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Moby

Moby

Overview
Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), better known by his stage name Moby, is an American DJ, singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
A singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...

, and musician
Musician
A musician is a person who performs or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.* A singer uses his or her voice as an instrument....

.

He sings and plays keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...

, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...

, bass guitar
Bass guitar
The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....

 and drums. Moby became a successful artist on the ambient electronica scene, and achieved eight top 40 singles in the UK during the 1990s
1990s
The 1990s was the decade that ran from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 1999, the last decade of the 20th century. It was the first decade following the effective end of the Cold War...

. In 1999 he released the album Play
Play (Moby album)
Play is the fifth studio album by the music artist Moby, released on May 17 1999 on V2 Records. While some of Moby's earlier work garnered critical and commercial success within the electronic dance music scene, Play was his first true pop success...

, a mix of melancholic chill-out, ambient music
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...

, and upbeat electronica, that was critically acclaimed and produced an impressive eight hit singles (including his most popular songs "Porcelain
Porcelain (song)
"Porcelain" is a song by electronica artist Moby, featured as the third track and released as the sixth single from his album Play. It was released on June 12, 2000 in the UK and reached number 5 in the UK charts, Moby's highest chart position there to date. The U.S...

", "Natural Blues
Natural Blues
"Natural Blues" is a song by electronic musician Moby released as the fifth single from his 1999 studio album Play. It is essentially a retitled remix of the originally a cappella song "Trouble So Hard" by American folk singer Vera Hall and her cousin Dock Reed...

" and "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?
"Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" is a song by electronic artist Moby released as the fourth single from his 1999 album Play. He originally penned it in 1992 as a techno song. Several years later, he rediscovered the tune and slowed it down making it more mournful and romantic. The song managed to...

").
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Encyclopedia
Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), better known by his stage name Moby, is an American DJ, singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
A singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...

, and musician
Musician
A musician is a person who performs or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music:* An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument.* A singer uses his or her voice as an instrument....

.

He sings and plays keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...

, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...

, bass guitar
Bass guitar
The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....

 and drums. Moby became a successful artist on the ambient electronica scene, and achieved eight top 40 singles in the UK during the 1990s
1990s
The 1990s was the decade that ran from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 1999, the last decade of the 20th century. It was the first decade following the effective end of the Cold War...

. In 1999 he released the album Play
Play (Moby album)
Play is the fifth studio album by the music artist Moby, released on May 17 1999 on V2 Records. While some of Moby's earlier work garnered critical and commercial success within the electronic dance music scene, Play was his first true pop success...

, a mix of melancholic chill-out, ambient music
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...

, and upbeat electronica, that was critically acclaimed and produced an impressive eight hit singles (including his most popular songs "Porcelain
Porcelain (song)
"Porcelain" is a song by electronica artist Moby, featured as the third track and released as the sixth single from his album Play. It was released on June 12, 2000 in the UK and reached number 5 in the UK charts, Moby's highest chart position there to date. The U.S...

", "Natural Blues
Natural Blues
"Natural Blues" is a song by electronic musician Moby released as the fifth single from his 1999 studio album Play. It is essentially a retitled remix of the originally a cappella song "Trouble So Hard" by American folk singer Vera Hall and her cousin Dock Reed...

" and "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?
"Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" is a song by electronic artist Moby released as the fourth single from his 1999 album Play. He originally penned it in 1992 as a techno song. Several years later, he rediscovered the tune and slowed it down making it more mournful and romantic. The song managed to...

"). Play became a commercial and cultural phenomenon, selling over 10 million copies worldwide (the biggest-selling electronica album ever) and with its eighteen songs receiving an unprecedented licensing in films, television
Television
Television is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...

 and commercial advertisements.

His follow-up album, 18, released in 2002, was also highly successful and critically praised. His next offers, the mostly upbeats Hotel
Hotel (album)
Hotel is the seventh studio album by the musician Moby, first released internationally on March 14, 2005 and then on March 22, 2005 in the United States. Hotel was recorded and mixed at Moby's apartment, Electric Lady Studios, and Loho Studios in Manhattan, New York City...

(2005), and Last Night
Last Night (Moby album)
Last Night is Moby's eighth studio album and was released on 29 March 2008 in Australia, 1 April 2008 in the USA, and 12 May 2008 in the United Kingdom...

(2008) received lukewarm reviews and poor sales in general. Moby released his most recent album, Wait for Me
Wait for Me (Moby album)
Wait for Me is the ninth studio album by the musician Moby, released on June 30, 2009. Moby announced the title, track listing and release date of the album on his website on April 14, 2009....

in 2009, returning to the sad styles of Moby and 18, finding good reviews and moderate sales. AllMusic considered Moby "one of the most important dance music figures of the early '90s, helping bring the music to a mainstream audience both in the UK and in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

".

Early life and name


Hall was born in the Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African-American residential, cultural, and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands.Harlem has been defined by a series...

 neighborhood of New York City, and raised by his mother in Darien
Darien, Connecticut
Darien is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. A relatively small community on Connecticut's "Gold Coast," it is one of the most affluent towns in the United States. The population was 19,607 at the 2000 census....

, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and New York to the west and south ....

.

According to Hall, his middle name and the nickname "Moby" were given to him by his parents because of an ancestral relationship to Moby Dick author Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist and poet who is often classified as part of dark romanticism...

