Becoming known for his experimental flair and swampy textures, Toadface recently unveiled his most mammoth body of work yet in the form of the Bugs For Breakfast LP – a unique twelve-track masterpiece with a handful of hefty collaborations. Delving into the album with mystical elegance, Toadface takes us through a world of ambiance molded with glitch-filled chops that draw inspiration from all corners of the electronic music spectrum, giving nods to the dubstep, trap and free-form realms. Ambient hazes continue to soar across the LP as we’re guided through a marshy landscape of intricate undertones amongst a warped soundscape.
In relation, the LP released in anticipation of the massive Bugs For Breakfast tour which is set to kick off on October 6th, and we had the opportunity to catch up with Toadface prior to him hitting the road. Check out the interview below!
Tell us a little about the origins of Toadface and what got you into production. Who were your biggest inspirations?
I got the name partially from my Dad, my name is Todd and he would always call me the Toad. I started out trying to make heavy dubstep so I gave myself the name Toadface Destroyer but I thought the Destroyer part wasn’t me so I dropped that part of the name. My older brother Yheti taught me how to make beats on Fl Studios around 2010. I was really into dubstep around that time like Excision and Doctor P and then my taste just got progressively weirder from there.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
I would probably call it psychedelic dubstep or left-field bass.
In the last couple of years, your music has found a home at Wakaan. How did you link up with the label in the first place?
I first met Space Jesus a couple of times and then we played a festival together called Infrasound where I played right after him. He stayed and caught my set and actually came up and rapped a little bit over my beats. After that we hung out and he asked me to submit something to Wakaan.
I spend about 30 hours on a single track and sometimes more. I just keep experimenting until I like the story it portrays.
Congrats on the Bugs For Breakfast tour and LP! You mentioned on Twitter that the project has been two years in the making. When you started the first couple of tracks, was a 12-track LP on your mind? If not, when did the album idea come about?
Thank you and I had no idea I was making a 12 track LP. I just had a bunch of finished tracks. Originally it was just going to be a EP but then I wanted to get some big collabs on there to help push the release more, so that’s when we added the tracks with Yheti, Dmvu, Of The Tree’s, and Sfam.
Bugs For Breakfast is filled with quirky sounds and eccentric synths (in the best way possible). How do you make so many seemingly disjointed noises sound so cohesive?
Just a lot of practice and spending a lot of time on each individual track. I spend about 30 hours on a single track and sometimes more. I just keep experimenting until I like the story it portrays.
How does a dog barking inspire you to create an entire track like ‘Courage’ around that concept?
I love sampling old cartoons and things that feel nostalgic to my youth. The beginning sample “We Interrupt this program” was already in there from the theme song of Courage the Cowardly Dog so I tried adding the last part and it ended up working really well!
I would be down to collab with anyone from WAKAAN, everyone makes such great music on there.
You’ve done your fair share of collabs and Bugs For Breakfast is the perfect balance of solo and group work. Excluding anyone you’ve worked with in the past, who are your dream collaborators?
Some of my biggest inspirations for years have been G Jones, Bleep Bloop, and Tsuruda so a collab with one of them would be a dream come true. I am open to collaborating with a lot of people though. I would be down to collab with anyone from WAKAAN, everyone makes such great music on there.
22 tour dates across the country, that’s huge. What are you most excited about for the upcoming tour? Are you dreading anything?
I am excited for every single date on the tour but the one show I am probably most excited for is Halloween in Chicago with Coki. I have been listening to Coki’s tunes since I first started listening to electronic music so it’s going to be a bucket list goal for sure.
Last question, pineapple on pizza. Yay or nay?
Yes I actually used to cook pizzas with bananas, pineapples, and green peppers and its really good. Cooking the bananas makes them a little less sweet and the combination is great. You should try it sometime.
Don’t miss the Bugs For Breakfast LP below!
