Of the Wand & the Moon

Of the Wand & the Moon
Of the Wand & the Moon - Perform at the Nocturnal Culture Night 2017 in Deutzen/Germany.
Of the Wand & the Moon - Perform at the Nocturnal Culture Night 2017 in Deutzen/Germany.
Background information
OriginDenmark
GenresDark ambient, experimental, folk, martial, neofolk, dark folk, post-industrial
Years active1999–present
LabelsHeiðrunar Myrkrunar
MembersKim 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

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

Albums and EPs

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

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Buljeta, Marija (2016-08-29). "Kim Larsen talks about Of The Wand & The Moon". Altvenger Magazine. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  5. ^ Interview 2012 Kim Larsen with Oliver Sheppard

Official

Reviews