: "The basis for Richard Melville Hall – and for Moby – is that supposedly Herman Melville was my great-great-great-granduncle."

He has also released music under the names Voodoo Child, Schaumgummi, and as a member of the bands Vatican Commandos
Vatican Commandos
Vatican Commandos were a hardcore punk band formed in Darien, Connecticut.The band featured members James Spadaccini, John Farnsworth, Lindsey Anderson, Chip Moody, and Richard Hall . The band was formed in 1982 and released its first 7" EP entitled, Hit Squad for God in 1983...

, AWOL, Caeli Seoul
and Gin Train. He often performs at New York club events known as "Degenerates".

Early years


Moby started playing music when he was nine years old, originally studying classical guitar and music theory, and eventually learning piano and drums.

From 1982 to 1985 Moby was in a hardcore punk band called the Vatican Commandos
Vatican Commandos
Vatican Commandos were a hardcore punk band formed in Darien, Connecticut.The band featured members James Spadaccini, John Farnsworth, Lindsey Anderson, Chip Moody, and Richard Hall . The band was formed in 1982 and released its first 7" EP entitled, Hit Squad for God in 1983...

, who released an EP called Hit Squad for God. He was also in a Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences,...

-inspired post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a popular musical movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...

 group called AWOL, who released an eponymous album in 1983.

After years of pursuing a record deal he signed a recording contract with Instinct Records
Instinct Records
Instinct Records is a New York City electronic music record label that first gained prominence in 1990. They are most well-known for releasing much of Moby's early work. They have several sublabels including Evolver, Instinct Ambient, Kickin Records USA, Liquid Music, Shadow Records, and Sonic...

 in 1989. During this time, Instinct Records "did not actually exist," Moby stated in his 2005 iTunes Originals interviews. When he was signed, the company did not have a logo, name, or an office.

Go & Rise to Fame (1991–1993)


His first single for Instinct was "Mobility
Mobility (song)
"Mobility" is the debut single by the Techno artist Moby, released in 1990 as the first single from his album Instinct Dance. It failed to chart, but his next single, "Go," released in 1992, charted at number ten on the UK Singles Chart. It was the only single released from Instinct Dance....

," but it was the second single, "Go
Go (Moby song)
"Go" is a song by the techno artist Moby, released as the first single from his self-titled album Moby. The single was a success on the UK Singles Chart, reaching number ten...

," a progressive house track using the string line from "Laura Palmer's Theme" from the TV drama Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation, headed by Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the brutal murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...

, which reached the UK top ten in October 1991 and earned him his first appearance on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. It was traditionally shown every Thursday evening on BBC1, before being moved to Fridays in 1996, and then moved to Sundays on BBC...

. Some of his other singles in 1992 and 1993 were "Next Is The E", "Thousand" and "Voodoo Child."

In 1991 and 1992, he remixed the The B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52s originated is a New Wave rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, United States, in 1976. The B-52s' sound is marked by the vocals — the female harmonies of Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson, and the generally spoken-word or sprechgesang male vocal counterpoint of Fred Schneider, Ricky Wilson's...

, The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex, England. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers and The Crystal Method, as well as other acts they are pioneers of the big beat electronic dance genre which achieved mainstream popularity in...

, Orbital
Orbital (band)
Orbital are a British electronic duo from Sevenoaks, England, consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Their career initially ran from 1989 until 2004, but in 2008 they announced that they would be reforming and headlining The Big Chill, in addition to a number of other live shows in 2009...

, Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell.Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...

, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson , known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time...

, and Ten City
Ten City
Ten City was a Chicago, Illinois-based R&B and house music act which enjoyed a number of club hits and Urban radio hits in the late Eighties and early Nineties and was one of the first exponents of deep house. Formerly known as Ragtyme, the group comprised vocalist Byron Stingily, guitarist Herb...

.

In 1992 he toured with The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex, England. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers and The Crystal Method, as well as other acts they are pioneers of the big beat electronic dance genre which achieved mainstream popularity in...

, Richie Hawtin
Richie Hawtin
Richard Hawtin is a English-Canadian electronic musician and internationally-touring DJ who was an influential part of Detroit techno's second wave of artists in the early 1990s...

, and John Acquaviva
John Acquaviva
John Acquaviva is a second-wave techno artist and club DJ from London, Ontario. His friend Richie Hawtin co-founded the Plus 8 record label with him in 1990.In 2006, Acquaviva reached 22 on the .-External links:*****...

.

Everything Is Wrong, Animal Rights & I Like to Score (1993–1998)


In 1993 Moby signed with Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute Records was an independent record label based in the UK, founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. In 2002 the label was sold to EMI.-Background:...

 and released an EP entitled Move
Move (Moby song)
"Move" is a song by techno artist Moby. It was his first single on Mute Records in the UK and on Elektra Records in the U.S. Released September 1993, it hit #1 on the US US Dance charts and #27 on the UK Singles Chart...

. This became his second appearance on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. It was traditionally shown every Thursday evening on BBC1, before being moved to Fridays in 1996, and then moved to Sundays on BBC...

