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Moby Reflects on Past Hits and the Future of Digital Music at Wall Street Journal Event

9:00 a.m. · August 13, 2009 · by Ginny Yang

“When you talk about the rise of Technology and creation of digital music, you think of Moby,” said Wall Street Journal writer Walt Mossberg on Monday during his publication’s Summer Scoops Live series. A sold-out crowd seemed to agree with this statement, as they listened to the techno innovator expound on the consumption of entertainment in the modern age during the “Mossberg, Moby, Music and More” event at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse.

The lively discussion was filled with many light-hearted moments, and Moby took potshots at Ashlee Simpson, Jay Leno and himself throughout the night. (At one point, he described his hit 1999 album “Play” as “weird music made by a weird bald guy in a bedroom in the Lower East Side.”) The 43-year-old artist – who began performing at the age of 9 and just wrapped up a European tour in support of his latest effort, “Wait For Me” – also revealed occasionally conflicting views on the future of music as he detailed the use of Technology throughout his recording career.

The electronic artist did not hold back during his conversation with Mossberg and came down hard on major labels and Microsoft’s Zune, describing the latter’s marketing strategy as: ”Yes, we know we’re not an iPod, but please take pity on us.” He also detailed his problems with the RIAA, criticizing their approach of punishing fans for downloading tracks, which was not conducive to long-term success for the music industry. “Making records has never been less expensive,” Moby asserted. “The fact that revenues has fallen for record companies is only half the story.”

The self-deprecating DJ also admitted that he had a liberal take on music piracy. “If someone wants to steal from me, more power to you,” he declared; the songwriter claimed he was just happy to have fans interested in his work. In fact, Moby admitted he never expected to be a professional musician or have a recording contract. “I am so honored and flattered that people want to listen to my music that I don’t want to restrict people’s access.” However, he added that he believed in intellectual property due to “deep-seated emotional issues” and encouraged people to purchase CDs so that his friends working at labels would still have jobs.

Much of the evening’s focus was on the recording process and critical reception to his multi-platinum disc, “Play.” “When ‘Play’ was first released, Rolling Stone actually refused to review it,” Moby remarked on being interviewed for the album’s ten-year anniversary in the magazine. “The music industry was filled with the Backstreet Boys and Limp Bizkit.” Prior to its 1999 release, the songwriter said record labels called him a has-been and he issued the CD while signed with Mute Records in Europe. “The success of ‘Play’ surprised me and confused me,” admitted the award-winning artist, who is now signed with EMI.

Moby also took questions from the audience, including one that inquired about the benefits and pitfalls of licensing tracks for advertisements. The artist said that his opinion on the subject evolved with his career: “When I was young, I played in hardcore punk bands and I was staunchly anti-commercial.” However, he reconsidered when Range Rover offered him $150,000 to use a track and he realized he could give the money to Greenpeace, an organization that campaigned against the gas-guzzling car manufacturer. “I always thought it was cooler to take money from corporations than to give money to corporations,” he rationalized. However, his attitudes have shifted yet again with his increased visibility, and Moby asserted he “was tired of being the poster boy for selling out.”

The digitally inclined musician was even more conflicted when it came to discussing the increasing use of computers on modern discs. “I like lo-fi records,” he asserted. “I love technology, but in a utilitarian manner.” This pragmatic approach applied to all forms of entertainment and not just music: “’Family Guy’ is funny on a little TV, too!” he said, after admitting he didn’t own the latest in digital accessories. The artist revealed he recorded his new album in his apartment (an 800+ sq ft space on Mott Street) with equipment purchased from eBay. While he liberally used ProTools on the disc, he didn’t think the software necessarily moved music forward and claimed the latest digital innovations caused many Top 40 records to sound the same.

At the same time, Moby was quick to point out that he did not use Auto-Tune. “I like mistakes. Perfect music is tedious,” he explained. Yet as a musician, he appreciated how Technology has given him the capacity for elaborate stage productions, which he described as the “musical equivalent of a big penis car.” As a result, the recording process for each track has become one that is painstaking and time-consuming for the artist. “I record it, I add some elements to it, and I listen to it 500 times,” he stated. Ultimately, he asserted that there is a difference between being a musician and being a technician and either camp could make great albums.

When it came to incorporating Technology into his own creative process, Moby said his approach could be summed up easily: “If it works and doesn’t cause me undue stress, I love it,” he testified. “My sole allegiance is to make music that affects me emotionally.