Clan of Xymox

Clan of Xymox于1984在故乡荷兰组队后，他们的音乐就在一直改变，总是那么富有创新而精彩激动。我们总是认为Clan of Xymox是那么的特别，这是一支由电子乐起家，却相当坚定，而且一直用他们自己的方式去做音乐——他们是独一无二的。

Clan of Xymox在阿姆斯特丹建队，却签到了英国独立唱片领旗人——4AD唱片公司，与Cocteau Twins,Dead Can Dance,Pixies和Throwing Muses等乐队成了同行。1985年乐队发行了自己的首张专辑，这张同名专辑录制于爱丁堡著名的Palladium录音棚，还有4AD掌帅Ivo出任合作制作人，这张专辑充满着翻来覆去的电子节拍还有忧郁的嗓音。1987年Clan of Xymox的一首单曲收入了4AD的一张剪辑专辑“Lonely is An Eyesore”，这张专辑是4AD公司下众多艺人才华多样化的集中反映，专辑的第二首“Muscoviet Musquito”节奏显得和其他单曲格格不入，这首单曲曲风定位于Dif Juz和Dead Can Dance之间，同时也突显了乐队自信的一面。而乐队1987年的专辑“Medusa”是一张相当阴暗的作品，在现代流行音乐的活力和氛围化的旋律中透出的是一股深深的寒意。此时Clan of Xymox不仅为众多舞曲爱好者所痴迷，而且乐队已成为了另类音乐艺术殿堂的一员。 1988年乐队离开了4AD公司，在4AD公司老板Ivo鼓励下，Clan of Xymox与Wing签约——媒体巨子PolyGram的附属公司。1989年发行“Twist of Shadows”时，乐队把自己的名字缩为Xymox，这也是乐队在Wing旗下出的第一张唱片。这是张敢于尝试的专辑，同时也说明了与大公司签约不等于会自然而然地遏止在音乐上的进取创新。乐队以Xymox之名随后发表了三张12英寸的CD，分别是“Obsession”，“Imagination”和“Blind Hearts”，这几张出色的唱片——特别是最后一张，再次肯定了乐队那介于舞曲和另类风格的音乐那多变的感染力。而在欧洲已风靡多年的Xymox也开始渐渐在美国走俏，“Twist of Shadows”在美国的销量已超过30万张。 乐队在1991年全球范围内发行了“Phoenix”，这是乐队最后一张由PolyGram发行的专辑，而专辑本身也倍受赞誉，但在美国没有前一张成绩出色——虽然乐队在美国有着一批忠实的歌迷。同时乐队在全球巡演场场爆满，在另类学院摇滚甚至在主流的Billboard上都赫赫有名。 “Metamorphosis”和“Headclouds”是最早由Zok唱片公司发行的几张唱片，Zok也是一个独立品牌，可以说当时一心一意投身Xymox的工作。在这几张专辑中，乐队不仅继承着他们自己招牌式的和声和有催眠功效的电子旋律，专辑本身还体现出一系列其他风格和音乐的影响，同时带乐队进入90年代舞曲音乐圈——这是一张一个从不惧畏革新的乐队的新作品。1994年Xymox发行了乐队第一张限量版迷你专辑（500张）“Subsequent Pleasures”，由Double Dutch公司发行，Zok唱片还发行了一张混音专辑，共同收录编辑了“Metamorphosis”和“Headclouds”中的一些radio版本。1996年“Total Mayhem”的一张专辑中也收有乐队的音乐，这张专辑由Domark在全球范围内发行。 1997年Ronny Moorings结束了Xymox的演艺生涯并重组了Clan of Xymox，乐队同时与一个全新的美德合作独立品牌TessRecords签约。随后乐队发行了“Hidden Faces”，这张专辑仍带有乐队在4AD岁月的味道，充满90年代舞曲的风韵，吉他伴奏、重打击旋律、愤怒而忧郁的嗓音还有那梦幻般的键盘编制成多样化的曲风，并同时透出一种沉重的气息。“Hidden Faces”由Dave M.Allen（与Sisters of Mercy和The Cure都有过合作）和John A. Rivers（Dead Can Dance和Love and Rockets），这张专辑是Clan Of Xymox重组的标志，同时再次有力证明了乐队自己在专辑录制和现场演出出众的能力，是对自己写下的历史的一番回顾。 1997年到1998年Clan of Xymox为宣传专辑一直做着巡回演出，其中还演奏了在4AD公司时的几首倍受好评的单曲。这次全球旅行包括美国、南美还有大多数欧洲国家，还参加了几次重大的音乐节，诸如莱比锡的Gothic Wave音乐节还有有2万5千人之多的Zillo音乐节，乐队不断以几近令人晕眩的现场表演吸引着全世界的乐迷。同时乐队还由Pandaimonium发行了两张EP，分别是“Out of the Rain”和“This World”，在德国的独立音乐榜上皆有拍名前10，同时在全世界各个独立榜单上都有出色的表现。 1999年3月到4月，Clan of Xymox发行了乐队历史上最为阴暗的一张专辑，名为“Creatures”，还有John A.Rivers和COX出色的制作，在北美由Metropolis发行，欧洲由Pandaimonium负责。在专辑发行以前，其中的“Jasmine & Rose”早已走俏全世界。同时4AD再次在美国国内发行了一张乐队的同名专辑“Clan of Xymox”，其中还有首附加曲目“Muscovite Mosquito”，同时发行的还有“Medusa”，其中也有三首附加曲目分别是“Blind Hearts”，“A Million Things”和“Scum”。同年里乐队为新专辑造势而举行了一场规模巨大的全球巡演，首站是与COX一起在美国新奥尔良举行的Convergance音乐节，这场演出的爆棚也使乐队人气再次飙升，而这场巡演也持续了几个月之久。这张专辑“Creatures”反应同样相当热烈，全世界各主要音乐杂志的好评无数，在各大另类榜单上也有相当好的成绩，在DAC排名第四有数周之久。

2000年Clan of Xymox仍把注意力其中于欧洲的演出和促销宣传上。在东欧、北美和拉美参加了一系列音乐节的演出。同年8月份Ronny Moorings混合制作了拉丁美洲巡演的现场专辑，并完成了一张名为“Liberty”的新单曲碟，继续由Mojca担任美工。这两张唱片同时发行于10月份，而双碟的现场专辑仅以“Live”命名，而当时乐队也在欧洲巡演，而这些唱片的发行又取得了广泛的赞誉。 2001年9月，Clan of Xymox又出席了一系列重大的音乐节，包括Mera Luna,Zillo和Eurorock，同时又发行了新专辑“Notes From The Underground”——被称为是乐队有史以来最为出色的作品。“Notes From The Underground”在美国的Musicfolio音乐榜上排名年度专辑第一，在著名的DAC上排名第二，同时在全球各大排行榜上都有相当好的表现。同年4月乐队举行了新一次的全球巡回演出，还发行了一张“Notes From The Underground”的混音版，收录了由Front 242,Frontline Assembly,Cut Rate Box ,Assemblage 23 ,Perfidious Words ,In Strict Confidence ,DJ Ram,Iris,Sophya ,Angels & Agony,Tri-State ,Beborn Beton,Aeboforcen ,Damon Fries和The Second Sight为原先专辑做的混音，专辑命名为“Remixes From The Underground”。 