Detouring from the release of a series of ambient albums and orchestral reworks of classic tracks, Moby’s 22nd solo album, Always Centered at Night, embraces, not his past music, but an era when the iconic songwriter would spend time in nightclubs, bars and record stores soaking up the eclectic dance sounds of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The album also features 13 vocal collaborations, some of which were sourced by scouring YouTube, Spotify and even local Karaoke bars for the latest talent. Elsewhere, Moby’s defiantly seductive album showcases the vocal wares of acclaimed soul/jazz singer-songwriter Lady Blackbird, Serpentwithfeet, and late dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah.
If someone had told you in 1992 that you’d be about to release your 22nd studio album, would you have believed them?
“For most of my life, up until a certain point, I assumed I was going to make music in my spare time that no one ever listened to. I never expected to have a record deal or play concerts or shows to more than 20 or 30 people and certainly never expected to have anything resembling commercial awareness or success. So my long-winded, rambling answer to your question is, no, absolutely not. In 1992, the rave scene was in full swing and I was DJing and touring and making records, but I assumed that by the mid-to-end ’90s my career would have ended and I’d have had to go back to pursuing a PhD so I could teach philosophy at community college.”
Looking back at the mania that surrounded the success of Play and the after-effects of that moment in time, are you relieved that you no longer have to make music in such a pressurised environment?
“The interesting thing is that the music on was made in a completely unpressurised environment because I never expected anyone to listen to it. In 1997/98 when I was finishing the music for , I’d been dropped by my American record label, and Daniel Miller
