After signing to Dead Oceans in October 2021 and revealing that he would make his full-length debut on the label in 2022, Toro y Moi (Chaz Bear) has detailed that new album, Mahal, arriving April 29.
The 13-track LP is the South Carolina-bred, Bay Area-based chillwave veteran's seventh as Toro y Moi, and its first two singles, "Postman" b/w "Magazine," are out now accompanied by music videos.
"Postman" is a slinky psych-funk jam, powered by bass, tambourine and Bear's breezy, Bootsy Collins-esque vocal, punctuated by occasional electric yelps. The track's minimal, almost childlike lyrics find Bear on the lookout for a letter that may or may not ever arrive. The visual (dir. Kid. Studio), meanwhile, finds him exploring San Francisco in the Filipino jeepney that graces the cover of Mahal, morphing from live action into animation during the song's danceable double-time breakdown.
"Magazine" is far dreamier, though its shuffling drum beat still keeps things brisk. Bear shares vocal duties with his Bay Area ally Salami Rose Joe Louis, whose breathy voice adds an ethereal quality to the track. Watery keys frame Bear's musings on being overwhelmed by the world we see both in the media and outside our front door. The video (dir. Arlington Lowell) is appropriately overwhelming, with Bear and Salami Rose Joe Louis performing the song through layers of colorful imagery.
Mahal follows Toro y Moi's 2019 album Outer Peace, as well as his Grammy-nominated 2020 Flume collaboration "The Difference." Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Sofie and The Mattson 2 are featured on the album, along with Salami Rose Joe Louis.
Watch the "Postman" and "Magazine" videos below (or stream the tracks here), and check out Toro y Moi's 2012 Daytrotter session and tour dates further down, along with the details of Mahal.
Mahal Art:
Mahal Tracklist: 01. The Medium (feat. Unknown Mortal Orchestra) 02. Goes By So Fast 03. Magazine (feat. Salami Rose Joe Louis) 04. Postman 05. The Loop 06. Last Year 07. Mississippi 08. Clarity (feat. Sofie) 09. Foreplay 10. Déjà Vu 11. Way Too Hot 12. Millennium (feat. The Mattson 2) 13. Days in Love
Toro y Moi Tour Dates:
March 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Smokin Grooves Festival
June 23-26 - Rothbury, MI @ Electric Forest Festival
