Clan of Xymox

Clan of Xymox

Clan of Xymox are a darkwave band from the Netherlands.

History

Ronny Moorings and Anka Wolbert (AKA Anke Wolbert) began making music in The Netherlands under the name Xymox, self-publishing the EP Subsequent Pleasures in 1984. This EP delivered Xymox's first club classic Going Round.

After this release Pieter Nooten joined the band as the third songwriter, contributing, composing and playing keyboards live.

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. Subsequently, Xymox signed a recording contract with record label 4AD.

Renaming themselves "Clan of Xymox", they released their debut album in 1985, called simply, Clan of Xymox. The album was mixed by John Fryer. The track "7th Time" was picked up by John Peel, leading to the band recording at the legendary Peel Sessions at the BBC (Clan of Xymox, 4 June 1985, 3 November 1985).

From their debut album, the band produced two videos: A Day and Muscoviet Musquito. 4Ad's compilation album Lonely is An Eyesore also featured "Muscoviet Musquito". At this time Clan of Xymox was extensively touring Europe, and embarked on their first US tour.

In 1986 Clan of Xymox released their second album Medusa (4AD, 1986). As the band toured the States, and as US success grew, Clan of Xymox left 4AD and signed to Polygram, New York. Simultaneously, Pieter Nooten recorded and released his album Sleeps With The Fishes (4AD, 1987), in collaboration with Michael Brook.

The third album, Twist of Shadows (Polygram, 1989), was produced by Pete Walsh. Off "Twist of Shadows" came three EP releases: "Obsession", "Blind Hearts" and "Imagination", with videos produced for Imagination and Obsession, both collaring extensive airtime on MTV. On the back of it's video success, "Imagination" was also released as a radio single. The video has over 270,000 YouTube views since posting in 2006.

The band's fourth album, "Phoenix" was released worldwide in 1991. It included a guest appearance by Michael Brook. "At the End of the Day" and "Phoenix of my heart" were released as EPs, with a video for Phoenix of my heart.

After this album, Anka Wolbert and Pieter Nooten left the band. "Phoenix" was the band's last album on Polygram.

PolyGram did not take a further option since the band did not sell millions of albums. After this the band needed to have a introspective. Anka left the band togo and live in New York whiles Ronny Moorings stayed in London to start his own record label X-Ult , resulting in the releases of the albums Metamorphosis in 1991 and Headclouds in 1992. The direction was a clear break with the past and experimentation into the future as some of his contemporaries did in the beginning of the 90s. After signing over the records to the ZOK label in 1992 the single Reaching Out was on heavy BBC rotation in the UK and entered the top 40. Mojca Zugna did the artwork for these releases.

In 1995 Ronny Moorings toured in the Netherlands with former Clan Of Xymox band mates Will Anvers and Frank Weyzig and his girlfriend Mojca on keyboards. Ronny Moorings made in 1996 for Domark music for computer games with classical music and ambient sounding tracks. Later that year also a game called Revenant included music of Ronny Moorings.

In 1997 Ronny Moorings ended the Xymox era and restarted Clan of Xymox; he recruited new live members and started touring. The band signed with the independent US label, Tess Records( Faith And The Muse) , and released Hidden Faces. The live band, consisting of Ronny Moorings guitars and vocals, Mojca Zugna bass guitar, and vocals, Rob Vonk guitar, Rui Ramos drums, and Nina Simic keyboards, 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.

In 1998 Clan Of Xymox got signed by Metropolis Records in the USA and Pandaimonium Records in Europe. In 2000 the band released Live, a double CD with nineteen tracks and two videos. The lineup consisted of Moorings on guitars & vocals; Mojca Zugna on bass guitar, keyboards and vocals; Rui Ramos drums; and Nina Simic on keyboards. The tracks were recorded during their Central and South American tour in 1999

'999 saw the release ( Metropolis & Pandaimonium ) of their darkest album ever, named "Creatures", Dave Allen ( Cure , Sisters of Mercy) chosen as a producer and again beautifully mixed by John A. Rivers and Ronny . The album containings the song "Jasmine & Rose" which is now a club classic. Also 4- AD re released in the USA domestically the first self titled album "Clan of Xymox" with extra bonus track " Muscoviet Musquito), plus the album "Medusa" including 3 bonus tracks (Blind Hearts EP ).Clan of Xymox backed up the album "Creatures" with an extensive world tour in 1999, they started in the United States with COX headlining on the prestigious sold out Convergence Festival in New Orleans, continued to tour the USA and returned a few months later again.