. During this time he also went on tour with Orbital
Orbital (band)
Orbital are a British electronic duo from Sevenoaks, England, consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Their career initially ran from 1989 until 2004, but in 2008 they announced that they would be reforming and headlining The Big Chill, in addition to a number of other live shows in 2009...

 and Aphex Twin
Aphex Twin
Richard David James , aka Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born English electronic musician described by The Guardian newspaper as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music." He founded the record label Rephlex Records in 1991 with his friend Grant Wilson-Claridge.-Early...

 in North America.

He then released his first album, Everything Is Wrong
Everything Is Wrong
Everything Is Wrong is the third album released in 1995 by the artist Moby. The album was Moby’s first acclaimed electronica album, but his true success did not come about until the release of his 1999 album, Play....

, on Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute Records was an independent record label based in the UK, founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. In 2002 the label was sold to EMI.-Background:...

 in 1995. Early copies (in the UK and Germany at least) came with a special bonus CD called Underwater. This was a 43-minute five-track instrumental ambient CD. Everything Is Wrong
Everything Is Wrong
Everything Is Wrong is the third album released in 1995 by the artist Moby. The album was Moby’s first acclaimed electronica album, but his true success did not come about until the release of his 1999 album, Play....

earned early critical praise (Spin Magazine named it Album of The Year) and some commercial success. He followed this up in early 1996 with the double album Everything Is Wrong—Mixed and Remixed
Everything Is Wrong (remix album)
Everything Is Wrong is a remix album by Moby, featuring songs from his 1995 studio album of the same name.-Disc 1:# "First Cool Hive" – 1:24# "Feeling So Real" – 4:57...

. In 1995 Moby also headlined the second stage at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups...

, playing alongside Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known by the stage name Beck...

, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Mark Ibold and Steve Shelley ....

, and Pavement
Pavement (band)
Pavement is an American indie/alternative rock band. Although they experienced only moderate commercial success, they achieved a significant cult following and were one of the most popular and influential lo-fi rock bands of the 1990s. The group remained signed to an independent label throughout...

.

In 1996 he released a punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

 album called Animal Rights
Animal Rights (album)
This article is about the album Animal Rights. For the rights movement, see Animal rights.Animal Rights is an album by Moby, released on September 23, 1996 .The album was poorly received upon its first release...

and toured Europe with the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1983. For most of the band's existence, the members have been vocalist Anthony Kiedis, guitarist John Frusciante, bassist Michael "Flea" Balzary, and drummer Chad Smith...

 and Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden was a Grammy Award winning American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by lead singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...

. Moby usually writes all his own music, occasionally with collaborators, but Animal Rights included a cover version of Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope . Miller, Conley and Prescott share singing and songwriting duties...

's "That's When I Reach for My Revolver
That's When I Reach for My Revolver
"That's When I Reach for My Revolver" is a song by Mission of Burma that was written and sung by band member Clint Conley. It appears on their 1981 EP Signals, Calls and Marches. The Chicago punk band Pegboy covered the song on their 1994 album Earwig, shortening the title to "Revolver." It was...

". The single "Come on Baby
Come on Baby
"Come on Baby" is a song by electronic artist Moby released as the second single from his 1996 album Animal Rights. Released on November 4, 1996, "Come on Baby" was originally released as a 2-CD set in a gatefold rubber sleeve....

" from Animal Rights was Moby's third Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. It was traditionally shown every Thursday evening on BBC1, before being moved to Fridays in 1996, and then moved to Sundays on BBC...

 performance. It was notable for its very aggressive look and sound.

In 1997, he released I Like to Score
I Like to Score
I Like to Score is a 1997 compilation album by Moby, featuring electronica music that has appeared in various films. Every track on the album has appeared in films released in the 1990s, except for the song "Go."...

, a collection of his music that had been used in movies. Among those tracks were an updated version of the James Bond Theme
James Bond Theme
The "James Bond Theme" is the main signature theme of the James Bond films and is featured in every "official" 007 film since Dr. No in different versions. The piece has been used as an accompanying fanfare to the gun barrel sequence in every James Bond film.The "James Bond Theme" has accompanied...

 used for the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies
Tomorrow Never Dies
Tomorrow Never Dies is the eighteenth spy film in the James Bond series, and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Bruce Feirstein wrote the screenplay, and it was directed by Roger Spottiswoode. It follows Bond as he tries to stop a media mogul from engineering...

, and a cover of "New Dawn Fades" by Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences,...

 which had appeared (without vocals) in Michael Mann's Heat.


Play, 18 and Worldwide Success (1999–2004)


In 1999 Moby released the album Play
Play (Moby album)
Play is the fifth studio album by the music artist Moby, released on May 17 1999 on V2 Records. While some of Moby's earlier work garnered critical and commercial success within the electronic dance music scene, Play was his first true pop success...

. The album had moderate sales after its release, but eventually went on to sell over ten million records worldwide a year later. Every song on the album was licensed internationally to various films, advertisements, and TV shows, as well as independent films and non-profit groups. Moby performed three times on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. It was traditionally shown every Thursday evening on BBC1, before being moved to Fridays in 1996, and then moved to Sundays on BBC...

 with singles from the album. One of the collaborations on the album was "South Side
South Side (song)
"South Side" is a song by electronic musician Moby released as the eighth single from his 1999 studio album Play. It is one of his most successful singles, peaking at #14 on the United States Billboard Hot 100.-Meaning:...

", featuring Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani Rossdale is an American singer and fashion designer. Stefani serves as lead vocalist for the rock band No Doubt....

