The Hylozoists Are Evolving

The term "supergroup" has been applied to instrumental rockers The Hylozoists on more than one occasion, but they've never really fit the requirements for that kind of classification.

The Toronto-based band, who've definitely been around longer than most supergroups, just released their third album, L'Ile De Sept Villes. While it's true they've always boasted a large membership of established musicians (it was up around a dozen at one point), much of The Hylozoists' music has always come from the brain of gadabout vibraphonist Paul Aucoin.

The Nova Scotia native has played with just about every group in Toronto at one time or another — Cuff The Duke, Andre Ethier, FemBots, The Golden Dogs, Constantines and Hayden, to name a few — but The Hylozoists have always been his number one project. Aucoin would like to see more collaboration within his band, but it just doesn't make sense at this point in his career.

"Most of the bands that really work on their records collaboratively are in that 19-to-25 phase, against the world, jamming all the time," he says. "Even bands that once did that — when they get to their late twenties and early thirties, I find they write a bit more in seclusion.

"I don't think bands like The Weakerthans or Cuff The Duke jam as much as they used to. You can see it with a lot of bands, in the evolution of their songwriting."

Evolution is something Aucoin has had to get used to. Since the first Hylozoists record was released in 2002, more than 20 musicians have come and gone from the band.

"We've sized down to a six-piece," he says of the group's latest incarnation (with Aucoin joined by guitarist Francois Turenne, bassist Paul Lowman, drummer Jay Anderson, violinist Randy Lee and pianist Christopher Sandes).

"I can hear everybody's parts individually, whereas when we're seven to 10 [people], there's obviously going to be a wash that develops with the instruments.

"A while back, it made me think, 'Oh, I hope no one gets mad about the disappearance of double drums and stuff like that.' I shouldn’t say 'disappearance' because the band always goes through modifications that seem to suit its evolution.

"But I'm actually really enjoying it and a lot of people at our Soundscapes in-store [in Toronto] commented that it was their favourite version [of the band]."

The Hylozoists will embark on a proper tour later this year, but here's where you can catch their pared-down sound for now:

Feb. 20 London, ON @ Outback Shack
Feb. 21 Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club w/Jill Barber
Feb. 26 Waterloo, ON @ Starlight w/Le Cyc (No Fest)