Clan of Xymox

Clan of Xymox
Also known as Xymox
Origin Amsterdam, Netherlands
Genres Electronic rock,[1] Darkwave[2][3] Gothic rock,[4] Synthpop[5] New Wave[6]
Years active 1981–present
Labels Metropolis Records
Wing Records, PolyGram
4AD
Website http://www.clanofxymox.com/
Members
Ronny Moorings
Mojca Zugna
Mario Usai
Yvonne de Ray
Past members
Pieter Nooten
Anka Wolbert
Frank Weyzig
Willem van Antwerpen
Tom Ashton
Sharon Soffner
Rob Vonk
Nina Simic
Rui Ramos
Lilah
Paul Whittlesea
Denise Dijkstra
Agnes Jasper

The band Clan of Xymox, also known as Xymox, formed in the Netherlands in 1981. Clan Of Xymox featured a trio of songwriters - Pieter Nooten, Ronny Moorings and Anke [also Anka] Wolbert [7][1] - and gained success in the 1980s, releasing their first two albums on a prestigious independent UK label, a third and fourth album on a major US label and scoring a hit single in the United States.[8] Early pioneers of the dark and moody electronic music known as darkwave,[2] their 1980s releases included synthpop/electronic dance music.[5][9][10]

Though the band is still active and continues to tour and release records, of the original songwriters (Nooten, Moorings and Wolbert), only Moorings remains in the band today. After the departure of Nooten and Wolbert in the early 1990s, their music turned increasingly Goth (they have since been referred to as the "founding fathers of goth.")[4]

Contents

History

1981–1991

The band formed in Amsterdam in 1981, consisting of Ronny Moorings, Anka Wolbert, Frank Weyzig, and Pieter Nooten,[1][6] and released a mini-album, Subsequent Pleasures, in 1983.[1][11] They were invited to support Dead Can Dance and were signed to the indie label 4 AD, which released their eponymous debut album in 1985.[1][12] The track 7th Time, with Anka Wolbert on lead vocals, was picked up by John Peel, leading to the band recording two of the Peel Sessions at the BBC, in June and November 1985.[13][14]

In 1987, now abbreviated as Xymox, they released their second and last album on 4AD, Medusa, before signing with PolyGram.[1] Simultaneously, Pieter Nooten recorded and released his album Sleeps With The Fishes (4AD, 1987)[15][16], in collaboration with Michael Brook.[17]

The band's third album, Twist of Shadows, was released in 1989. This album, and its successor Phoenix, were released by Wing Records, a subsidiary of Polydor Records/PolyGram. In the United States, these two albums created a cult following for the band.[18] The first two singles taken from the Twist of Shadows album, Blind Hearts and Obsession proved big college and club hits in the United States with Obsession charting on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart[19][20] and both tracks hitting the Billboard Club Play Chart.[20][21][22] It was the album’s third single, Imagination (with Anka Wolbert on lead vocals), that brought the band the most mainstream attention, charting at #85[8] on Billboard Hot 100, generating Top 40 radio airplay and MTV rotation of the Imagination (Edit) single.[1][23] Twist of Shadows proved their most commercially successful album, selling more than 300,000 copies worldwide.[12][23]

By this time the band had moved to England, and released their fourth album, Phoenix, on PolyGram in 1991;[1] after this album, Anka Wolbert and Pieter Nooten left the band due to disagreements about the band's musical direction.[12][24]

1991 – present

Xymox, without Nooten and Wolbert, left PolyGram to release Metamorphosis (1992) and Headclouds (1993) independently.[1] In 1995 Ronny Moorings toured under the banner of Xymox in the Netherlands, including girlfriend and future band member Mojca.[25]

In 1997 the band's name was reverted to Clan of Xymox; Moorings recruited new live members, besides Mojca, and started touring. The band signed with the independent US label Tess Records and released Hidden Faces,[18] produced by David M. Allen.[6] In 1998 Clan of Xymox got signed by Metropolis Records in the USA, at a time of increasing US interest in the band, and released Creatures.[18] That same year, 4AD re-released Clan of Xymox and Medusa in the USA, and a US tour was planned for April and May 1999.[18] The band at that time consisted of Moorings, Mojca (bass), Rob Vonk (guitar), Sharon Soffner (keyboards), and Rui Ramos (drums).[18]

In October 2000 the band, without Vonk and Soffner, and with the addition of Nina Simic (keyboards), released Live,[1] a double CD with nineteen tracks and two videos.[26] In 2001, they released Notes from the Underground.[1] In September 2004, Best Of Clan of Xymox was released, with re-recorded versions of early hits as well as later offerings.[27]

Early 2009 Clan of Xymox switched labels, going to Trisol Records in Europe but staying on Metropolis in the USA and Gravitator in Russia. In July 2009 the single "Emily" was released.[28]

