Moby

About Moby

Electronic musician Moby has become the poster boy for American techno. A distant relative of Moby Dick author Hermann Melville, Richard Hall took his stage name from the famous whale. His early albums were smash hits on the underground rave scene and his first major label release, Everything Is Wrong was critically well received as a versatile though occasionally schizophrenic blend of high-energy techno, rough industrial and even punk. Moby frequently has one foot in punk rock, often touring under pseudonyms and playing punk classics on guitar. His follow-up albums, Animal Rights and I Like To Score, were consistently rocking affairs, featuring covers of Mission Of Burma's classic "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" and the theme to James Bond: Tomorrow Never Dies. It wasn't until 1999 and the release of Play that Moby transcended the underground techno label he'd stuck himself with. The disc was full of luscious synths and haunting samples from old Alan Lomax gospel and blues records. Singles included "Go," "Porcelain" with a Christina Richie cameo video and the energetic "South Side" with Gwen Stefani. Play was also remarkable in that every single one of its' 18 tracks were licensed for commercial use. The tracks made everything from Bailey's liqueur to a Volkswagen Jetta look impossibly stylish and cool. Some fans were uncomfortable about Moby's flagrant commerciality but the singer claimed he was taking the money and using it for charity. Moby is also very outspoken about his vegan and spiritual beliefs and he is a frequent proponent of animal rights causes.