I was never a huge fan of Moby's music but I always liked those quintessentially classic tracks like "Porcelain" and "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad." Then I had the chance to see him perform in Byron Bay a few years back. I went just hoping to hear those familiar songs and see what kind of a job Moby would do with them live. I quickly found myself up the front, getting right into it. The guy is a great musician and performer, no doubt about it. After that, I started reading up on him. Moby the vegan, Moby the network neutrality advocate, his engagement in nonpartisan activism, his work aiding reseach into mental disorders - and interestingly, the role music can play. Even his New York tea shop, TeaNY, looks cool. Interesting bloke, no matter what Eminem might think.
That brings me to his latest offering, the new album "Wait For Me" which arrived in late June. Aside from the music, which is OK but I don't love it, what grabbed me was everything else surrounding the release. Moby has designed a nice little hub at moby.com where people are communing around his creativity. For example, thirty-second animated music videos, or "blips" as Moby calls them, have been made for each of the sixteen tracks on the album. I think they are fabulous.
The star of the show is Moby's "quasi-self portrait" The Little Idiot. The cute little guy made an early appearance in the video for "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad" years back, and Moby says he has been drawing the character since he was nineteen years old and working in an independent record store in Connecticut. he even created an artist collective called The Little idiot Collective made up of a group of illustrator pals.
As well as starring in the blips, The Little Idiot graces the album cover of "Wait For Me" and also appears in the "Pale Horses" video.
So check out Moby's site, it's clean, well-designed and easy to trawl around. I am especially taken by the blip "Dog interviews Little Idiot on Bug Planet" where Moby himself (aka The Little Idiot) is interviewed about the making of "Wait or Me." Very clever.
And by the way, for those who want to use his stuff, Moby offers mobygratis.com for independent and non-profit flimmakers, film students, or anyone in need of music for their projects. The music is free as long as it's being used for non-commercial or non-profit purposes. Or if you want to use it commercially, then you can apply for a licence, with any money generated being given to the Humane Society.
/dp