Clan of Xymox (also known as Xymox) blend an eclectic and vibrant mix of darkwave, synthpop, and gothic rock. From the Netherlands, Xymox was established in 1983 in Nijmegen by frontman Ronny Moorings and then live-in Anke Wolbert. Their first EP, "Subsequent Pleasures" added Pieter Nooten afterwards on keyboards and left a mark on an emerging Euro-wave market. 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. Their first two full length albums, self-titled "Clan of Xymox" and "Medusa", comfortably settled Xymox into their own niche of blooming melodics and smooth grey lyrical originality, with Ronny's songwriting coming as a fresh and very welcome abstract to the plastic and packaged synthpop of the late 80s. In 1989, Ronny saw a chance to evolve and left 4AD, releasing Twist of Shadows which proved to be their most complete and mature offering thusfar, and was their most successful yet. With the next two albums, "Phoenix" and "Metamorphosis", fans were left with something of an out of body experience - as Xymox was sounding nothing like themselves. Metamorphosis was truly that however, its failure created a catalyst for Moorings to jump to yet another label, part ways with his bandmates, and pickup Mojca Zugna on bass. Zok records re-released "Metamorphosis" and a new EP - Headclouds. Moorings took a four year break (he worked on 2 CD-Rom games music projects of Domark ) to introspect and write, and gave fans the wondrous gift that is Hidden Faces, admittedly the logical followup to "Medusa". After leaving Wing in the early nineties, Xymox became the sole signing to the independent label, Zok Records. They released four recordings, primarily in the dance genre: "Metamorphosis", "Headclouds", one remix CD, and they re-released "Subsequent Pleasures". In 1997, the band reclaimed their original name, Clan of Xymox, and began the work of reclaiming their original sound and glory. "Hidden Faces", produced by Dave Allen (of Sisters fame) and John Rivers (of Love and Rockets note) hearkened back to the 4AD years, and although it did not completely regain the power of their initial sound ( not intended either), it was clearly the best work they had done since "Medusa". This release was followed by a number of American and European dates, including co-headlining the Zillo and Leipzig festivals in Germany. In relation to these intriguing live shows, Pandemonium records released two singles "Out of the Rain" and "This World" which rose to the top 10 in the German Independent Charts. In 1999, Clan of Xymox signed on with Metropolis Records, and delivered "Creatures" to a public that had been waiting for the true follow-up to 1985's "Clan of Xymox" album for 14 years. "Creatures" not only captures the sound of their amazing debut (which has also been reissued in 1999 along with "Medusa"), but infuses it with the dark rock and Gothic guitar styles of such masterful bands as Andrew Eldritch's Sisters of Mercy. 