Clan of Xymox

Clan of Xymox

Clan of Xymox is a Dutch dark wave and gothic rock group from Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The band is active from 1984 to the present and is also known as Xymox.

Formation and early years

The group forms in Nijmegen in the early 1980s around Ronny Moorings and Anke Wolbert, with Pieter Nooten joining later on keyboards. Its early recordings help establish its position in the emerging Euro-wave scene. The band’s first EP, Subsequent Pleasures, appears under the Xymox name and includes pre-4AD material.

A meeting with Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance leads to a support slot on a UK tour and then a recording deal with 4AD. This period produces the self-titled album Clan of Xymox and Medusa, which define the band’s early sound through melancholic melodies and atmospheric gothic and synth-based textures.

Label changes and 1980s releases

In 1989, Moorings leaves 4AD and releases Twist of Shadows, which becomes the group’s most successful release at that point. The next albums, Phoenix and Metamorphosis, move in a different direction. After this, Moorings parts ways with his bandmates, brings in Mojca Zugna on bass, and the band works with Zok Records, which reissues Metamorphosis and releases the EP Headclouds.

Moorings also takes a four-year break to work on music for two Domark CD-ROM game projects before returning with Hidden Faces. That album is produced by Dave Allen and John Rivers and is described as a return toward the earlier 4AD-era atmosphere.

Later career

In 1997, the group restores the name Clan of Xymox and resumes touring, including dates in the United States and Europe and co-headlining appearances at the Zillo and Leipzig festivals in Germany. Singles including Out of the Rain and This World reach the German independent chart top 10.

In 1999, the band signs to Metropolis Records and releases Creatures, followed by the live double CD Live in 2000, recorded during a Central and South American tour. The release includes nineteen tracks and two QuickTime videos. The same period also brings a reissue of Subsequent Pleasures and the single Liberty.

Metropolis also releases Notes from the Underground in 2001, with remix versions following the next year featuring Front 242, Beborn Beton, Iris, Assemblage 23 and others. Farewell follows in 2003, and the compilation The Best of Clan of Xymox appears in 2004.

2006 onward

The digital single Weak in My Knees leads into Breaking Point in 2006, which leans more toward dark rock. In 2008, the band releases its first double DVD, Visible. Digital singles Heroes and Emily appear before In Love We Trust in 2009, an album that combines earlier melancholic elements with synth-driven and dark wave sounds.

Darkest Hour follows in 2011, and its track In Your Arms Again appears in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In 2012, Kindred Spirits collects cover versions. Matters of Mind, Body and Soul arrives in 2014, followed by touring that includes Australia. Later releases include Days of Black in 2017, Spider on the Wall in 2020 and Limbo in 2021.

Members and style

Clan of Xymox is associated with Ronny Moorings, Anke Wolbert, Pieter Nooten, Mojca Zugna, Yvonne de Ray, Mario Usai and Patrick van Alphen. Moorings handles songwriting and performs vocals, guitar, piano, synths, keyboards and programming in the live setup described in the input. The band’s sound combines dark wave, gothic rock and synth-pop, with recurring themes of melancholy, dark rhythms, strong melodies and atmospheric electronics.