The album had rave reviews and numerous articles in prestigious music magazines around the globe with several hight positions in the alternative charts, peaking at DAC number 4 for several weeks. In the Orkus issue of May in Germany the band was hailed as, Band, Act and Tour of the Month in May, and with the album "Creatures" being Album of the Month, a review placing it number 1 of their charts and number 2 in the Soundcheck of Sonic Seducer / Zillo.

In the year 2000 Clan of Xymox concentrated also on a tour and promotion in Europe, East Europe the USA/Canada and Latin America and continued to play a great number of Festivals during the summer in Europe with a personal highlight for the band being the former Olympic Stadium Palacio d' Deportes in Mexico City where 20.000 people attended their concert.

In August 2000 Ronny Moorings mixed the final Live Recordings of the South and Central American Shows, finishing the single "Liberty" and Mojca keeping pace with her beautiful artwork. Both were released in October with the double album simply named "LIVE" whilst Clan Of Xymox kept on touring Europe! Again both releases and tour got ecstatic reviews.

September 2001 saw the Clan live at big festivals such as Mera Luna, Zillo and Eurorock but also the release of " Notes From The Underground ", acclaimed by critics as their best work ever. The album ranked already No 1 in the USA 's Musicfolio chart as the best album of 2001 and reached No 2 in the well known DAC charts plus numerous chart positions around the globe.

The year 2002 saw in April a new tour plus a very first Remix Album of the band, all tracks of "Notes From The Underground " remixed by renowned artists like Front 242 or Assemblage 23 etc, called REMIXES FROM THE UNDERGROUND" and included was also the very first video disc of COX.

A few months later the single " There's No Tomorrow" was released with various remixes on it and soon 2003 saw the release of their latest album" Farewell", till date the most critically acclaimed record. It topped the DAC charts with a number 1 position, number 2 on the World DJ charts, was voted number 1 in Zillo Magazine soundcheck , basically topping in many alternative charts around the world.

Fans and critics are equally ecstatic about "Farewell", claiming it is COX best album to date. Also for the very first time in the dark musical history of Peru, Clan Of Xymox gave a concert in Lima, where they never had a gothic / electro band performing in Peru before. Hundreds of fans were waiting for the Clan to arrive at the airport and caused chaos for the airport security! Other Latin American countries were included on this tour like Chile & Argentina were COX already played before. Between 2002 & 2003 saw Clan Of Xymox touring many countries in Europe, playing festivals, a return to Mexico, in short playing many shows for thousands of people. In 2004 a new live members joined the band on guitar,Mario Usai. ( known from playing the bass with Sophya)

In September 2004 the Best Of Clan Of Xymox album was released , featuring new recordings of older 4AD material and some new mixes of more recent material as well, the 14 track album features 2 tracks per released Clan Of Xymox album..charting number 1 at the DAC and several other top 10 positions in several other charts....The tracks were chosen by their loyal fans on line.

January 2006 the EP" Weak In My Knees", included are remixes of Azoic, Destroid ,Grendel and Siva Six plus a video .followed by the release of the album " Breaking Point" which got again all praise and glory , entered high on all charts possible and imaginable , COX embarked on a further tour , this time operating from Germany, where the album Breaking Point got finished.

2007 Saw the release of the single Heroes and On A Mission , a kind of taster/teaser for the forthcoming album Clan Of Xymox.

March 21st 2008 saw the first double DVD ( Visible, limited edition )release of Clan Of Xymox ever. The DVD is full of clips , live material , a Live special at Mera Luna , backstage scenes , an interview with Ronny Moorings, impressions of personal footage during the foreign tours It reached number 1 sales charts, backed up by an extensive tour in 2008 including many festivals.

Early 2009 Clan Of Xymox switched labels , going to Trisol Records in Europe but stays on Metropolis in the USA and Gravitator in Russia . July 2009 the single "Emily" ,a fortaste for the new album, was released and reached nb 1 in DUC & DAC

The last album "In Love We Trust"came out worldwide August the 18th 2009 and reached nb 1 in the DUC & DAC nr.4 to name a few. Interviews , articles and rave 5 star reviews appeared in magazines, songs appear(ed) on global playlists and new songs were added into the tour of 2009 plus of course the all time classics.

"In Love We Trust" is now already considered another classic of the band. The band announced a new release for May 2011

Remixes

COX has made several remixes, recently for the Geman group ASP , In Strict Confidence, 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.