. Play mixes songs from Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the West Indies, Italy, and Spain.-Biography:Lomax was the son of pioneering...

's 1993 Atlantic recording "Sounds of the South: A Musical Journey From the Georgia Sea Islands to the Mississippi Delta." For the song "Natural Blues", Moby mixes "Trouble So Hard" from the Alan Lomax, Sounds of the South compilation.
In July 2001 Moby: PlaytheDVD was released. Produced by Moby and Jeff Rogers (Swell) the DVD was nominated for a 2002 Grammy award. The DVD included various sections: Live on TV, most of the videos (excluding Southside w/Gwen Stefani), Give An Idiot a Camcorder (Moby was given a camcorder and the tape was later edited by Tara Bethune-Leaman) and an 88 minute Moby MegaMix of all the remixes created for the album Play. The Mega Mix was accompanied by visuals created in Toronto at Crush led by director Kathi Prosser.

In 2002 Moby released the follow up to Play, 18
18 (album)
18 is a 2002 album by electronic artist Moby. It sees Moby following a similar direction to that of his previous album Play, sampling old field recordings of negro spirituals and combining them with mellow dance beats. However, 18 features a generally sadder tone than that of Play...

, which earned gold and platinum awards in over 30 countries, and sold more than four million copies. Moby toured extensively for both Play and 18, playing well over 500 shows in the course of four years.

He founded the Area:One Festival
Area Festival
The Area Festival was a music festival founded by popular electronic musician Moby, who asserted that he was "in large part, inspired by the ethos of Lollapalooza", and wished to create a similarly "genuinely eclectic, interesting, alternative music festival". Moby organized the first such...

 in 2001, a popular touring festival that features an eclectic range of musical genres. The Area:One tour featured: Outkast
OutKast
OutKast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, a city south of Atlanta, Georgia. They were originally known as The OKB but later changed the group's name to OutKast. The group's original musical style was a mixture of Dirty South and G-Funk...

, Moby, New Order
New Order
New Order were an English musical group formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris . New Order were formed in the wake of the demise of their previous group Joy Division, following the suicide of vocalist Ian Curtis...

, Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American Grammy Award-nominated rock band, from Calabasas, California. Formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school. The band expanded to include bassist Alex Katunich , and Gavin Koppell...

, Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She has sold over 18 million albums worldwide, and currently resides in Toronto...

, and Paul Oakenfold
Paul Oakenfold
Paul Oakenfold is an English record producer and a trance DJ.-Early career :Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew up...

. Area2 tour (2002) featured David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. Active in five decades of popular music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

, Moby, Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is a creative organization founded by Phil Stanton, Chris Wink and Matt Goldman. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...

, Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known as Busta Rhymes , is a Grammy-nominated Jamaican-American rapper, songwriter, and actor...

, and Carl Cox
Carl Cox
Carl Cox is a British techno and house DJ.-Biography:Cox attended Glastonbury High Boys secondary modern school on Glastonbury Road in Morden. Cox began his career as a hardcore and acid house DJ in the mid-1980s and made a name for himself as the "Three Deck Wizard" in 1988...

.

In 2001, Moby also earned the ire of rapper Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , known by his primary stage name Eminem, or by his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer and actor. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album...

 after Moby called Eminem's music misogynist and homophobic; Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , known by his primary stage name Eminem, or by his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer and actor. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album...

 later satirized Moby (among others) in "Without Me
Without Me
"Without Me" is a hip-hop/rap song by American rapper Eminem. It was released as the lead single from his fourth studio album titled The Eminem Show in 2002, and re-released on his greatest-hits compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits in 2005....

", declaring "Nobody listens to techno!" The two got into a confrontation at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards, also called the VMAs, were established at the end of the summer of 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year...

, along with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

In the next few years, Moby co-wrote "Is It Any Wonder" with Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is a multi-platinum selling English singer-songwriter and model. Her music is a mixture of mainstream Pop, Disco, Nu-Disco, and 1980s electronic influences.-Personal life:...

, remixed the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys is an American hip hop group from New York City. The group comprises Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz...

, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. Active in five decades of popular music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones , who performs under the mononym Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in New York City...

 and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1981. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a local newspaper, Metallica's line-up has primarily consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, and lead guitarist Kirk...

, produced and co-wrote the track "Early Mornin'" for Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American singer and entertainer. Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Spears first appeared on national television in 1992 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to...

' fourth studio album In the Zone
In the Zone
In the Zone is the fourth studio album by American singersongwriter Britney Spears, released on November 18, 2003, on Jive Records. The album became the top-selling album in the U.S. after 609,000 copies of the set were purchased in one week, according to industry figures to the Nielsen SoundScan...

, and collaborated with Public Enemy on "Make Love, Fuck War", which was released prior to the 2004 U.S. presidential election. Moby also had his song "Extreme Ways
Extreme Ways
"Extreme Ways" is a song by electronic artist Moby. Released on , it was the second single from his studio album 18. It is also included on disc one of the American release of Go – The Very Best of Moby....

" used in the Jason Bourne movies. Although not a hit when it was released, "Extreme Ways
Extreme Ways
"Extreme Ways" is a song by electronic artist Moby. Released on , it was the second single from his studio album 18. It is also included on disc one of the American release of Go – The Very Best of Moby....

