In 1997, Moby released a CD, “Animal Rights,” that alienated a large chunk of his fan base.
Known up to then primarily as a techno artist, Moby, who performs Wednesday in Seattle, shocked fans with a loud punk-infused rock album. His audience responded by making “Animal Rights” the worst-selling record of his career.
If it were entirely up to Moby, the music he’d put on an album now might be even more jarring.
“If I was just making music for myself, I would be making the strangest music and no one would probably want to listen to it,” Moby said in an interview.
The “Animal Rights” experience, though, made Moby realize he can’t make records in a vacuum without putting his popularity in jeopardy.
“It was after that that I realized I didn’t want to make records that innately alienated people,” Moby said. “So my ethos has been since then has been to try to, I don’t know, make music that people can find a place for in their lives. And that does mean sort of like softening some of the rough edges. It means not playing 160-beats-per-minute techno tracks. It means not playing big over-the-top punk rock songs.”
Consequently the last few Moby CDs have been a bit more stylistically predictable.
His new CD, “Hotel,” in fact, suggests he might have settled into a bit of a stylistic groove – something that is a departure for an artist who has made a career of showing his eclecticism.
Born Richard Melville Hall, he first made an impact in 1991 on Britain’s emerging rave scene with the top 10 single, “Go.”
That breakthrough helped pave the way for a deal with Elektra Records, where his acclaimed 1995 CD, “Everything Is Wrong,” established him as a worldwide force on the dance-techno-electronica scene.
Then came “Animal Rights.”
The next CD, 1999’s “Play,” seemed to repair much of the damage. Once again Moby embraced techno-dance music as a prime influence – but with a highly refreshing twist: Some songs wove together sampled vintage blues vocals with thoroughly modern melodic techno-dance instrumental tracks.
With his 2001 CD “18,” Moby again presented several new dimensions to his sound, showing a poppier influence on the single “We Are All Made of Stars” and bathing ballads like “Signs of Love” and “At Least We Tried” in rich and warm melodies.
“Hotel” seems a logical successor to “18.” Songs such as “Dream About Me” and “Where You End” pick up where “We Are All Made of Stars” left off, combining smooth melodies with brisk but understated beats. The lush balladry of “18” also is part of “Hotel” with songs like “Homeward Angel,” while the familiar dancier side of Moby’s music re-emerges on tracks like “Lift Me Up,” “Very” and “I Like It.”
The more organic sound of “Hotel” should help the songs translate well in a live environment – especially since Moby has a six-piece band to help him bring his songs to life on his spring tour.
“It’s an eclectic show, and it’s dynamic and at times quite passionate,” Moby said. “There are big, loud, bombastic songs and there are really quiet, elegant songs, so I guess eclectic and dynamic would be the two adjectives that I would use to describe it.”
Associated Press
Moby performs Wednesday in Seattle.
Moby
8 p.m. Wednesday, Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle. $30, 206-628-0888.
Moby
8 p.m. Wednesday, Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle. $30, 206-628-0888.
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