Chaz Bundick is no stranger to the camera. In the eight years since he started recording as Toro y Moi, the Portland-based singer, songwriter, producer, and dexterous multi-instrumentalist has starred in 10 out of his 13 music videos. "I just didn't want it to focus on my face for too long," Bundick laughs when I ask him about the concept behind his latest—and most epic—visual endeavor to date: Toro y Moi: Live From Trona. The feature-length concert film does include plenty of Bundick's recognizable mug, but it's the scenery and setup that ultimately steal the show. Filmed at the Trona Pinnacles in the Mojave Desert late last year, and directed by longtime Toro y Moi collaborator Harry Israelson, the movie splices VHS recordings and soothingly squiggly animations with beautifully shot footage of Bundick and his bandmates rocking out in the middle of nowhere.
While the vastness and splendor of the movie's backdrop can't be denied, neither too can Toro y Moi's chops. The band now has more than a year of touring under their belt, and here they sound as comfortable, capable, and in the groove as ever. Whether it's the visuals, the soundtrack, or some combination thereof, Live From Trona is a heady, soothing watch and listen, as well as a snapshot of a band at the very top of their game.
The film and it's accompanying live album are out today (they'll get a appropriately pretty physical release in November). Leading up to Live From Trona's Los Angeles premiere at the ornate Ace Hotel Theatre, I caught up with Bundick to talk about the film, its landscape, and his newly launched (and longtime coming) label, Company Records.
What came first, the idea to do a live album or the idea to make a concert film?
It started with just wanting to do a live album. It was around March 2015 when we started really pushing [Toro y Moi's fourth LP] What For?, which was a really guitar-centric album. By the end of that album cycle we knew that we were tight enough, and we were all competent in our playing and our abilities to say, "Yeah, I'm down to do a concert film." On top of that, I knew I wanted to do something visual just because we really didn't do many videos for the album. The live concert album was something I'd always wanted to do, and it felt especially right for that album; it's psychedelic rock and it's got a message and it has so many influences that I feel like are being overshadowed by hip-hop and electronic music. I'm confident people are still out there craving rock n' roll, so it's for those music fans.
It's interesting watching something like this simply because it reminded me that the concert film format is kind of dead. Were there old ones that you looked to when you guys started scheming?
The main reference Pink Floyd's Pompeii. But yeah, it's hard nowadays to make something that can come off as substantial. It's really to do DIY videos now, it's really easy to do things in-house--the tools are there, you can go get them at B&H. It's like, OK, well now bands can make really good videos for cheap, so what else is there? That was kind of the motivation too; what hasn't been done.
How did you guys end up at the Trona Pinnacles?
The location was proposed to us. It was one of maybe two or three options, but it was the obvious choice just because it was in California and close to L.A. We knew we wanted to do something in the desert, but Vimeo was the one who set it up.
I feel like the desert has always been synonymous with this mystical, magical, creative space. What is it about that landscape that you find inspiring?
I feel like musicians and artists in general are already in a different world. They can't help but think about meta references and looking at things from a hyper-meta viewpoint. I think the desert is one of those places that's always going to have that stigma attached to it. It's always going to be a soul-searching type of location, mostly because it's this giant, vast, dead piece of land that has small parts of life popping up here and there. I think that's a good way to look at life in general. There will always be something continuing, even when it feels like there's nothing.
Do you feel like that message is pretty in line with the message of What For?
I feel like rock n' roll in general coexists with nature, psych rock especially, and the message of rock n' roll is peace and love, so this location just fits. It's a peaceful film to watch, too. The nature shots are epic. I'm hoping it's one of those films that you put on with the sound off, because I do that all the time at my place. I'll put on Pompeii and put it on mute, so I have this amazing visual while I'm making my own music.
I want to talk a bit about Company Records. Specifically, what was the catalyst to finally start a label?
I never really got a chance to produce a full record, and I knew if I had a label that would be what the premise or the template would be, so all these records we're releasing are collaborations. The Mattson II's new one was the first where I felt like we really combined our talents and made a record together. It's coming out and March and it's going to be pretty exciting.
