Of the Wand & the Moon
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Of the Wand & the Moon | |
|---|---|
 Of the Wand & the Moon - Perform at the Nocturnal Culture Night 2017 in Deutzen/Germany. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Denmark |
| Genres | Dark ambient, experimental, folk, martial, neofolk, dark folk, post-industrial |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | Heiðrunar Myrkrunar |
| Members | Kim Larsen |
Of the Wand & the Moon (stylized as :Of the Wand & the Moon: (later releases feature "and" in lieu of the ampersand)) is the neofolk/experimental project of Danish musician Kim Larsen and various guest contributors.
History
[edit]Larsen was originally a member of the gothic/doom metal band Saturnus,[1] but left due to personal disputes.[1][2] Following this, he began the neofolk project Of the Wand & the Moon, as he was a longtime fan of the genre.[2]
Larsen lists among his musical influences the neofolk artists Death in June, Blood Axis, Current 93, Sol Invictus, Fire and Ice, Der Blutharsch, and Nature and Organisation.[1] He credits Thunder Perfect Mind by Current 93 with making him want to be a neofolk artist, and calls Death in June's Rose Clouds of Holocaust the albums that "means the most" to him.[3] Thematically, he is influenced by runes, Aleister Crowley, Norse mythology, esoterica,[1] and paganism.[3] He once described his music as "loner folk".[4]
In 1999, the debut Of the Wand & the Moon album was released, titled Nighttime Nightrhymes.
2001 saw the release of a second Of the Wand & the Moon release titled :Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness:.
After the release of a split album with Sol Invictus and a few vinyl singles, a collection of b-sides, taken from the :Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness: sessions, titled Lucifer, was released in 2003.
A third album, Sonnenheim, was released in 2005. Here, the music bears a strong resemblance to that of neofolk pioneers Death in June.
After a 6-year silence, a fourth album, The Lone Descent, was released in 2011. It features more contemporary influences and a richer production. The album was received with great critical acclaim and is considered a neofolk masterpiece.[5]
10 years later, in 2021, a fifth album entitled Your Love Can't Hold This Wreath of Sorrow was released. It follows in a similar vein to that of The Lone Descent, but features even greater experimentation with other genres such as post-punk and electronica.
In 2023, a 4-track EP, Behold the Trees, saw the band embody a more minimalistic ambient sound with a spoken word approach to the vocals.
Discography
[edit]Albums and EPs
[edit]| Year | Title | Format, Special Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Nighttime Nightrhymes | LP/CD |
| 2000 | Sól Ek Sà | 7" |
| Midnight Will | 10", limited to 666 copies | |
| 2001 | :Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness: | LP/CD |
| Bringing Light and Darkness | 12", split with Sol Invictus. Limited to 500 copies. | |
| My Black Faith | 7" | |
| I Crave for You | 7", limited to 1,000 copies. | |
| 2003 | Lucifer | LP/CD, b-sides and recordings from the :E:E:E: sessions. |
| :1998 - 2003: | Box set, limited to 500 copies. Contains vinyl versions of all previous albums. | |
| 2005 | Hail Hail Hail | 7" |
| Sonnenheim | LP/CD | |
| 2011 | The Lone Descent | LP/CD |
| 2012 | Live at the Lodge of Imploded Love | CD/DVD, recorded live at The Lodge of Imploded Love, summer 2011 |
| 2013 | Shall Love Fall from View? | 7", limited to 500 copies on black vinyl |
| 2019 | Bridges Burned and Hands of Time | LP/CD |
| 2020 | Tainted Tears | 12" |
| 2021 | Your Love Can't Hold This Wreath of Sorrow | |
| 2023 | Behold the Trees | LP/CD. LP limited to 300 copies. |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Jensen, Claus. "Interview SATURNUS / OF THE WAND AND THE MOON". Intromental Webzine. Archived from the original on 2004-12-23. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
- ^ a b Vadean, Alina (2009-12-18). "Kim Larsen (Of the Wand and the Moon) – Interview". Good Music is Good Music. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
- ^ a b Brands, Dimi (2018-01-31). "KIM LARSEN (: OF THE WAND AND THE MOON:) - interview by Peek-A-Boo magazine". Peek-a-Boo Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
- ^ Buljeta, Marija (2016-08-29). "Kim Larsen talks about Of The Wand & The Moon". Altvenger Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
- ^ Interview 2012 Kim Larsen with Oliver Sheppard
External links
[edit]Official
[edit]- Official :Of The Wand & The Moon: Site
- Official :Of The Wand & The Moon: Myspace
- Official :Of The Wand & The Moon: Facebook
Reviews
[edit]| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
