Today marks ten years since Toro Y Moi released the project’s sophomore studio album Underneath the Pine. In honor of the great album, Chazwick Bundick (a.k.a. Chaz Bear), the mastermind behind Toro, released an instrumental version of the album along with some awesome merch—35 tote bags were made from the stage backdrop that the band used on the UTP tour.
“This was maybe one of the more challenging records to make,” he shared in a statement. “It was made between tours for Causers over the course of about two months. I’d never really consciously recorded a record. Causers was a bunch of demos that I sort of just whipped together. But, Underneath the Pine was a bit more conceptual in that I wanted to keep it all natural and free of samples and loops. Recording UTP really pushed me to learn the proper way to record with multiple mics and acoustic space. I was listening to a lot of disco, funk, astral jazz, and psych rock. The lyrics were once again the last thing I added to the songs, you can hear all of the imperfections and happy accidents sprinkled throughout the record that make so many great moments.”
UTP was recorded in South Carolina at his parents’ house during their work hours. Bear also commented that UTP was the first time he mixed in a studio—Chase Park Audio in Athens, GA with Drew Vandenberg. It was the last record before he relocated to California. “A lot of the themes in my lyrics were about leaving home and staying in touch with friends.”
Ten years on, Underneath the Pine still feels as timeless and cool. These instrumentals are a perfect way to appreciate Bear’s mastery…or to have a Toro Y Moi karaoke night. Check ’em out here.
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Underneath The Pine is 10 ???? UTP Instrumentals on all streaming platforms now to celebrate. Instrumentals cassette + 10 year merch up in the webstore now. Plus limited edition 10th anniversary pressing of UTP on desert sun splatter vinyl available now. https://t.co/qRcm3qmdWQ pic.twitter.com/yiE4JZCR19
— Chaz Bear (@ToroyMoi) February 22, 2021
