Moby is a musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. With more than 20 million albums sold worldwide, Moby is responsible for bringing dance music into the mainstream in the United States, United Kingdom, and beyond. His documentary Moby Doc covers his life and career, his many musical collaborations with artists like David Bowie, and is an existential meditation on success and happiness. Moby’s 19th studio Album, Reprise, was released in May of this year, and features collaborations with artists like Gregory Porter, Kris Kristofferson, and Mark Lanegan.
What you will learn:
- Why he produced a documentary about his life – the aptly titled Moby Doc, which took six years to make and began as a request for a memoir. [0:00-8:05]
- Why Moby doesn’t read reviews or news regarding himself. What musical influences shaped him as an artist and how a job in a record store served as a formative, unique musical education. [8:05-14:12]
- Why Moby collaborates so frequently with not just iconic artists but with lesser-known artists, and how he approaches the collaborative process. How he balances the necessary evil of marketing with maintaining authenticity in his work. [14:12-20:31]
- How Moby connected with Kris Kristofferson and Mark Lanegan on the song The Lonely Night on Moby’s most recent album, Reprise. The importance of humility in the creative process. [20:31-25:52]
- Why the music video for his song Why Does My Heart Feel so Bad? is his favorite music video. The importance of purpose-driven art and activism. [25:52-29:50]
- How Moby’s professional relationship with David Lynch began with Moby’s sampling of a song from Twin Peaks, which then evolved into a 20-year friendship. Why Moby asked David to appear in Moby Doc. [29:50-34:53]
- Moby explains the thought process behind the touching final scene of Moby Doc, describes his friendship and work with Wayne Coyne, and discusses the importance of compassion when responding to existential questions in life. [34:53-39:38]
Resources:
- Moby’s: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Youtube, Spotify
- Steve Cutts’ animated short, Man
- Youtube Interview
- Transcript of Episode