Toro y Moi is a pretty tough artist to pinpoint. The wide-ranging, experimental artist has been changing their sound constantly for years. He is as eclectic as anyone in music, and you never know what you will get next from him. If you are not privy, Toro y Moi is the stage name for Chaz Bear(or Chaz Bundick). He got his career started in the early 2010s, making lo-fi, laid-back chillwave music that was akin to artists like Neon Indian. Over the years, Toro y Moin has released a plethora of EPs and albums which have seen his venture into many different styles of music. For the first four or so years of his career, his music was mainly centered around downtempo House, R&B, and 90s-themed Dance music. Albums like 2010’s Causers of This, 2011’s Underneath the Pine, and 2013’s Anything In Return all centered around these styles of music, and they put Toro y Moi on the map as one of the most intriguing producers on the rise. In 2015, Toro y Moi ventured away from the Dance music he had become known for, switching to a more Indie Rock sound on his album What For? In the subsequent years, Toro y Moi continued to expand his horizons. His 2019 album Outer Peace, which is arguably his most popular and critically acclaimed work to date, saw him venture into more of a Synth-Pop sound. This record does have elements of Disco and House music that are similar to his earlier work, but it is still very distinct when compared to that music. His 2022 album Mahal is a stranger and more far-out version of the Disco-infused Pop from his previous record, showing he is still growing immensely as an artist. Toro y Moi recently decided to completely go against the grain of what anyone would expect from him on his new project, Hole Erth. This is an experimental Emo-Trap record that is pretty much nothing like what he has done in the past. Of course, there are elements of R&B and Disco here, but I would still say this one is pretty distinct compared to most of his other releases to date. Below, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite tracks from Toro y Moi’s new project Hole Erth, and then give some overall thoughts on the album to close things out. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from Hole Erth, and also comment on how you feel about this record as a whole. 

WALKING IN THE RAIN

‘Walking In The Rain’ is the opening track for this record, and it definitely indicates that this album is going to take us on a weird ride. This track has a trippy melody which has a bright tone but a harsh mix. The synths that drive this melody are pretty bubbly, but their mix is super distorted. This makes ‘Walking In The Rain’ feel inviting and abrasive at the same time. ‘Walking In The Rain’ has an intricate and tough beat that matches the abrasiveness of the melody. This bass on this track pounds, making this track feel super huge. Toro y Moi’s flow and tone on this track are pretty hypnotic. His vocals are welcoming and draw me in as a listener, making this track all the more intriguing. ‘Walking In The Rain’ is a very good opener that gets the listener ready for what is to come. 

HOV

‘HOV’ is quickly emerging as a fan favorite from this record. If one is to go on TikTok right now and search Toro y Moi or just search trending music, this one is sure to come up. It is not tough to see why people are drawn to this one. ‘HOV’ is driven by a colorful, hard-hitting Emo Rock guitar riff with a good amount of distortion on it. This melody has a gritty quality to it that makes it pop in the best way. The way this melody sits on this beat is so nice. Toro y Moi delivers an excellent vocal performance on ‘HOV.’ I really like the moments where he flexes his range and hits those high notes, as this gives this track so much life. ‘HOV’ has a pretty weird outro which I think is cool as well. As this one ends, the melody gets more distorted and darker sounding, giving this track a dystopian feeling on the way out. ‘HOV’ is a pretty unique banger that feels like it can end up being a major hit from this record. 

TUESDAY

‘Tuesday’ has an energy to it that honestly reminds me a lot of ‘HOV.’ This one feels very inviting but also has a grating element to it that makes it stand out. The melody for this track is driven by a bright Pop-Rock riff that is very heavily distorted. There is a ton of bass infused into some of the synths that come in and out of this melody, making this song feel really massive at times. ‘Tuesday’ does not have the most interesting beat, but that is okay because of how entertaining and fuzzy the melody is. Like ‘HOV,’  Toro y Moi flexes his vocal range throughout this track. Once again, I like the moments where Toro y Moi hits some of those high notes, as they give the track texture. ‘Tuesday’ is another pretty inviting and charming banger that feels like it could be a hit among fans of this kind of music. 

