History
The Hylozoists is an instrumental band conceived by producer Paul Aucoin in 2001. Aucoin wrote and recorded their first album, La Nouvelle Gauche, using a line-up of musicians primarily from Halifax, in his studio in Nova Scotia. The Hylozoists was temporarily set aside when Aucoin returned to his work with the band The Sadies.
In 2004, Aucoin relocated to Toronto, where he revived The Hylozoists with a new line-up featuring musicians from other bands, including The Weakerthans, FemBots, and Cuff the Duke. In this new phase, Aucoin moved away from the concept of a solo project and developed the group into a collaborative supergroup.
The group's third album, L'île de Sept Villes , received a Juno Award nomination in 2010 for Instrumental Album of the Year. [1]
In addition to his work with The Hylozoists, Aucoin has produced albums for other artists, including Cuff the Duke's Sidelines of the City , The Golden Dogs' Big Eye Little Eye , and John K. Samson's Provincial .
Music
The Hylozoists' music has been described on their MySpace page as Indie/Classical/Emotronic, a characterization that reflects their distinctive instrumentation. Many of the instruments used by the group—such as vibraphone, glockenspiel, organ, violin, and viola—are traditionally associated with classical music, and occasionally with jazz. These are combined with more conventional rock instruments, including drums, pedal steel guitar, electric guitar, and bass.
The band's sound is defined less by its choice of instruments than by how those instruments are arranged and applied. While the inclusion of vibraphone and glockenspiel is unusual for an indie rock group, the music often evokes the atmosphere of a film score. Aucoin's formal musical training, which included classical study, informs his approach to composition and orchestration. For example, in the song "Warning Against Judging," the opening minute features glockenspiel, organ, and guitar, creating a texture reminiscent of orchestral film music. As the piece develops, the addition of drums, bass, violin, and trumpet maintains the cinematic quality through careful orchestration.
The band's musical development also reflects its geographic and creative evolution. The Hylozoists originated in Halifax, where they recorded their debut album, La Nouvelle Gauche. Following Aucoin's relocation to Toronto, the group recorded their second album, La Fin du Monde.
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