Toro y Moi is the 12+ year project of South Carolina-reared, Bay Area-based Chaz Bear. In the wake 2008’s global economic collapse, Toro y Moi emerged as a figurehead of the beloved sub-genre widely known as chillwave, the sparkling fumes of which still heavily influence musicians all over today. Over the subsequent decade, his music and graphic design has far, far surpassed that particular designation. Across 9 albums with the great Carpark label, he has explored psych-rock, deep house, UK hip-hop; R&B and well-beyond without losing that rather iconic, bright and shimmering Toro y Moi fingerprint. As a graphic designer, Bear has collaborated with brands like Nike, Dublab and Van’s. And as a songwriter and producer, he’s collaborated with other artists like Tyler, The Creator, Flume, Travis Scott, HAIM, and Tegan and Sara. 

With Unerthed (Hole Erth Unplugged), Chaz Bear surfaces the songcraft of 2024's Hole Erth, his eighth full-length studio record as Toro y Moi. Rearranged for guitar, piano, drums, and strings, the collection adds a curious postscript to Hole Erth's unexpected, inspired, madcap pivot into rap-rock, hyperpop, and Y2K emo. Daring in its own right, Unerthed reveals a deft songwriter unguarded, inhabiting lyrics and instrumentation with uncomplicated poise and clever turns of phrase and melody. It's a return to basics for the shapeshifting Bay Area artist, a chance to excavate and shed new light on the material. These elemental revelations have been at the core of Bear's project all along, from his earliest CD-Rs to the many mutations of psych-funk, synth-pop, deep house, and beyond that have kept the independent music world transfixed and guessing for nearly two decades. But Unerthed sounds it out more clearly, underscoring that there has only ever been one genre here: Toro y Moi.

"The idea to begin this project came while listening to Nirvana’s ‘MTV unplugged’ record. I love how the rearrangement brought out so many intricacies of their songwriting and gave context to the original recordings and the decisions made. During the recording of ‘Hole Erth’, the sonic palette was more aggressive and angsty than what most of my listeners were used to hearing from me, but I felt these songs were strong without any production. I wanted to be able to play them on guitar live. One day, after posting an acoustic version of ‘CD-R’, I saw a huge amount of positive responses. I guess it was a modern-day version of crowdsource testing a song—which led to me completing this vision. It reminded me of how folks were asking for a full-length record of my ‘Sandhills EP’, and I figured I’d this is the perfect opportunity to present something completely different conceptually. Americana has always been a major theme in my music. I asked myself what could be more edgy than Rap-Rock turned Alt-Country? Hole Erth and Unerthed was meant to be a dual album from the beginning, the vision is complete. Enjoy…”

-Chaz Bear