mp3]
Kurt Vile – My Best Friends (Don’t Even Pass This)
This The Streets song came to me after Sam and I shared a few UK videos that we liked, the lyrics make me think about the times I use to be a silly worrywort in high school over girlfriends, ahh glad those feelings don’t come around anymore.
The Balearic sound is still ramping up into the rest of the world, slow disco seems to be creeping into the main stream even. iTunes has been in full support of Eskimo’s incredible Cosmic Balearic Beats series which volume 1 included this Homerun track that’s a full on epic bomb. I am still waiting for a song as gorgeous as this to make it to the masses, these instrumentals just have such thought out choices in synths and kicks compared all the studio club crap.
I actually found this cover art by OTT before I found the song. I can’t say i’m in full support of the song because of the vocal but that driving Telefon Tel Aviv low end synth keeps me from thinking about the bad vox, also a ton flute action for the flute fans out there.
UK’s Dub banger RSD puts out an extraordinary track called Good Energy, the beginning synth vividly remind me of ambulance’s in the EU in the 80’s and early 90’s and cold rainy days in UK/DE/PL, I can’t believe a simple dubstep track can give off such crazy exact memories.
As a collector of 70’s-80’s knick-knacks this selection of portable music players is a dream come true, the thing that makes it for me for the non 70’s fans that might not understand is the color selection and that plastic. It’s almost unbeatable sometimes when in today’s market i’m choosing from gross colors like Beetle shell neon lime green and Bratz doll shiny purple.
Faasdant has some nice shots of the [possibly] Dieter Rams designed Gillette (Braun’s parent company) Supermax Pro 1300 hair dryer. Very 80’s, in the best possible way. I remember my mom having a similar model, but cream with black type. Now they all look like a prop from a bad sci-fi movie.
Here is the second installment of Images From Where? and By Who? where we try to figure out who did the original design, photograph or product and if that becomes too easy then its hopefully just a nice small collection of images that might be inspiring for your day of creating.
The first image I just found yesterday and it had nothing attached and the link was generic. I would love to know if these are miniature or full size because i’d save up and buy that small brown one on the right.
The second image i’ve shown Scott once and told him if I could ever have any special power it would be being able to draw the way this car is drawn, incredible work in my opinion.
The third image is just of this generic floppy disc sleeve, you see I use to be a buyer sometimes for a few thrift stores back in Michigan and i’d spend a lot of time looking for a lot of things that looked exactly like this, to most it looks like whatever 80’s junk but i’d probably frame it.
