Brandon Hocura

// drums, guitar, electronics, keyboards, effects, glockenspiel, melodica, hummingbird, sitar, vocals

Adam Trozzolo

// guitar, vocals, electronics, keyboards, programming, percussion, melodica

Naomi Hocura

// bass, vocals, ebow, moogerfooger, keyboards, percussion, water

Alex Janssen

// keyboards, circuit-bent electronics, drums, percussion, vocals

Biography

VOWLS are a psychedelic band from Toronto who combine the energetic inventiveness of mutant-disco and post-punk with the pan-global influences and technological embrace of krautrock. They create music that is both forward thinking and bottom shaking. Taking up the call for what Brian Eno claims is the greatest challenge in music today, VOWLS aren’t afraid to play Pop music either. In a way they use it as a trojan horse, playing with its conventions and boundaries in order to create something wholly new, that is simultaneously visionary, provocative & catchy-as-hell. The band has set out to liberate minds and limbs around the world and has started to do so playing sold out shows with like-minded travellers Four Tet, Mi Ami, Thank You, Nadja, and Little Girls in the past year. In fall 2009, VOWLS set off on a micro-tour with Stones Throw artist Koushik, pulling off the double duty of opening and playing as his backing band.

In 2009, VOWLS recorded, produced & mixed the In Consonance (Part 1) EP in their home studio. Inspired by the experimental recording techniques deployed in musique concrete, dub studios, disco edits, DJ Screw, techno & krautrock, the EP makes full use of the possibilities of a digital home studio, while simultaneously trying to capture the raw energy of a live performance. At this point, the band have released the album as an EP on their own Polyphasic Recordings for demo & promo purposes. Currently another six songs are in the final stages of production, completing the In Consonance album, which will be ready for release in spring 2010.

VOWLS originally formed as a studio project between friends Adam Trozzolo and Brandon Hocura. Already good friends they knew that a musical partnership was inevitable when their hard drives coalesced in the file-sharing ether while Brandon was living in Tokyo and Adam in Toronto. They reunited in Toronto in 2006, and began DJing together at Invisible City and recording as VOWLS.

Adam has performed as a DJ and remixer for several years under the names 49keys and The Way We Were. Brandon spent 5 years living in Tokyo and travelling Asia where he studied shamisen, sitar, and tabla. He also played in Bien Victor, MAVO and Caveman Gameboy. Before Naomi joined the band in 2008 she also explored Asia where she studied harmonium and classical Indian vocal styles. She has collaborated with Aidan Baker (Nadja), curating and creating video for a 6-hour DVD release for Nadja on Beta-Lactam Ring Records. Alex performs solo under the name Guy Dallas, tearing up parties with his ADD-dance-noise and has been playing with VOWLS since the beginning of 2009.

In their live show, all four members switch instruments, playing guitar, drums, bass, synthesizers, glockenspiel, harmonium, electronics, percussion, effects and contact mics creating a virtual cornucopia of sound and vision.