" has gone on to become Moby's most downloaded song.

In 2003 Moby headlined the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, is the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world. The festival is best known for its contemporary music, but also features dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and...

. In 2004 Moby worked on the John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, and is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee....

 presidential campaign, and also worked extensively with liberal group moveon.org.

Hotel, Last Night and The Little Death (2005–2008)


In 2005 Moby released Hotel
Hotel (album)
Hotel is the seventh studio album by the musician Moby, first released internationally on March 14, 2005 and then on March 22, 2005 in the United States. Hotel was recorded and mixed at Moby's apartment, Electric Lady Studios, and Loho Studios in Manhattan, New York City...

. Instead of his relying on samples for vocals, all of the vocals and instruments were performed live in the studio, by Moby and vocalist Laura Dawn
Laura Dawn
Laura Dawn is a political activist and singer/songwriter. She has been the Cultural Director for MoveOn.org and the MoveOn PAC since March 2004.-Musical Work:...

.

Hotel
Hotel (album)
Hotel is the seventh studio album by the musician Moby, first released internationally on March 14, 2005 and then on March 22, 2005 in the United States. Hotel was recorded and mixed at Moby's apartment, Electric Lady Studios, and Loho Studios in Manhattan, New York City...

spawned two of Moby's biggest European hits, "Lift Me Up" and "Slipping Away," both of which were #1 European singles. Hotel went on to earn gold and platinum awards in over twenty countries, with global sales of over two million copies.

In the UK ITV used a specially remixed version of "Lift Me Up" as its Formula 1 shows theme music.

In 2006 Moby also acted in the movie Pittsburgh, with Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. Currently, he stars as Detective Zach Nichols on the USA Network's crime drama series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Early life:...

 and Illeana Douglas
Illeana Douglas
-Life and career:Douglas was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. She is the granddaughter of the actor Melvyn Douglas, and has said that his performance in Being There, in particular, was influential on her own career...

.

In 2006 He accepted an offer to score the soundtrack for Richard Kelly
Richard Kelly (director)
Richard Kelly is an American film director and writer, best known for 2001's Donnie Darko.-Early life:...

's 2007 movie Southland Tales
Southland Tales
Southland Tales is a 2007 science fiction/drama/black comedy film, written and directed by Richard Kelly. The title refers to the Southland, a name used by locals to refer to Southern California and Greater Los Angeles. Set in the then near future of an alternate history, the film is a portrait of...

because he was a fan of Kelly's previous film, Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko is a 2001 psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly, and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell...

.

In 2007 he produced and performed on The Bongos
The Bongos
The Bongos were a pop band primarily active in the 1980s. They formed in Hoboken, New Jersey and were led by Richard Barone . The band also included Rob Norris, formerly of the Zantees and Frank Giannini...

' remake of "The Bulrushes," for the special edition re-issue of their debut album, Drums Along The Hudson (Cooking Vinyl Records), and appeared in the promo video of the song.

In 2007 Moby launched a website entitled mobygratis.com. mobygratis provides free music for film students and independent and non-profit filmmakers. It is a non-profit venture, with any/all revenue earned by mobygratis.com going to the Humane Society
Humane Society
A humane society may be a group that aims to stop human or animal suffering due to cruelty or other reasons, although in many countries, it is now used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals...

/HSUS.

In 2007 Moby also started a rock band, The Little Death, NYC, with his friends Laura Dawn
Laura Dawn
Laura Dawn is a political activist and singer/songwriter. She has been the Cultural Director for MoveOn.org and the MoveOn PAC since March 2004.-Musical Work:...

, Daron Murphy
Daron Murphy
Daron Murphy is a film composer and musician, based in Brooklyn, NY.In the past two years he composed musical scores for the feature length documentary films, The End of America and MoveOn: The Movie. In 2007 he scored the short film, Raving, directed by Julia Stiles and starring Zooey...

, and Aaron Brooks
Aaron Brooks
Aaron Lafette Brooks is a retired American football quarterback of the NFL. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia....

.

In 2008 Moby released Last Night
Last Night (Moby album)
Last Night is Moby's eighth studio album and was released on 29 March 2008 in Australia, 1 April 2008 in the USA, and 12 May 2008 in the United Kingdom...

, an eclectic album of electronic dance music inspired by a night out in his New York neighborhood (the Lower East Side). The singles from Last Night include "Alice
Alice (Moby song)
"Alice" is a song by electronic artist Moby released as the first single from his 2008 album Last Night, featuring guest vocals from the British MC Aynzli Jones and members of the Nigerian group 419 Squad...

," "Disco Lies
Disco Lies
"Disco Lies" is a song by electronic artist Moby released as the first single from his 2008 album Last Night in Europe, and the third single release in the UK as a remix version by the Freemasons. The song was released as a single onto the US iTunes store on January 21, 2008...

," "I Love To Move In Here," and "Ooh Yeah."

In collaboration with The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...

, Moby released an exclusive mix album titled "A Night in NYC
A Night in NYC
A Night in NYC is a compilation album by Moby released free with The Sunday Times on May 11, 2008 to promote his album Last Night.- Track listing :# "Ooh Yeah" - # "Honey" - # "In My Heart" - # "Disco Lies" -...

" which appeared on the newspaper's cover. It was a compilation of Moby tracks spanning his career and included video from his new album Last Night.

