Moby

Artist Image: Moby
Attribution
Image Credit: Justin Higuchi from Los Angeles, CA, USA (Moby 12/17/2018 #16), CC BY 2.0

Biography

Richard Melville Hall (born September 11, 1965), better known by his stage name Moby, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, DJ and photographer. He is well known for his electronic music, vegan lifestyle, and support of animal rights. Moby has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. AllMusic considers him "one of the most important dance music figures of the early 1990s, helping bring the music to a mainstream audience both in the UK and in America". Moby gained attention in the early 1990s with his electronic dance music work, which experimented in the techno and breakbeat hardcore genres. With his fifth studio album, the electronica and house music-influenced Play, he gained international success. Originally released in mid-1999, the album sold 6,000 copies in its first week, and it re-entered the charts in early 2000 and became an unexpected hit, producing eight singles and selling over 10 million copies worldwide. Moby followed the album in 2002 with 18, which was also successful, selling over 5 million copies worldwide and receiving mostly positive reviews, though some criticized it for being too similar to Play. His next major release, 2005's mostly upbeat Hotel was a stylistic departure, incorporating more alternative rock elements than previous albums, and received mixed reviews. It sold around 2 million copies worldwide. After 2008's dance-influenced Last Night (2008), he returned to the downtempo electronica of Play and 18 with 2009's mostly-ambient Wait for Me, finding higher critical acclaim and moderate sales, as well as 2011's Destroyed. Moby's latest album, Innocents, was released on October 1, 2013. Moby has also co-written, produced, and remixed music for Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Daft Punk, Mylène Farmer, Brian Eno, Pet Shop Boys, Britney Spears, New Order, Public Enemy, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Soundgarden, and others.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1992
Number of Albums 103
Record Label Mute
Website www.moby.com
Wikipedia Moby on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

How many records has Moby sold worldwide?

over 20 million

...tronic music, veganism, and support of animal rights. Moby has sold over 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him one of the most importan...
Who considers Moby one of the most important dance music figures of the early 1990s?

AllMusic

...ort of animal rights. Moby has sold over 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him one of the most important dance music figures of the ear...
What was Moby's fifth album called?

Play

.... With his fifth studio album, the electronica and house musicinfluenced Play , he gained international success. Originally released in mid1999, the al...
How many copies did Play sell in its first week?

6,000

...ed international success. Originally released in mid1999, the album sold 6,000 copies in its first week, and it reentered the charts in early 2000 and...
What year did Play re-enter the charts?

2000

...old 6,000 copies in its first week, and it reentered the charts in early 2000 and became an unexpected hit, producing eight singles and selling over 1...
Moby is perhaps the most well known name in the subculture of music and style known as what?

techno

...s the most wellknown name in the subculture of music and style known as techno . This fastpaced electronic dance music is mainly heard at nightclubs, p...
What are raves generally described as?

giant, marathon dance parties

...clubs, parties, and especially raves, generally described as giant, marathon dance parties . While raves are notorious for rampant drug use, Moby is su...
What is Moby's religion?

Christian

...le raves are notorious for rampant drug use, Moby is substancefree and Christian , although he admits a weakness for chasing members of the opposite se...
Moby steers clear of what?

alcohol, drugs, and tobacco

...s for chasing members of the opposite sex. He steers clear of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco , and is also a vegan, someone who does not consume any meat ...
What is another term for someone who does not consume any meat or animal products?

vegan

...osite sex. He steers clear of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, and is also a vegan , someone who does not consume any meat or animal products, including da...
In what year did Moby release Animal Rights?

1997

... arguably the leader of the techno genre, though he did take a detour in 1997 with a heavy metal album, Animal Rights. Moby was born Richard Melville ...
What was Moby's first name?

Richard Melville Hall

...r in 1997 with a heavy metal album, Animal Rights. Moby was born Richard Melville Hall on September 11, 1965, in New YorkCity and raised in the suburb...
Who wrote Moby Dick?

Herman Melville

...based on the novel Moby Dick, written by his greatgreatgreat uncle, Herman Melville . Mobys father, chemistry professor James Melville, died in a car a...
What was Mobys father's profession?

chemistry professor

...tten by his greatgreatgreat uncle, Herman Melville. Mobys father, chemistry professor James Melville, died in a car accident after driving drunk when ...
When was Moby born?

New YorkCity

...ights. Moby was born Richard Melville Hall on September 11, 1965, in New YorkCity and raised in the suburb of Darien, Connecticut. His singular nickna...
What did his grandparents teach?

Sunday school

...kends with his unconventional mother at her apartment. His grandparents also taught Sunday school , but Mobys childhood was not particularly religious....
Where did Moby spend his childhood and youth?

Darien

... in the town of New York. Though, Moby spent his childhood and youth in Darien situated in the State of Connecticut. We can't exclude such a version t...
In what state was Darien located?

Connecticut

...Moby spent his childhood and youth in Darien situated in the State of Connecticut . We can't exclude such a version that the American writer Herman Mel...
What happened to Richard's father when he was 2?

died in the road accident

...uch a pseudonym. When Richard turned two years old, his father died in the road accident that's why the boy didn't experience what fatherly care and l...
Who brought up the future composer and singer of popular songs?

his mother

...he future composer and singer of the popular songs were brought up by his mother who was a rather progressive and modern woman. After the death of her...
Where did the widow relocate together with her son?