Discography

as Clan of Xymox

Studio albums

• Clan of Xymox – (LP Album) 1985 - 4AD, Boudisque • (CD Album) 1985 - 4AD • (1986) - Relativity
• Medusa – (CD Album) 1986 - 4AD • (LP Album) 1986 - 4AD, Rough Trade (Germany), Megadisc • (CD Album, Remastered) 1999 - 4AD
• Subsequent Pleasures – (CD) 1994 - Pseudonym • (CD Album, Reissue) 2001 - Metropolis
• Hidden Faces – (CD Album) 1997 - Tess Records • (CD Album) 2000 - Pandaimonium Records • (CD Album) 2006 - Gravitator Records
• Creatures – (CD Album) 1999 - Metropolis • (CD Album) 1999 - Pandaimonium Records • (CD Album) 2006 - Gravitator Records
• Notes from the Underground – (CD Album) 2001 - Metropolis, Pandaimonium Records, 2007 - Gravitator Records
• Farewell – (CD Album) 2003 - Metropolis, Pandaimonium Records, Irond, 2007 - Gravitator Records
• Breaking Point – (CD Album) 2006 - Gravitator Records, Metropolis, Pandaimonium Records, Vision Music
• In Love We Trust – (CD Album) 2009 - Trisol Music Group/Metropolis/Gravitator Records

Singles/EPs

• "Subsequent Pleasures" – (12" Mini Album) 1983 - no label • (CD Album, Ltd. Edition) 1994 - Pseudonym
• "A Day" – (12") 1985 - 4AD, Boudisque • (12") 1998 - Old Gold
• "A Day/Stranger" – (12") 1985 - Contempo Records
• "Louise" – (7") 1986 - Megadisc
• "Muscoviet Musquito" – (7", Single Sided, Promo) 1986 - Virgin France
• "Out of the Rain" – (CD Maxi) 1997 - Tess Records
• "This World" – (CD Maxi) 1998 - Tess Records
• "Consolation" – (CD Maxi) 1999 - Metropolis
• "Liberty" – (CD Maxi) 2000 - Metropolis, Pandaimonium Records
• "The John Peel Sessions" – (CD EP) 2001 - Strange Fruit • (CD EP) 2003 - Celebration (Spain)
• "There's No Tomorrow" – (CD Maxi) 2002 - Pandaimonium Records
• "Weak In My Knees" – (CD Maxi, Enhanced) 2006 - Pandaimonium Records
• "Heroes" – 2007 - Pandaimonium Records
• "Emily" – (CD Maxi) 2009 - Trisol Music Group GmbH

Live Albums

• Live – (CD + CD Enhanced) 2000 - Metropolis, Pandaimonium Records

Compilations

• Remixes from the Underground – (2xCD) 2002 - Metropolis, Pandaimonium Records
• The Best of Clan of Xymox – (CD Album) 2004 - Metropolis, Pandaimonium Records, Vision Music, Irond
• Visible – (2xDVD) 2008 - Pandaimonium Records, Gravitator Records, Vision Music

as Xymox

Studio albums

• Twist of Shadows – (CD Album) 1989 - Wing Records • (LP Album) 1989 - Wing Records, Polydor • (CS Album) 1989 - Wing Records
• Phoenix – (CD Album) 1991 - Wing Records, Polydor (UK) • (CS Album) 1991 - Polydor (UK) • (LP Album) 1991 - Mercury, Polydor
• Metamorphosis – (CD Album) 1992 – Mogull Entertainment, X-ULT Records Ltd.
• Headclouds – (CD Album) 1993 - Zok Records, Off-Beat Records

Singles/EPs

• "Blind Hearts" – (12") 1987 - 4AD, Rough Trade (Germany) • (12") 1989 - Wing Records
• "Obsession" – (12") 1989 - Wing Records, Polygram Records
• "Imagination" – (12") 1989 - Wing Records • (CD Single) 1989 - Wing Records • (7" Single) Wing Records, Polydor
• "Phoenix of My Heart" – (CD Maxi) 1991 - Wing Records, Polydor (US, UK), Polygram • (12") 1991 - Wing Records
• "At the End of the Day" – (CD Maxi) 1991 - Wing Records • (12") 1991 - Wing Records
• "Winning Mix from Xymox Phoenix of My Heart Remix Contest" – (12") 1991 - Wing Records
• "Dream On/XDD" - (12") 1992 - X-ULT Records Ltd.
• "Reaching Out" – (CD Maxi) 1993 - Zok Records • (12") 1993 - Zok Records
• "Spiritual High (Club Mix)" - (12" Promo) 1993 - Zok Records
• "Remix" – (CD Album, Ltd. Edition) 1994 - Zok Records

External links

• Official site
• New Official Interactive site