- Of the Wand & the Moon
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Of The Wand & The Moon 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 is the creative live and recorded music works of Danish musician Kim Larsen and various guest contributors.
Contents
Overview
After irreconcilable differences with his previous musical project,[1] Saturnus, Larsen began writing music of a different vein, similar in style to his neofolk influences but very different than the doom metal he had previously created.
In 1999, the debut :Of The Wand & The Moon: album was released, entitled Nighttime Nightrhymes. Characterized by folk songs with themes ranging from expressions of love, loss, joy and ancestral Germanic paganism, the album was interspersed with experimental dark ambient pieces and tribal drumming. The album marked a new entry for Denmark in a new wave of Germanic post-industrial folk projects alongside contemporaries such as Forseti and Sonne Hagal.
2001 saw the release of a second :Of The Wand & The Moon: release entitled Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness:, with refined production and a continued but expanded sound from previous work, the album further cemented the reputation of the project. A live version of :Of The Wand & The Moon: also debuted in 2001, beginning a long series of shows over the next few years.
After the release of a split album with Sol Invictus and a few vinyl singles, a collection of b-sides was released entitled Lucifer in 2003. Themed after its namesake yet featuring a photograph of a surprised cat on its cover, the record included various outtakes and unreleased tracks from the :Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness period. A box set was also released featuring vinyl versions of previous recordings, as well as exclusive material.
A single entitled "Hail Hail Hail" was released in 2005 as a preview of upcoming material, showcasing a more experimental side of the project and making use of Arabic instrumentation for the title track. This was followed by a full length album entitled Sonnenheim which met to positive critical and fan reviews alike, marking the project as one of the major groups within its genre. The album further showcased themes of Germanic paganism, as exemplified by the title track "Nighttime in Sonnenheim" and introduced a more extroverted and thematically martial side of the project, with considerably less focus on the romantic love songs that had previously been hallmarks of the band's material.
Discography
Albums and EPs
Year Title Format, Special Notes 1999 Nighttime Nightrhymes LP/CD 2000 Sól Ek Sà 7" 2000 Midnight Will 10", limited to 666 copies 2001 :Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness: LP/CD 2001 Bringing Light And Darkness 12", split with Sol Invictus. Limited to 500 copies. 2001 My Black Faith 7" 2001 I Crave For You 7", limited to 1,000 copies. 2003 Lucifer LP/CD, B-Sides and recordings from the :E:E:E: sessions. 2003 1998 - 2003: Box Box, limited to 500 copies. Contains vinyl versions of all previous albums. 2005 Hail Hail Hail 7" 2005 Sonnenheim LP/CD 2011 The Lone Descent LP/CD Compilations
Year Title Format, Special Notes 2000 Lichttaufe - Der Folklore Liedschatz CD 2000 Bringing Light And Darkness LP 2001 L'Ame Electrique Presents Hau Ruck! CD 2001 Lichttaufe 2 CD 2001 ZilloScope 6/2001 CD 2002 Audacia Imperat! LP 2002 Hau Ruck! Festival LP 2002 Zu Neuen Ufern In Alter Frische! CD 2003 Audacia Imperat 2xCD 2004 Acoustica Noir CD 2004 Statement 1961 2xLP + 7" + CD 2005 Looking For Europe 4xCD References
External links
Categories:- Folk music groups
- Neofolk music groups
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