Wait for Me (2009–present)


In a November 2008 interview Moby spoke about the follow up album to Last Night
Last Night (Moby album)
Last Night is Moby's eighth studio album and was released on 29 March 2008 in Australia, 1 April 2008 in the USA, and 12 May 2008 in the United Kingdom...

, which he is currently working on. "I want to make a really emotional, beautiful record. I don't know if I will succeed, but my goal is to make something very personal, very melodic, very beautiful."
The album, titled Wait for Me
Wait for Me (Moby album)
Wait for Me is the ninth studio album by the musician Moby, released on June 30, 2009. Moby announced the title, track listing and release date of the album on his website on April 14, 2009....

, was expected to be released in June 2009.
On the 14th of April, Moby confirmed that the album would be released on the 30th of June . "I recorded the album here in my studio on the lower east side (although 'studio' always seems like an overly grand word for a bunch of equipment set up in a small bedroom). In the past I've worked in large and small studios, but for this record I wanted to record everything at home by myself," said Moby on his journal. "I started working on the album about a year ago, and the creative impetus behind the record was hearing a David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker and visual artist. Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, for The Elephant Man , Blue Velvet , and Mulholland Drive . He also received a screenplay Academy Award nomination for The Elephant Man...

 speech at BAFTA, in the UK. David was talking about creativity, and to paraphrase, about how creativity in and of itself, and without market pressures, is fine and good. It seems as if too often an artists or musicians or writers creative output is judged by how well it accommodates the marketplace, and how much market share it commands and how much money it generates. In making this record I wanted to focus on making something that I loved, without really being concerned about how it might be received by the marketplace. As a result it's a quieter and more melodic and more mournful and more personal record than some of the records I've made in the past."

Moby and David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker and visual artist. Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, for The Elephant Man , Blue Velvet , and Mulholland Drive . He also received a screenplay Academy Award nomination for The Elephant Man...

 discussed the recording process of the album on Lynch's online channel, David Lynch Foundation Television Beta. The entire interview can be viewed for free here.

The first single off the album is Shot in the Back of the Head
Shot in the Back of the Head
"Shot in the Back of the Head" is a song by electronic artist Moby released as the first single from his upcoming ninth studio album, Wait for Me . It was released as a free download on his website on April 15, 2009. The song features heavy synthsizer use and a repeating drum pattern. The song...

, and the video for which was aptly directed by Moby's muse, David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker and visual artist. Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, for The Elephant Man , Blue Velvet , and Mulholland Drive . He also received a screenplay Academy Award nomination for The Elephant Man...

 himself. The single is available for free download from Moby's website, Moby.com.

Ken Thomas (Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with melodic, classical, and minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound and lead singer Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto voice.-Von and Von brigði :...

) mixed Wait for Me. According to Moby, "mixing the record with him (Thomas) was really nice, as he's creatively open to trying anything (like recording an old broken bakelite radio and running it through some broken old effects pedals to see what it would sound like. It's on the record as a 45 second long track called "Stock Radio"). And as a geeky technical aside, we mixed the record using purely analog equipment in true stereo, akin to how records were mixed in the late '60s(some of the songs sound pretty amazing in headphones, if I do say so myself..."

Moby plans to tour for the new album with a full band again, something that occurred rarely during Moby's Last Night promotion, except for selected festival performances.

Moby expects to raise between $75,000 and $100,000 to help those affected by domestic violence after all funding for the state's domestic violence programme was cut in July. To do this he is to donate the profits from his upcoming shows in California (San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles).

Collaborations


Moby has collaborated live with many of his heroes while on tour or at fundraisers. He has performed "Walk on the Wild Side" with Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground as well as a successful solo artist whose career has spanned several decades. The Velvet Underground gained little mainstream attention during their career,...

,
"Me and Bobby McGee" with Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American writer, singer-songwriter, actor, and musician. He is best known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...

, "Heroes" and "Cactus" with David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. Active in five decades of popular music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

, "Helpless" with Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson, KBE , most commonly known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer and musician, best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife,...

 and Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known for the "mumbling" style of his early career and for his complex, surreal lyrics, as well as his social and political activism...

, "New Dawn Fades" with New Order
New Order
New Order were an English musical group formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris . New Order were formed in the wake of the demise of their previous group Joy Division, following the suicide of vocalist Ian Curtis...

, "Make Love, Fuck War" with Public Enemy, "Whole Lotta Love" with Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , better known by his stage name Slash, is an English musician. Originally from Stoke-on-Trent, he moved to Los Angeles, California as a child, where he began his career in the music industry. Slash is arguably best-known as the former lead guitarist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses,...

, and "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" with Mission Of Burma
Mission of Burma
Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope . Miller, Conley and Prescott share singing and songwriting duties...

, and made two duets with the french singer Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer
Mylène Farmer born Mylène Jeanne Gautier is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author. She has sold more than 25 million records and is among the most successful recording artists of all time in France...

 (the one "Slipping Away (Crier La vie) in 2006 and the other "Looking For My Name" in 2008).

