"Clan of Xymox", also known as "Xymox" at various parts of their career, are a darkwave/gothic rock band founded in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in 1983 by Ronny Moorings, Pieter Nooten, and Anke Wolbert. The ''Subsequent Pleasures'' EP was self-published under the name Xymox, at that time consisting of Moorings on guitar and vocals, his girlfriend Anke Wolbert on bass and vocals, and Pieter Nooten on keyboards. 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 Records.
Their debut album, self-titled under their newly adopted name ''Clan of Xymox'', was released by 4AD in 1985, and drew comparisons to Joy Division and The Cure. 1986 saw their second album, ''Medusa'' (considered by many fans to be their finest work), continuing in this dark vein.
Subsequently, Clan of Xymox and 4AD parted company, Pieter Nooten left the band, the name Xymox was once again adopted, and the band signed to the Polygram subsidiary label Wing. 1989's ''Twist Of Shadows'' was the band's most commercially successful album, selling 300,000 copies, but 1991's follow-up ''Phoenix'' (with Nooten back on board) was less successful, and when Wing declined to release the next album, ''Metamorphosis'', Nooten and Wolbert left the band for good.
Mojca Zugna joined Moorings as bass-player (and album cover designer) and two albums followed on independent label Zok Records - ''Metamorphosis'' (1992) and ''Headclouds'' (1994) - before Moorings decided it was time for a change. "On ''Headclouds'', Xymox tried to combine dance grooves with a melancholic sound, plus vocals. It was part of an experiment which we now steer clear of... After ''Headclouds'', I moved back to Amsterdam and had a break from making music, and regained my interest by meeting different people, going to Industrial/Gothic parties, and basically rediscovering myself again" 7", CDS *''Phoenix'' (1991) LP, CD *''At the End of the Day'' (1991) 12", CDS *''Metamorphosis'' (1992) CD *''Dream On'' 12", CDS *''Spiritual High'' (1993) CDS, 7", CS *''Headclouds'' (1993) LP, CD *''Reaching Out'' (1993) 12", CDS
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