Discography

Studio albums

Singles/EPs

Remixes

Live albums

Compilations

Remixes of other artists

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Strong, Martin Charles (2003). The great indie discography. Cannongate. ISBN 9781841953359. http://books.google.com/books?id=HJfGtREyuSAC&pg=RA12-PT360. 
  2. ^ a b Dark-Wave-Band: The Cure, Deine Lakaien, Goethes Erben, Clan of Xymox, the Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, Death in June. Cannongate. 2010. ISBN ‪1158791135, 9781158791132‬. http://books.google.com/books?id=HWJ1cAAACAAJ&dq=xymox+new+wave&hl=en&ei=0Mc5TuCUMcLKhAeM2pH8AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBzgK. 
  3. ^ Axel Schmidt, Klaus Neumann-Braun, Axel; Klaus Neumann-Braun (2004). Die Welt der Gothics: Spielräume düster konnotierter Transzendenz. VS Verlag. pp. 269–70. ISBN 9783531143538. http://books.google.com/books?id=s6DLv5gqPu4C&pg=PA270. Retrieved 31 December 2010. 
  4. ^ a b "RPM News". CMJ New Music Monthly. 23 August 1999. http://books.google.com/books?id=rMh6fcsRx1sC&pg=PA36. Retrieved 31 December 2010. 
  5. ^ a b "Xymox – Imagination (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. http://www.discogs.com/Xymox-Imagination/release/226937. Retrieved 3 Aug 2011. 
  6. ^ a b c Bonini, Alessandro; Emanuele Tamagnini (2006). New wave. Gremese Editore. pp. 101–102. ISBN 9788884404121. http://books.google.com/books?id=Tkf_aTPEWOkC&pg=PA102. Retrieved 5 January 2011. 
  7. ^ "4AD - Clan Of Xymox". 4AD. http://www.4ad.com/artists/clanofxymox. Retrieved 31 Oct 2011. 
  8. ^ a b "Chart History Imagination". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/archive#/song/xymox/imagination/843975. Retrieved 2 Aug 2011. 
  9. ^ "Clan of Xymox Discography at Discogs". Discogs. http://www.discogs.com/artist/Clan+Of+Xymox. Retrieved 4 Aug 2011. 
  10. ^ "Xymox – Blind Hearts at Discogs". Discogs. http://www.discogs.com/Xymox-Blind-Hearts/master/30350. Retrieved 4 Aug 2011. 
  11. ^ Mic (7 March 2011). "(Clan of) XYMOX – Subsequent Pleasures 1983 – 1985 (Biographie Teil 1/5)". Unruhr. http://www.unruhr.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3019:clan-of-xymox-subsequent-pleasures-1982-1985-biographie-teil-1&catid=35&Itemid=46. Retrieved 3 Aug 2011. 
  12. ^ a b c Sutton, Michael. "Clan of Xymox: Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/clan-of-xymox-p3905/biography/. Retrieved 1 January 2011. 
  13. ^ "BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – 04/06/1985 Xymox". BBC Radio 1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions/1980s/1985/Jun04xymox/. Retrieved 1 January 2011. 
  14. ^ "BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – 03/11/1985 Xymox (2) – Xymox". BBC Radio 1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions/1980s/1985/Nov03xymox/. Retrieved 1 January 2011. 
  15. ^ "Sleep with the Fishes - Michael Brook". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/sleeps-with-the-fishes-r14217. Retrieved 31 October 2011. 
  16. ^ "4AD - Pieter Nooten And Michael Brook". 4AD. http://4ad.com/artists/pieternootenandmichaelbrook. Retrieved 31 October 2011. 
  17. ^ Robins, Ira A. (1997). The Trouser Press guide to '90s rock: the all-new fifth edition of The Trouser Press record guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 116. ISBN 9780684814377. http://books.google.com/books?id=nH9oejneZtQC&q=%22Sleeps+With+The+Fishes%22+nooten&dq=%22Sleeps+With+The+Fishes%22+nooten&hl=en&ei=00QeTfK9AcXflgfJ9cWuDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAA. 
  18. ^ a b c d e Richards, David (10 April 1999). "Metropolis is Home For 'Creatures' From Electronica Group Clan of Xymox". Billboard. http://books.google.com/books?id=6QwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
  19. ^ Scott, Jane (30 June 1989). "Chance meeting leads to Xymox". The Plain Dealer. http://www.flickr.com/photos/57824173@N05/5322022578/sizes/l/in/photostream/. Retrieved 4 January 2011. 
  20. ^ a b "Chart History Obsession". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/archive#/song/xymox/obsession/843969. Retrieved 2 Aug 2011. 
  21. ^ "Chart History Blind Hearts". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/archive#/song/xymox/blind-hearts/843971. Retrieved 2 Aug 2011. 
  22. ^ Coleman, Bill (29 April 1989). "New on the Charts". Billboard. http://www.flickr.com/photos/57824173@N05/5321420083/sizes/l/in/photostream/. Retrieved 4 January 2011. 
  23. ^ a b John C. Hughes (20 Aug 2009). "Lost in the ’90s: Xymox, "Twist of Shadows"". Popdose. http://www.popdose.com/lost-in-the-90s-xymox-twist-of-shadows/. Retrieved 3 Aug 2011. 
  24. ^ Mic (19 September 2010). "Pieter Nooten: "To be honest I never listen to pop music"". unrurh. http://www.unruhr.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2861:pieter-nooten-qto-be-honest-i-never-listen-to-pop-musicq&catid=14:geschw&Itemid=30. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
  25. ^ Labussière, Christophe (August 2003). "Clan of Xymox". Premonition. http://www.premonition.org/premor.php3?lien=actu/actu.php3X1Xactuid=219003&ta=10. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
  26. ^ "Live". AMG. http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-main-entry-r502487. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
  27. ^ "The Best of Clan of Xymox". AMG. http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-clan-of-xymox-r707163/review. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
  28. ^ "Emily". AMG. http://www.allmusic.com/album/emily-r1632920. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
  29. ^ I:Scintilla remixed by Mortiis, Combichrist, KMFDM and Clan Of Xymox for new album

External links