Of the Wand & the Moon

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Of the Wand & the Moon
Of The Wand And The Moon Nocturnal Culture Night 12 2017 04.jpg
Of the Wand & the Moon performing at the Nocturnal Culture Night in Deutzen, Germany, in 2017
Background information
Origin Denmark
Genres Dark ambient, experimental, folk, martial, neofolk, dark folk, post-industrial
Years active1999–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.

Contents

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 album 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

YearTitleFormat, Special Notes
1999Nighttime NightrhymesLP/CD
2000Sól Ek Sà7"
Midnight Will10", limited to 666 copies
2001:Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness:LP/CD
Bringing Light and Darkness12", split with Sol Invictus. Limited to 500 copies.
My Black Faith7"
I Crave for You7", limited to 1,000 copies.
2003LuciferLP/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.
2005Hail Hail Hail7"
SonnenheimLP/CD
2011 The Lone Descent LP/CD
2012Live at the Lodge of Imploded LoveCD/DVD, recorded live at The Lodge of Imploded Love, summer 2011
2013Shall Love Fall from View?7", limited to 500 copies on black vinyl
2019Bridges Burned and Hands of TimeLP/CD
2020Tainted Tears12"
2021Your Love Can't Hold This Wreath of Sorrow
2023Behold the TreesLP/CD. LP limited to 300 copies.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 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. 1 2 Vadean, Alina (2009-12-18). "Kim Larsen (Of the Wand and the Moon) – Interview". Good Music is Good Music. Retrieved 2021-03-16.
  3. 1 2 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

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