Toro Y Moi, a.k.a. Chaz Bundick, has been on the road for months. The multi-instrumentalist has brought his unique brand of synthesized electro-R&B dance music to Europe, North America, and half a dozen festivals in support of this year’s Anything In Return, his third proper full-length album. During one of his stopovers, we caught up with Chaz on Turntable.fm and chatted about musical age limits, the joys of listening to Buckcherry, and really wanting Taylor Swift to tweet at him.

STEREOGUM: Hello!
TORO Y MOI: Hey. Listo.
STEREOGUM: Bueno!

STEREOGUM started playing “Within and Without” by Washed Out

TORO Y MOI: Why’d you play Washed Out
STEREOGUM: Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn to play music.
TORO Y MOI: Hella awkward party breh
STEREOGUM: Ha! Sorry, yeah * awkward * !

TORO Y MOI started playing “Gangnam Style” by Psy

STEREOGUM: Wow,
TORO Y MOI: here we go…
STEREOGUM: That’s a first
TORO Y MOI: Now it’s a party!!!
STEREOGUM: I am riding an invisible horse at my desk …in 2012
…So, uh how did this song influence your music?
TORO Y MOI: It’s got a good message. Life isn’t about being materialistic. How bad do you really want that iPhone 5S?
STEREOGUM: Not as much as that guy who has been waiting in line for five days already

STEREOGUM started playing “God Is a DJ” by Pink

TORO Y MOI: Oou nice
STEREOGUM: People were kind of expecting Psy to finally break KPOP in the US. Didn’t work. What do you think it will take to make Kpop stick?

TORO Y MOI: I wasn’t… Americans only like stuff in American.
STEREOGUM: Except for Gangnam Style. Do you think Ariel Pink will ever cover Pink?
TORO Y MOI: Yeah pink really sucks… this isn’t catchy
STEREOGUM: No. It’s awful and derivative. SKIPPING.

TORO Y MOI started playing “Crazy Bitch” by Buckcherry

TORO Y MOI: This is real music
STEREOGUM: Whoa. I feel like we should be in a parking lot
TORO Y MOI: That’s where I am now. Getting fuckin laid.
STEREOGUM: Have you seen Heavy Metal Parking Lot? Or are you living it?
TORO Y MOI: No but I have seen nunchuck parking lot. Are you blasting this in the office or lame headphones?
STEREOGUM: I AM BLASTING IT OF COURSE
TORO Y MOI: noice
STEREOGUM: And I have changed into skintight pleather. White pleather

STEREOGUM started playing “Makes Me Wanna Sing” by Stryper

STEREOGUM: Heavy Metal Parking Lot is a documentary made in the parking lot of a Judas Priest concert in Bowie, Maryland. It’s amazing.
TORO Y MOI: Oh yeah I remember that
STEREOGUM: Did you make up nunchuck parking lot?
TORO Y MOI: No way…. it’s a viral video look it up
STEREOGUM: I will. Hope it’s better than Whole Foods parking lot. Do you listen Buckcherry a lot?
TORO Y MOI: Yeah we always put it on in the van. Just that song though, its a great ice breaker.
STEREOGUM: What else is on the van playlist?
TORO Y MOI: Oh you’ll see
STEREOGUM: How many miles have you logged in the van this year?

TORO Y MOI started playing “Toxic” by Britney Spears

STEREOGUM: Did you see the news of Britney Spears’ Vegas residency?
TORO Y MOI: No, I’m not too big on Vegas.
STEREOGUM: She is because she’s getting $30 million for 100 shows in two years

STEREOGUM started playing “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” by Jay-Z

TORO Y MOI: I think Jay Z should stop before it’s too late
STEREOGUM: What do you think was his last great album?
TORO Y MOI: This one
STEREOGUM: How does an artist know when to stop?
TORO Y MOI: I guess when it starts feeling like work

TORO Y MOI started playing “Daughters” by John Mayer

TORO Y MOI: At least go behind the scenes…
STEREOGUM: What do you mean?
TORO Y MOI: Well Jay is sort of starting to do that… you know starting a sports agency… running a label, still doing the clothing. but hip hop is tough for older people…its a genre that should be made by the youth.
STEREOGUM: So you’re ageist?
TORO Y MOI: Ha! Somewhat.
I’m ageist towards musicians.
STEREOGUM: What about your genre? Do you think there’s an age limit?
TORO Y MOI: I think john Mayer is aging well
STEREOGUM: He broke up with Katy Perry, so he has that going for him
TORO Y MOI: I like John
STEREOGUM: So many people tell me that! I don’t get it.
I keep trying. So do you think there’s an age limit? Oh can you mouse over your avatar and click “skip song? it appears determined to play 3 hours of silence, although that could be a John Mayer performance piece
TORO Y MOI: There’s no age ‘limit’ but people of a certain age should make the music that works with their age.