In 2007, he became one of the few well-known commercial artists to produce work for a video game, collaborating with DJ Oscar the Punk on all three tracks of The Bioshock EP, included with limited edition copies of the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles....

 and PC
PC
PC most commonly refers to:* Personal computer, a computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals* Political correctness, language or behavior that appears calculated to provide a minimum of offense...

 game Bioshock
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game, developed by 2K Boston/2K Australia—previously known as Irrational Games—designed by Ken Levine. It was released for the Windows operating system and Xbox 360 video game console on August 21, 2007, in North America, and three days later in Europe and...

.

RIAA Criticism


On June 20, 2009, Moby posted on his blog in response to the RIAA's decision to sue Minnesota suburban mom Jammie Thomas-Rasset for $2,000,000 for illegally downloading music. He called this "utter nonsense" and stated "the RIAA needs to be disbanded."

Personal life and faith


He lives in New York City's Little Italy
Little Italy, Manhattan
This article is about the neighborhood currently known as Little Italy in Lower Manhattan. For the neighborhood once known as Little Italy in Upper Manhattan, see Italian Harlem....

, where he has lived for a decade in a small apartment
Apartment
An apartment, or flat, is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building. Such a building may be called an apartment building, especially if it consists of many apartments for rent...

 in a five-story building across the street from David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. Active in five decades of popular music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

. Until recently he co-owned a small restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant prepares and serves food and drink to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...

 and tea shop called TeaNY
TeaNY
TeaNY is the name of a tea café, restaurant and beverage distributor in New York City founded by electronic musician Moby with ex-girlfriend, Kelly Tisdale. The Teany Café opened in 2002 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York at 90 Rivington Street...

, where he occasionally waited tables. He also organized the Little Idiot Collective, a group of artists.

In an interview with Psychology Today
Psychology Today
Psychology Today is a bi-monthly magazine published in the United States. It is a psychology-based magazine about relationships, health, and related topics written for a mass audience of non-psychologists. Psychology Today was founded in 1967 and features articles on such topics as love,...

, Moby stated that when he was 19, he tried LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD-25, LSD, formerly lysergide, commonly known as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family...

 and began suffering from panic attack
Panic attack
Panic attacks are very sudden, discrete periods of intense anxiety, mounting physiological arousal, fear, stomach problems and discomfort that are associated with a variety of somatic and cognitive symptoms. The onset of these episodes is typically abrupt, and may have no obvious triggers...

s. He claims that he no longer experiences them as frequently as he used to, but occasionally he will "have too much caffeine
Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that is a psychoactive stimulant drug. Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819. He coined the term kaffein, a chemical compound in coffee, which in English became caffeine...

, be stressed out about work and be in a relationship that's not going well, and it will happen again." He is very open about this in an attempt to help fans who suffer from similar panic disorder
Panic disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurring severe panic attacks. It may also include significant behavioral change lasting at least a month and of ongoing worry about the implications or concern about having other attacks. The latter are called anticipatory attacks...

s.

When asked about drugs, he responded: "I'm sort of a libertarian. People should be able to do what they want. I ultimately defer the wisdom to an adult to make their own choices. If someone wants to do drugs, I think it's their own business and not the business of the state."

In a 2003 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...

 interview, Moby spoke about his encounter with the Gospels, "In about 1985 I read the teachings of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed". It is a translation of the Hebrew . The term "Christ" was a title rather than a proper name. In the four gospels in the New Testament, the word "Christ" is nearly always preceded by the definite article...

 and was instantly struck by the idea that Christ was somehow divine. When I say I love Christ and love the teachings of Christ I mean that in the most simple and naïve and subjective way. I'm not saying I'm right, and I certainly wouldn't criticize anyone else's beliefs."

In a September 20, 2006 audio interview with Sojourners Magazine, he says, "I read the New Testament, specifically the gospels and I was struck at their divinity, feeling that humans could not have figured this out on their own. We're just not bright enough." He also discusses his faith on his own weblog
Blog
A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order...

. On January 19, 2007, in his reaction to seeing Alexandra Pelosi
Alexandra Pelosi
Alexandra C. Pelosi is a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and writer based in New York City. She is the daughter of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi....

's Friends of God
Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi
Friends of God: A Road Trip With Alexandra Pelosi is an HBO television documentary about evangelicals in the United States that is written, directed, produced, and narrated by Alexandra Pelosi. The documentary first aired on January 25 2007 on HBO...

, a film about evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism is the practice of attempting to convert people to a religion. The term is used most often in reference to Christianity's religions, since they mandate that their followers make efforts to recruit as many people as possible into their faith...

 in the United States, Moby writes, "The movie reminded me just how utterly disconnected the agenda of the evangelical Christian right is from the teachings of Christ."

Charity


Moby is an advocate for a variety of causes, working with MoveOn
MoveOn
MoveOn is an American non-profit progressive, liberal public policy advocacy group and political action committee which has raised millions of dollars for candidates of the Democratic Party in the United States...

 and The Humane Society, among others. His MobyGratis.com website, which licenses film music for free for non-profit and independent films, funnels proceeds from films which do go on to produce revenue to The Humane Society. He created MoveOn Voter Fund's Bush in 30 Seconds
Bush in 30 Seconds
Bushin30seconds.org is a liberal web site sponsored by MoveOn.org voter fund. The website showcases the results of a political advertising contest that was open to the public in November 2003, in which the goal was to explain key points about George W...

 contest along with singer/ MoveOn Cultural Director Laura Dawn
Laura Dawn
Laura Dawn is a political activist and singer/songwriter. She has been the Cultural Director for MoveOn.org and the MoveOn PAC since March 2004.-Musical Work:...

 and MoveOn Executive Director Eli Pariser
Eli Pariser
Eli Pariser is the former Executive Director of MoveOn.org, and the organization's current Board President....

