After some promising early tracks and EP’s, Chazwick Budnick’s first full length release Causers Of This finally arrived this past January and it’s grown into one of my go to records over time. Critics and kids lump it into the chillwave subgenre, a title that was thrown around a lot last summer and probably has some sort of backlash attached to it by now. The album reminds me of a mopier and spacier Midnight Vultures at first listen – a fun collection of heavily produced, genre mashing indie funk. Toro Y Moi definitely brings a unique take to the table though, with delicious synthesizer overload and an almost Hip Hop take on production technique that really make his compositions shine.
There’s catchy tracks throughout but I’ve been enjoying some of the slower burns lately like the haunting, Madlib-esque Fax Shadow and the barrage of blips and warbles in Lissoms. I could totally see Toro Y Moi producing beats for A-level rappers at some point, in fact I hope it happens – what is Ghostface doing these days?
Toro Y Moi – Imprint After
Toro Y Moi – Lissoms
Toro Y Moi – Fax Shadow
Toro Y Moi – Talamak
Toro Y Moi – Low Shoulder