BABYDADDY

‘BabyDaddy’ has a significantly more hollow and dim feeling than pretty much anything that precedes it. This melody certainly does not have the kind of sweet, inviting tone that the rest of the record has had to this point. It is honestly hard to describe the melody for this one. It is driven by some pretty haunting vocals provided by Toro y Moi which have a chanting element to them. These vocals are complemented by a somber piano riff and some robotic, almost siren-esque synths which make this track feel daunting. Toro y Moi’s vocals definitely match the feeling of the instrumental on ‘BabyDaddy.’ His tone is downtrodden and his flow is mean, making this track all the more brash. ‘BabyDaddy’ is a track where Toro y Moi switches up the energy of the record, and I appreciate this little buffer. 

MADONNA FEAT. DON TOLIVER

Toro y Moi returns to the more colorful and bubbly feeling we were getting on some of the earlier tracks with ‘Madonna.’ This is the lightest and warmest song of the project for sure. I would also say this is probably the most low-key song on the record to this point. Everything in this song is softer than anything before it. The melody for ‘Madonna’ is driven by sparkling synths with a tone that makes me think of a synthetic xylophone. This pretty stripped-back melody is put on top of a calm beat that pairs well with the dainty feeling of the melody. As soothing as the instrumental for ‘Madonna’ is, the vocals add a lot to this feeling. I really like the way the lower and huskier vocals from Don Toliver contrast the softer and breathier tone from Toro y Moi, as this gives ‘Madonna’ a very captivating texture. ‘Madonna’ may be the most relaxed song on the record, but it still carries enough life to make it shine. 

HEAVEN FEAT. KEVIN ABSTRACT AND LES

‘Heaven’ has a tone and feeling that is not super different from ‘Madonna.’ Like ‘Madonna,’ this track feels a lot lighter and calmer than a lot of the other music on the record. It does not have the kind of distorted, grating elements that most of the other songs have. ‘Heaven’ is driven by a warm ethereal acoustic guitar riff that has a bit of a soft Emo-Pop feeling to it. I could totally see this melody being used by one of the softer Emo Pop-Rock artists who were popular back in the day. I like the intricacy and ever-changing nature of the beat on this track, as it makes this song stand out. Honestly, I would not say that any of the vocals on ‘Heaven’ are overly special. Toro y Moi, Kevin Abstract, and Les sound nice on this one, but none of them do anything that is very distinguishable or riveting. ‘Heaven’ may not be the most exciting song on this record, but its tranquil sound makes it cool for what it is. 

STARLINK FEAT. GLAIVE

‘Starlink’ is a song that stands out in many ways compared to the sound of the rest of this record. This one does have tints of Emo music, but does not have any semblance of Trap, unlike all of the songs that precede it. Instead, ‘Starlink’ leans into a trend its feature, glaive, has made popular recently: Emo-HyperPop. The melody for this one is floaty and cold. This melody is driven by some chanting-esque vocals with a pretty frigid tone that is mixed in a way that makes it feel very fat and huge. This melody has a mesmerizing tone to it, but also feels a bit abrasive. As I mentioned, this song has a HyperPop theme to its beat. This beat is very quick and intense, making this song feel super bold and almost anxious. The vocals on ‘Starlink’ definitely add to the apprehensive tone of the track. Toro y Moi sounds pretty cool on this one, but glaive especially does his thing. I like how his raspy, high-pitched tone sits on this instrumental; it contrasts Toro y Moi’s nicely and gives this track texture. ‘Starlink’ is an eccentric and fun way to end this record, as it really sends this off with a bang. 

If you were a fan of Toro y Moi’s music in the past and went into Hole Erth not knowing what its sonic theme is, I am sure that it would truly throw you for a loop. You may even second guess that this is actually Toro y Moi and that it is not some sort of mistake, because pretty much nothing about this record is reminiscent of most of his past music. Not even the vocals on this record are very comparable to what he has done previously. Now, I am always a fan of when artists go way outside of their comfort zone and try something fresh and different. This is once again the case with Hole Erth. I am not going to lie and say this is my favorite album ever made in this style(or even that close). It is pretty cool for what it is, though. As he always does with any kind of music he tries, Toro y Moi throws his own flair on this sound. The basis of typical Emo Trap does permeate throughout this album, but some of the mixes are pretty weird and abrasive, making them stand out. To be honest, Toro y Moi’s vocal performances are hit or miss on Hole Erth. There are some moments where he does his thing and other moments where his vocals are pretty iffy. Overall, I would say that Hole Erth is a solid effort. This record is not perfect by any means, but for the most part, it is pretty cool for what it is. I never thought I would see Toro y Moi venture into this style of music, but I am pretty glad that he gave it a try.

6.97/10