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, but left due to personal disputes. Following this, he began the neofolk project Of the Wand & the Moon, as he was a longtime fan of the genre.
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. 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. Thematically, he is influenced by runes, Aleister Crowley, Norse mythology, esoterica, and paganism. He once described his music as "loner folk".
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.Interview 2012 Kim Larsen with Oliver Sheppard
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 Notes1999Nighttime NightrhymesLP/CD2000Sól Ek Sà7"Midnight Will10", limited to 666 copies2001:Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness:LP/CDBringing 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"Sonnenheim LP/CD2011The Lone Descent LP/CD2012Live at the Lodge of Imploded Love CD/DVD, recorded live at The Lodge of Imploded Love, summer 20112013Shall Love Fall from View? 7", limited to 500 copies on black vinyl2019Bridges Burned and Hands of TimeLP/CD2020Tainted Tears12"2021Your Love Can't Hold This Wreath of Sorrow2023Behold the TreesLP/CD. LP limited to 300 copies.
References
External links
Official Official :Of The Wand & The Moon: Site Official :Of The Wand & The Moon: Myspace Official :Of The Wand & The Moon: Facebook
Reviews Review of "The Lone Descent" on Heathen Harvest Review of "Lucifer" on Sputnik Music