Les Sins is the dance-oriented side project of Chaz Bear, better known as the chillwave pioneer Toro y Moi. Established in 2009, the project serves as a creative outlet for Bear's interest in house, disco, and sample-based production that falls outside the indie-pop scope of his main work.
The sound is characterized by a high-fidelity, 'neon' aesthetic, utilizing crisp 808/909 percussion, filtered synth loops, and heavily processed vocal snippets. Unlike the introspective nature of Toro y Moi, Les Sins focuses on kinetic energy and rhythmic repetition. The project gained significant critical traction with the 2014 full-length 'Michael,' which merged the producer's pop sensibilities with club-ready structures. Influences range from the filter-house of Daft Punk and Cassius to the crate-digging ethos of J Dilla. Within the electronic scene, Les Sins occupies a space between 'indie-dance' and 'intelligent dance music' (IDM), praised for its accessibility and sophisticated arrangement. It remains a vital component of Bear's polymathic career, representing his most direct engagement with dance floor culture.
Shares house, disco, downtempo (subgenres); processed, spoken_word, absent (vocal style)
Shares house, disco (subgenres); sample_based, digital_clarity, drum_machine (production style)
Shares house, disco (subgenres); processed, spoken_word, absent (vocal style)
Shares house, disco (subgenres); energetic, playful, confident (moods)
Shares house, disco (subgenres); playful, energetic, nostalgic (moods)
Shares energetic, playful, confident (moods); house, disco (subgenres)
Shares house, disco (subgenres); processed, spoken_word, absent (vocal style)
Shares house, downtempo (subgenres); processed, spoken_word, absent (vocal style)
Shares house, disco (subgenres); processed, spoken_word, absent (vocal style)
Shares house, sample_based, disco, playful (signature)
Shares house, disco, playful, spoken_word (signature)
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