STEREOGUM started playing “Autumn Sweater” by Yo La Tengo

STEREOGUM: What kind of music will you make when you’re 50?
TORO Y MOI: Prolly a country album
STEREOGUM: I would listen to that. Do you think you have a country album in you?
TORO Y MOI: Like Wilco style…Elliott Smith meets Patsy Cline. Oh no!!!!! my master plan is out!!!!!
STEREOGUM: Now someone is going to copy it
TORO Y MOI: Drats
STEREOGUM: So you just remixed a Disclosure track. Do you like remixing?
TORO Y MOI: Yeah it’s ok.
Remixes are hard and unnecessary
STEREOGUM: They seem hard and unnecessary. How many times have your tracks been remixed? Do you get to approve the remixes?
TORO Y MOI: They’re completely useless… I don’t have a lot of remixes out because most of them aren’t good.

TORO Y MOI started playing “Steal My Sunshine” by LEN

STEREOGUM: noooooooo
oooo
oo
TORO Y MOI: WOOO!!!!!! Ermagerd I lurv this surng!!!!!!
STEREOGUM: Ughhhh. What was it about Disclosure that got you to do one then?
TORO Y MOI: I like them and they had a lot of in$entive. That’s a nice combo
STEREOGUM: Ha! It must be flattering though
TORO Y MOI: Yeah I was thrilled to do it, but I met them once after the remix came out and they didn’t know who I was… so in reality I was just picked because someone at the label proly suggested me.
STEREOGUM: Aw, man. Are you going to remix LEN next?

STEREOGUM started playing “What’s My Age Again?” by Blink-182

STEREOGUM: This is my revenge although I think I read in an interview that you were really into Blink-182 at one point
TORO Y MOI: Yeah I love this song!!!
STEREOGUM: Aww jeeze.
TORO Y MOI: I’ll pick some more blink
STEREOGUM: Oh no, you don’t have to. It’s cool, really, no need. They played next to my house last week and the line was NUTS. It wrapped all the way around the block and they were lined up really early
TORO Y MOI: I’d see them, but they’re getting old you know… I don’t wanna ruin the fantasy

TORO Y MOI started playing “The Family Matters Theme” by Justin Patrick Ford

STEREOGUM: Right. Under your rules aren’t they supposed to stop making power pop by now?
TORO Y MOI: I saw Brian Wilson and I was disappointed but excited. HE HAD A TELEPROMPTER. THAT’S A SIGN
STEREOGUM: Oh dear. Iggy Pop didn’t need a teleprompter
or a shirt
TORO Y MOI: He needs sunblock
STEREOGUM: He looks like beef jerky and I still love him. I know you’re still touring for Anything in Return, but have you started thinking about your next release?

TORO Y MOI started playing “Sk8er Boi” by Avril Lavigne

TORO Y MOI: I love punk music
STEREOGUM: Yeah. punk music is so rebellious
TORO Y MOI: No I haven’t started thinking about what’s next, but I think I want more guitars. like punk music…
STEREOGUM: Maybe Avril Lavigne’s guitarist is available?
TORO Y MOI: I play guitar, so no need
STEREOGUM: Too bad. How many instruments do you play?
TORO Y MOI: 16 but 17 if you count acoustic guitar
STEREOGUM: I don’t. When you do write new songs are you the type to write in the van or do you need to be in your own space?

STEREOGUM started playing “No Scrubs” by TLC

TORO Y MOI: Oh only at home really
I can’t do that stuff on the road.
STEREOGUM: So you pretty much have to be done touring before you start writing anything? Final question: Are you a scrub?
TORO Y MOI: The answer to both is YES
STEREOGUM: Thanks for chatting with me! Good luck getting down with Buckcherry later
TORO Y MOI: Peace!

TORO Y MOI started playing “22” by Taylor Swift

STEREOGUM: Oh nice
TORO Y MOI: I want Tay Tay to go hipster so BAD.
STEREOGUM: Well, it’s a perfect night to dress up like a hipster
TORO Y MOI: I want her to tweet me
STEREOGUM: I’m feeeeeeeling 22. How often do you tweet at her?
TORO Y MOI: Never, I don’t use twitter. I just tweet my instagram photos…
STEREOGUM: Maybe you should remix her song?
TORO Y MOI: hmmm…
no
STEREOGUM: Haha. Then you’ll have to woo her into tweeting at you some other way. you’re on your own! Thanks for playing DJ with me
TORO Y MOI: Peace!

//

Toro Y Moi’s Anything In Return is out now on Carpark Records. Tour dates here:

11/01 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom

11/02 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

11/03 Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre

11/04 Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
11/05 Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater

11/06 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre

11/07 Aspen, CO @ Belly Up

11/10 Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre

11/12 Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market

11/13 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater

11/15 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater

11/16 Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern

02/13-17 Jacksonville, FL @ The Weezer Cruise