Clan of Xymox

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Clan of Xymox
Also known as Xymox
Origin Nijmegen, Netherlands
Genre(s) Gothic Rock (early)
Darkwave
Electro-Goth
Years active 1983–present
Label(s) Metropolis Records
Wing Records
4AD
Members
Ronny Moorings
Mojca Zugna
Mario Usai
Yvonne de Ray
Denise Dijkstra
Agnes Jasper
Former members
Pieter Nooten
Anke Wolbert
Frank Weyzig
Willem van Antwerpen
Tom Ashton
Rob Vonk
Sharon Soffner
Rui Ramos
Nina Simic
Paul Whittlesea

Clan of Xymox, also known as Xymox at various parts of their career, are a darkwave/gothic rock band founded in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in 1983 by Ronny Moorings, Anke Wolbert, and Pieter Nooten. Of the original members, only Ronny Moorings remains in the band today.

Contents

[edit] History

The band began with the self-published Subsequent Pleasures EP under the name Xymox, at that time consisting of Ronny Moorings on guitar and vocals, Anke Wolbert on bass, keyboards and vocals, and Pieter Nooten on keyboards and vocals. A chance meeting with Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance led to an invitation to support that band on a UK tour, and then a recording contract with their record label, 4AD Records.

Their debut album, self-titled under their newly adopted name Clan of Xymox, was released by 4AD in 1985, and drew comparisons to Joy Division and The Cure. 1986 saw their second album, Medusa (considered by many fans to be their finest work), continuing in this dark vein.

1987 saw the band provide a track for Lonely Is an Eyesore, a fascinating compilation album highlighting the diversity of talent on the 4-AD roster. "Muscoviet Musquito", sandwiched between Dif Juz and Dead Can Dance, showed a more confident side to the band.

Subsequently, Clan of Xymox and 4AD parted company, Pieter Nooten left the band, the name Xymox was once again adopted, and the band signed to the Polygram subsidiary label Wing Records. 1989 Twist of Shadows was the band's most commercially successful album, selling 300,000 copies. It was in many ways a bold record and showed that being signed to a major concern wasn't going to stifle a natural sense of musical adventure. Supported by three single releases - "Obsession", "Imagination" and "Blind Hearts" - this was an album that confirmed the diversity of their appeal as again they clicked in both dance and alternative circles.

The bands fourth album, Phoenix (with Nooten back on board), released worldwide in 1991, was their last album on Wing. It had ecstatic reviews but did not sell as much as their predecessor, despite their loyal U.S. fan base. The band embarked on sell-out tours around the world and featured in college alternative and mainstream Billboard charts. The sub label Wing ceased to exist and when Wing declined to release the next album, Metamorphosis, Nooten and Wolbert left the band forever.

Mojca Zugna joined Moorings as bass-player (and album cover designer) and two albums followed on independent label Zok Records - Metamorphosis 1992 and Headclouds 1993 - before Moorings decided it was time for a change. Here, in addition to their trademark choral sounds and hypnotic electro rhythms, are albums spanning a whole range of styles and influences, taking Xymox into the '90s dance era. It is the work of a band who are never afraid to take chances. In the UK they nearly entered the top 40 charts with the "Reaching Out" single and were played on heavy rotation. "On Headclouds, Xymox tried to combine dance grooves with a melancholic sound, plus vocals. It was part of an experiment which we now steer clear of... After Headclouds, I moved back to Amsterdam and had a break from making music, and regained my interest by meeting different people, going to Industrial/Gothic parties, and basically rediscovering myself again".[1]

In 1994 Xymox re-released their first (from 1984, only 500 original printed copies exist) limited availability mini album Subsequent Pleasures on Double Dutch Records, and, without consent, Zok Records released a "Remix" album which contains only radio edits of the albums Metamorphosis and Headclouds compiled together.

In 1996 Xymox contributed music for a CD-ROM games project titled "Total Mayhem" and a year later the music for the game "Revenant", released worldwide by Domark.

In 1997 Ronny Moorings ended the Xymox era and restarted Clan of Xymox. The band signed to a brand new USA and German based Independent label Tess Records, and the album Hidden Faces was released in 1997. Moorings described it as "a logical follow-up to what Clan of Xymox made in the early '80s", and the band went on to tour extensively, co-headlining the Wave-Gotik-Treffen and Zillo festivals in Germany, where two singles from Hidden Faces - "Out Of The Rain" and "This World" - both reached the top 10 in the independent charts. Two more albums (1999 Creatures and 2001 Notes From The Underground followed, blending guitars and electronics into a more standard electro-goth sound which has won Clan of Xymox a new generation of fans in the gothic subculture.

2000 marked a first for the Clan of Xymox. After thousands of requests from fans for a live album, Clan of Xymox released Live, a double CD which featured nineteen tracks and two QuickTime videos. The lineup consisted of Ronny Moorings guitars & vocals, Mojca Zugna bass guitar, Rui Ramos electronic drums, and Nina Simic keyboards. All of the tracks were recorded during their Central and South American tour in 1999, and could almost be considered a best of.

The year 2002 saw in April the band's first remix album Remixes From The Underground, which was composed of all the tracks from Notes From The Underground remixed by renowned artists like Front 242 and Assemblage 23. This year also saw the very first video disc of COX.

