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]
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.