Danbury

...r the death of her husband the widow relocated together with her son to Danbury : his singleparent family settled in the house which was situated not f...
While raves are notorious for rampant drug use, what is Moby?

substancefree and Christian

...ties. While raves are notorious for rampant drug use, Moby is substancefree and Christian , although he admits a weakness for chasing members of the op...
What is Moby's nickname?

Moby Dick

... nickname, which he has had since he was a baby, is based on the novel Moby Dick , written by his greatgreatgreat uncle, Herman Melville. Moby's father...
What heavy metal album did Moby release?

Animal Rights

...genre, though he did take a detour in 1997 with a heavy metal album, Animal Rights . Moby was born Richard Melville Hall on September 11, 1965, in New ...
At what age did he start playing guitar and piano?

nine

...d States and the United Kingdom. After taking up guitar and piano at age nine , he played in several underground punk rock bands through the 1980s befo...
In what city was Jeremy moved to in 1989?

New York City

...1980s before turning to electronic dance music. In 1989, he moved to New York City and became a prolific figure as a DJ, producer and remixer. His 199...
Besides playing the piano, what other instrument did Andy play at age nine?

guitar

...ience both in the United States and the United Kingdom. After taking up guitar and piano at age nine, he played in several underground punk rock bands...
How many top 10 hits did he score between 1992 and 1997?

eight

... the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Between 1992 and 1997 he scored eight top 10 hits on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart including Move (You...
Which critically acclaimed album was released by he?

Everything Is Wrong

...music under various pseudonyms, released the critically acclaimed Everything Is Wrong (1995), and composed music for films. His punkoriented album Ani...
When did he take the Twin Peaks theme into the UK Top 10?

1991

...ttle of the public anonymity that is the creed of the underground DJ. In 1991 , he took the Twin Peaks theme, under the guise of Go, into the UK Top 10...
What year did Go release I Feel ItThousand?

1993

... both mainstream and club audiences, the release of I Feel ItThousand in 1993 was yet more bizarre. In his youth he was a member of hardcore punk outf...
What instrument did he trash at the end of his set?

keyboards

...d of dance music: at the 1992 DMCMixmag Awards ceremony he trashed his keyboards at the end of his set. His introduction to dance music began in the m...
In what New York district is Moby based?

Little Italy

...ment, basing himself in an old factoryconverted prison in New York's Little Italy district. The albums issued by New York dance label Instinct collect...
What New York dance label releases Moby's early work?

Instinct

...ork's Little Italy district. The albums issued by New York dance label Instinct collect the artist's early work. Ambient comprised unissued cuts from ...
What label did Moby sign to in 1993?

Mute Records

...y audible atmospheric interludes. Moby signed to leading independent Mute Records in 1993, and the following year released Hymn, a transcendental reli...
What was the name of Moby's 1993 release?

I Feel ItThousand

...erse natures of both mainstream and club audiences, the release of I Feel ItThousand in 1993 was yet more bizarre. In his youth he was a member of har...
Moby's music differed from ambient and what other genre?

house music

...he cool surface textures of ambient music and the hedonistic world of house music , but so did his lifestyle; Moby was famous for his devout Christian ...
When was Everything Is Wrong released?

1995

...blished himself in the U.S. as one of the scene's premier producers with 1995 's critically acclaimed Everything Is Wrong. After a brief foray into pun...
What was the name of the side band with which he dipped back into guitarbased anthems?

Void Pacific Choir

...ped back into guitarbased, politicized anthems with side band the Void Pacific Choir . In 2021, he issued his 19th fulllength, the reimagined retrospec...
In what year did Moby release his 19th fulllength?

2021

...itarbased, politicized anthems with side band the Void Pacific Choir. In 2021 , he issued his 19th fulllength, the reimagined retrospective Reprise. Bo...
Where was he raised?

Darien, Connecticut

...uthor of Moby Dick, is his greatgreatgranduncle. He was raised in Darien, Connecticut , where he played in a hardcore punk band called the Vatican Comm...
What band did he play in as a teenager?

Vatican Commandos

...is his greatgreatgranduncle. He was raised in Darien, Connecticut, where he played in a hardcore punk band called the Vatican Commandos as a teenager....
How many records has he sold worldwide?

20 million

...He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be among the most important dance music figures of the early 1990s, helping bring ...
What genre of music was he interested in before moving to electronic dance music?

punk rock

...king up guitar and piano at age nine, he played in several underground punk rock bands through the 1980s before turning to electronic dance music. In ...
What was his 1991 single?

Go

...d became a prolific figure as a DJ, producer and remixer. His 1991 single Go was his mainstream breakthrough, reaching No. His punkoriented album Anim...
How long was Moby's release of Long Ambients 1: Calm?

almost fourhour

...sold. His later albums saw him explore ambient music, including the almost fourhour release Long Ambients 1: Calm. In addition to his music career, Mo...
What punk band did Melville play in as a teen?

The Vatican Commandos

...great granduncle. As a teen, he played in the hardcore punk band The Vatican Commandos and sang with the group Flipper. In 1991, Moby had a hit in the...
When did Moby release his first full length album?

1992

...ed rhythm and titled it Go. Moby, his first fulllength album appeared in 1992 . In 1993 came the doubleA side single, I Feel ItThousand, which won an e...