Farewell was released in September 2003 to great acclaim in the industry, and the band's most recent album, Breaking Point, was released in April 2006. The CD single Heroes, containing two interpretations of David Bowie's original track "Heroes", was released in May 2007.

The current lineup of Clan of Xymox, now based in Leipzig, Germany, consists of Ronny Moorings - produces, writes, records all music & lyrics... Live members: Ronny Moorings sticks live to guitar & vocals, Mojca on bass, Mario Usai on guitar, Agnes Jasper, Denise Dijkstra & Yvonne de Ray on keyboards.

Original members Pieter Nooten and Anka Wolbert are both active today, pursuing a different musical direction as solo artists on i-rain records (www.i-rain.com).

A new album will be released by clan of xymox in 2008, its is not known yet the full release date.

[edit] Remixes

COX has made several remixes, recently for the female fronted industrial metal act I:Scintilla who released their album "Optiks" on the Belgian industrial label Alfa Matrix holding a bonus disc with a remix by COX beside others by Combichrist, Mortiis and many more.[2]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Clan of Xymox discography

  • Subsequent Pleasures (1984) Mini-album NL. Only 500 copies were pressed on their own label, it's a highly sought after collectors item. Silk screen hand pressed sleeve.
  • A Day/Stranger (1985) 12" Single. club mixes by John Fryer & Ivo Watts-Russell.
  • Clan of Xymox (1985) LP, CD, CS / (1999) re-released by 4-AD with extra track "Muscoviet Musquito".
  • A Day (1985) 7" Single. Boudisque Records one sided radio edit promo version with black and white sleeve.
  • Medusa (1986) LP, CD, CS / (1999) re-released by 4-AD with extra EP tracks: "Blind Hearts", "A Million Things "and "Scum".
  • Muscoviet Musquito (1986) 7" Single. French promo version released by Virgin -France.
  • Louise/Michelle (1986) 7" Single. promo single released by Mega disk. radio edit versions.
  • Subsequent Pleasures (1994) re-relased, (2001) CD re-release Limited. the first 6 tracks are the original demo versions that got them a deal with 4AD, the last five are the original Subsequent Pleasures recordings from the year 1984. This is the only official re-issue.
  • Out of the Rain (1997) CDS, 12" promo. First come back single.
  • Hidden Faces (1997) CD, (2007) CD remastered + bonus tracks. The US-copy contains "Troubled Soul" instead of "Hypocrite.
  • This World (1998) CDS.
  • Creatures (1999) CD, (2007) CD remastered + bonus tracks.
  • Consolation (1999) CDS.
  • Live (2000) 2CD. Contains 'Jasmine & Rose' and 'Stranger' videos
  • Liberty (2000) CDS.
  • Notes From The Underground (2001) CD 12 tracks including a bonus
  • Remixes from the Underground (2001) 2-CD, 3-CD digipak limited edition also contains a media CD with an interview for Dutch TV and video clips.
  • There's No Tomorrow (2002) CDS.
  • Farewell (2003) CD, CD digipak (Ltd).
  • The Best of Clan of Xymox (2004) CD, CD digipak (Ltd).
  • Weak In My Knees (2006) CDS Europe / USA download.
  • Breaking Point (2006) CD Worldwide release 25 April 2006.
  • Heroes (2007) CDS Europe / USA digital version only.
  • Visible (March 2008) DVD.

[edit] Xymox discography

  • Subsequent Pleasures (1983) 12" mini album
  • Blind Hearts / A Million Things 4AD (1988) 12"
  • Blind Hearts (1989) 12", 12" promo
  • Obsession (1989) 12", 12" promo, 7", CDS
  • Twist of Shadows (1989) LP, CD, CS
  • Imagination (1989) 12", 7", CDS, CS
  • Phoenix of my Heart (1991) 12", 12" promo, 7", CDS, CS
  • Phoenix (1991) LP, CD, CS
  • At the End of the Day (1991) 12", 12" promo, CDS
  • Wonderland (1991) CD promo
  • Metamorphosis (1992) CD, CS. On the Austria-copy there are these bonus- tracks: Dream On (Dance Mix), Soul Free, Dream On (Instrumental Mix).
  • Dream On 12", CDS
  • Spiritual High (1993) CDS, 7", CS , 12" promo
  • Headclouds (1993) LP, CD, CS
  • Reaching Out (1993) 12", CDS

[edit] Compilation appearances

  • Abstract Magazine Vol. 5 Sweatbox 1985
    • Muscoviet Musquito (remix).
  • Dance 2 Noise 002
    • Premonition (featuring Sakurai Atsushi on vocals). VIC 1290 JAP 1992 VICTOR 92.
  • Total Mayhem Game. CD-Rom, Domark, Cinematrix , Eidos 1996.
  • Revenant Game. CD-Rom, Domark, Cinematrix, Eidos 1999.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Interview conducted by Jason Hullinger for Propaganda Magazine, retrieved from [1] 2007-02-09
  2. ^ I:Scintilla remixed by Mortiis, Combichrist, KMFDM and Clan Of Xymox for new album

[edit] External links