The musician on cancel culture, the Natalie Portman situation and accepting disgrace
Moby may be a slim, slight figure but you canât mistake him. Heâs wearing a T-shirt in the hot Los Angeles sun, and everywhere there is skin there are tattoos. The more striking and obvious are very large words on the lengths of his right and left arms (âAnimalâ and âRightsâ) and smaller but still easily visible text around his neck (âVegan for lifeâ and âProtect the innocent, defend the vulnerableâ). We have a full 30 minutes for our conversation and we have been asked weeks beforehand by the record label if any of our questions will include the name of actor Natalie Portman. Yes, they absolutely will. Might this be a problem? No, comes the response, Moby is happy to talk about anything. Some might say with good reason.
Moby Unveils Orchestral Rework Of Natural Blues Featuring Gregory Porter And Amythyst Kiah Friday, 30 April 2021
Moby has unveiled an orchestral version of his hit Natural Blues.
The soaring rework features soulful vocals from guests Gregory Porter and Amythyst Kiah, with assistance from the Budapest Art Orchestra.
It s the third song to be shared from the 55-year-old s upcoming album, Reprise , which comprises reinterpretations of his biggest hits. Previously shared cuts include Porcelain featuring Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and The Lonely Night with Kris Kristofferson and Mark Lanegan. Moby said: I’ve had songs that are very despairing, and some that are celebratory, but more often than not I guess my music lives in a bittersweet in-between. Gregory Porter and Amythyst Kiah’s performances bring a new sense of yearning to the song that encompasses both light and dark tones. Their thoughtful interpretations bring out deep nuances to the track only they could
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Moby has discussed the controversy surrounding his claims that he dated actor Natalie Portman in his 2019 memoir.
The musician was criticised after stating in his book,
Then It Fell Apart, that he had dated Portman, a claim she denied.
Portman said she recalled “a much older man being creepy with me”, adding: “He said I was 20; I definitely wasn’t. I was a teenager. I had just turned 18.”
Moby, who is 16 years older than Portman, later apologised for behaving “inconsiderately and disrespectfully”.
When asked about the scandal in a new interview with
The Guardian, Moby said: “You know, you’re asking me to open up such a can of worms… There’s no good way to answer: one option is terrible, the other is really terrible. So if we were playing chess right now, this is the part where I’d pick up my phone and pretend I’ve got an emergency call.”
A Moby Documentary Is in the Works
The fittingly titled Moby Doc arrives this May
The artist born Richard Melville Hall will be profiled in
Moby Doc from director Rob Bralver,
Moby himself will narrate the surrealist biographical film, which will reportedly see him reflect on his turbulent personal life and iconic music from underground punk bands to chart-topping solo artist, and from struggling addict to vegan activist.
Moby Doc will also feature interviews with David Lynch, David Bowie and Shepard Fairey, along with concert and archival footage. In making
Moby Doc, Rob and I had two goals, Moby shared in a statement. The first was to make a truly unique music film and the second was to make a film that s unabashedly honest and vulnerable.