2000 marked a first for the Clan of Xymox. After thousands of requests from fans for a live album, Clan of Xymox returned with "Live", a double live CD which featured nineteen tracks and two QuickTime videos. All of the tracks were recorded during their Central and South American tour in 1999, and could almost be considered a best of. A re-issue of the ever increasingly hard to find "Subsequent Pleasures" EP featuring many obscure pre-4AD demos, as well as a new single, "Liberty," followed. Metropolis's second studio album by the Clan of Xymox was 2001's "Notes from the Underground." It combined haunting yet atmospheric synth lines with dark rhythms, powerful beats and lively guitar strumming to yield a release based on agony and anguish caused by being disconnected from society. A double remix CD was released the year after titled "Remixes from the Underground," featuring the mixing talents of Front 242, Beborn Beton, Iris, Assemblage23 and many more. Clan of Xymox spent the two years following "Notes from the Underground" Combining elements from their past, present, and future, Clan of Xymox mix haunting and atmospheric synth lines with dark rhythms, powerful beats and lively guitar strumming to yield an album based on agony and anguish caused by being disconnected from society ( as described by musicfolio) to work on their next record, "Farewell," which was released in 2003. "Farewell" yielded club-friendly songs sitting comfortably along side moody atmospheric tracks to create a hybrid which can only remotely be described as Dark Goth Electro. The basic theme that runs through "Farewell" is about leaving everything behind and going away, which can be exhibited through the lyrics that tell the sad and bitter tales of love and relationships. One year later, the band released their first 'best of' CD simply titled, "The Best of Clan of Xymox." In the words of Ronny Moorings, "…The most difficult task was to pick the best of songs…but with the help of our fans who voted for their favorite songs on-line we finally got the resulting tracks… Whilst listening to the final running order as listed here I just got swept from period to period, remembering all kind of people and situations. I am sure you too will have memories with certain tracks, so all I want to say to you now is: cherish your moments in life!" For 2006, Clan of Xymox released the "Weak in My Knees" digital single as a precursor to the upcoming full length, "Breaking Point." The new album exhibited a more mature sound than on its predecessors, and leaned more towards dark rock than gothic rock. Subtle keyboards overlaid with guitars and live drum sounds were the focal points of the release. However not to be outdone by the music alone, Ronny Moorings’s deep sensuous vocals accentuated the music and brought forth the deeper meanings of the songs - such as in "Calling You Out," "Eternally" and "We Never Learn." 2008 saw the first (European P.A.L) )release of their first double DVD, including videos,clips , live performances and an interview with Ronny Moorings 2009, before the release of the actual album the band released digital only singles for "Heroes" and "Emily" as teasers. In the band’s twenty fifth year, Clan of Xymox presented "In Love We Trust." The stunning opus adroitly combines the early melancholic 4AD sound of the band with the glimmering synthesizer sounds of the 90s and the power of classic darkwave. Past and present were perfectly combined to showcase the music that has kept Clan of Xymox relevant and popular after all this time. With this release, Clan of Xymox demonstratively returned to its roots while nevertheless remaining up to date. After spending the past two and a half decades forging a path for others to follow in the dark music scene, "In Love We Trust" proves above all that their creative potential