. The music video for the song "Disco Lies
Disco Lies
"Disco Lies" is a song by electronic artist Moby released as the first single from his 2008 album Last Night in Europe, and the third single release in the UK as a remix version by the Freemasons. The song was released as a single onto the US iTunes store on January 21, 2008...

" from From Last Night has heavy anti-meat industrial themes.

He also actively engages in nonpartisan activism, and serves on the Board of Directors of Amend.org, a nonprofit that implements injury prevention programs in Africa.

Moby is a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function
Institute for Music and Neurologic Function
The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function is a US nonprofit organization conducting research into and applying music therapy. It is located in The Bronx, New York City....

 (IMNF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing scientific inquiry on music and the brain and to developing clinical treatments to benefit people of all ages. He has also performed on various benefit concerts to help increase awareness for music therapy and raise funds for the Institute. In 2004, he was honored with the IMNF’s "Music Has Power Award" for his advocacy of music therapy and for his dedication and support to its recording studio program.

He is an advocate of network neutrality
Network neutrality
Network neutrality is a principle proposed for residential broadband networks and potentially for all networks...

 and he testified before United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 committee debating the issue in 2006.

In 2008 he participated in a music album called Songs for Tibet
Songs for Tibet
Songs for Tibet — The Art of Peace is a music album with contributions from number of musicians from throughout the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and South Africa. The artists include Sting, Garbage, Rush, Suzanne Vega, Jonatha Brooke and Alanis Morissette...

, to support Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north of the Himalayas. It is home to the indigenous Tibetan people, and to some other ethnic groups such as Monpas and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han Chinese people. Tibet is the highest region on earth, with an average...

 and the current Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a lineage of religious officials of the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. "Lama" is a general term referring to Tibetan Buddhist teachers...

 Tenzin Gyatso.

In 2009 after hearing about California cutting its funding to domestic violence programs, Moby decided to donate the fees from his tour shows in L.A. and San Fransisco to the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence.

Essays


Many Moby albums include essays that he has written himself in the inlay card. Everything Is Wrong had essays on over-consumption ("We use toxic chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine Chlorine Chlorine ( , from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' (khlôros, meaning 'pale green'), is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is a halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17 (formerly VII, VIIa, or VIIb). As the chloride ion, which is part of common salt and...

 bleach
Bleach
A bleach is a chemical that removes colors or whitens, often via oxidation. Common chemical bleaches include household "chlorine bleach", a solution of approximately 3–6% sodium hypochlorite , and "oxygen bleach", which contains hydrogen peroxide or a peroxide-releasing compound such as sodium...

 to keep our underpants white") and U.S. religious leaders ("Why doesn't the Christian right
Christian right
The Christian right, also known as the Religious Right and the Evangelical Bloc, is a term used predominantly in the United States of America to describe a spectrum of right-wing Christian political and social movements and organizations characterized by their strong support of conservative social...

 go out and spread mercy, compassion and selflessness?"), and The End of Everything discussed being a vegan ("Could you look an animal in the eyes and say to it, 'My appetite is more important than your suffering'?").

He was interviewed by Lucy Walker
Lucy Walker
Lucy Walker is a film director, mostly of theatrical feature documentaries.-Early life:Lucy was born in London, United Kingdom, read English Language and Literature at New College, Oxford receiving first-class honours...

 for a chapter in Sound Unbound: Sampling Digital Music and Culture (The MIT Press, 2008) edited by Paul D. Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky
DJ Spooky
DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid , is a Washington DC-born electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntablist and producer. He borrowed his stage name from the character The Subliminal Kid in the novel Nova Express by William S....

.

Videography

  • Play: The DVD (2001)
  • 18 B Sides + DVD
    18 B Sides + DVD
    18 B Sides + DVD is a two-disc CD/DVD compilation by Moby released in 2003. The first disc is a CD featuring 13 B-sides from his previous album, 18...

    (2003)
  • The Hotel Tour 2005 (2006)
  • Go: The Very Best of Moby (2006)

MTV Video Music Awards

    • 2000 Best Male Video - Nominated
    • 2001 Best Male Video - Winner
    • 2002 Best Cinematography - Winner

Grammy Awards

    • 2000 Best Alternative Music Performance - Play - Nominated
    • 2000 Best Rock Instrumental Performance - Bodyrock - Nominated
    • 2001 Best Dance Recording - Natural Blues - Nominated
    • 2002 Best Music Video, Long Form - Moby: Play
    • 2003 Best Pop Instrumental Performance - 18 - Nominated
    • 2009 Best Electronic/Dance Album - Last Night - Nominated

MTV Europe Music

    • 2000 Best Video - Natural Blues - Winner
    • 2000 Best Album - Play - Nominated
    • 2000 Best Dance - Nominated
    • 2002 Web Awards - Winner
    • 2002 Best Dance - Nominated
    • 2003 Best Dance - Nominated
    • 2005 Best Male - Nominated

BRIT Awards, UK

    • 2000 Best International Male - Nominated
    • 2003 Best International Male - Nominated

External links