ðə bˈændz nˈeɪm ɪz dᵻɹˈaɪvd fɹʌm haɪlˈoʊzoʊˌɪzəm ænd wʌz stˈɑːɹɾᵻd æz ɐ sˈaɪd pɹˈɑːdʒɛkt ʌv ɹˈɛkɚd pɹədˈuːsɚ ænd mˈʌltaɪˌɪnstɹəmˈɛntəlˌɪst pˈɔːl ˈɔːkɔɪn.
The band's name is derived from hylozoism and was started as a side project of record producer and multi-instrumentalist Paul Aucoin.