is a long way from coming to an end. Clan of Xymox has become now - a velvet lined room smelling of roses and clove, the distant chime of crystal engaging crystal, and the slow lilting line of smoke forming nameless shapes as it draws you ever in. 2011 " Darkest Hour" was released, according to poponaut : Ronny Moorings’ passion for huge, sensual melodies, mystical sound experiments and seductive dance rhythms is as unbroken as it ever was. Melancholy, energy and determination rule “Darkest Hour”, a record whose tracks “My Reality” or the hypnotic club hit “Delete” will work on any dancefloor, but that also delivers gripping entertainment and world-class Goth hymns with “Dream Of Fools” or the breathtaking “Wake Up My Darling”. Crowned, as usual, with Ronny’s unmistakable vocals instilling the necessary dark passion into his Dark Wave elegies. End December 2011 (USA) and early 2012 in Europe The track "In Your Arms Again" from the lastest album " Darkest Hour" was included in the David Fincher's film "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" starring Daniel Craig & Rooney Mara, a remake of the book by Stieg Larsson. October 2012 saw the release of “Kindred Spirits”, true to its title, Ronny Moorings did not exorcise a new CLAN OF XYMOX studio album, but assembled an intimate, strongly biographic collection of cover songs. A time travel back to the artists’ musical idols, influences and soul mates. In 2014 a brand new studio album named" Matters Of Mind, Body And Soul", was released. The album explores COX's signature, melancholic sound, as evidenced by standout tracks such as “I Close My Eyes” and “Love'S On Diet" or the dark brooding " The Climate Changed". CLAN OF XYMOX pull out all the stops and deliver energy, ideas and creativity as if they were about to release their debut album – and not their 15th studio work. „She is Falling in Love“ shines with lost melodies and vibrant electronics as if Ronny Moorings made a song with DEPECHE MODE, „Kiss and Tell“ shyly kisses the Wave era on the cheek before daring a fatal love affair with classic Goth dreaming. „Matters of Mind, Body and Soul“ melts contrasts like these into a coherent, harmonious, passionate album that would have become one of the genre's biggest milestones 20 years ago. Yet, thanks to Ronny Moorings ingenious craft, even today this album manages to reach a goal that has long become unreachable for other contestants of this art form: To deliver a timeless, deeply emotional Gothic record. A worldwide tour followed in 2014 including Australia as well. In September 2014 , 3 tracks of Clan Of Xymox's first Debut album were taken for a USA released movie " The Guest". A soundtrack album will also be released. Among the other artists like Sisters Of Mercy, Love and Rockets & Front 242. The Guest (2014) is an American psychological thriller film, directed and edited by Adam Wingard, and written by Simon Barrett. The film stars Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer and Lance Reddick. Clan Of Xymox keeps touring in 2015 and has world wide tour dates announced till the end of 2015 on their home page. Current live lineup: Ronny Moorings - singer and single songwriter for the band, programming, words, guitar, piano, synths, keyboards, vocals Mojca Zugna - bass, vocals Sean Goebel - keyboards Mario Usai - guitar