Les Sins (aka Toro Y Moi) is the other, OTHER moniker of Columbia, South Carolina native, Chazwick Bundick. No really, that is his name.
The highly talented producer has been making significant movements within the star-gaze, west coast and tripped out disco circles in recent times, although still relatively modest in general terms. Nevertheless, his music has consistently produced resounding recognition from the Internet/blogging community for a good few years now.
Celebrated for his somewhat sweet and soothing, occasionally spaced-out, trippy and always well conceived quality, original electronic music – under the Toro Y Moi alias (roughly translated as ‘Bull and Me’ – thanks random Wikipedia contributor…) – Mr Bundick has had a slight change of direction with this latest release under fresh signature, Les Sins, for Caribou’s Jiaolong Records.
Lead track Fetch is the confident party starter, full of intent and purpose, that will easily see it’s way in to a variant mix of DJ record boxes. It’s stuffed full of brash hat-work, unrelenting bass sweeps and sharp phrase transitions. To pigeonhole it would be a pointless task; in summary, it’s a gamut of 90s flavours. Hip-hop sampled sounds and drum-machines – sped up and laced with typical House arranging, fills, vocal loops and chord stabs. Rough from the get go, Fetch isn’t here to challenge, it’s simple and fun (almost but not quite) dance music and will do a very good job getting the young folk tapping their feet in synchronized harmony.
Taken’s beginnings are a freeform affair. A looping introduction of hi-hats and tightly enveloped pink noise gets this rolling and the mood is set with a kitsch pipe/flute-loop, which delivers a tense but upbeat premise to what follows. It’s surprisingly faster by – and I’m approximating here – 3bpm, but the overall structure is far more relaxed and gives the track a much slower feel. From 1min onwards a bubbling triumph of synth-brass instruments, beats and keys enter the fray. Les Sins opts for a broken-beat approach, which is delivered with odd placed open and closed hat-work and percussion combos/fills. A stumbling and casual puffing tuba and bass horn play a little call and response, gently carrying me through the next 2mins with ease. The mumbling brass-work, soft slow attacking key/pads and breathy sample stabs that complete this ensemble present a very US/West Coast feel, something, which Mr Bundick is renowned for doing under his Toro Y Moi alias.
Fetch/Taken certainly draws a line in the sand for T.y.M. and shows he can effortlessly play up to the dance-floor desires the UK is demanding so fanatically these days. This musical swerve should see some well overdue credit thrust right back at him from the thriving UK house, techno and bass-led scenes. Good work from Chaswick, and another great release from the consistent Jiaolong Records.
Enjoy!
