2008 Woodie Awards
'Last Night' a return to form for Moby
By: Mike Fuksman
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Lifeline
New York, New York.
The city that never sleeps has had its share of musical tributes. Artists as varied as Frank Sinatra and The Ramones have paid homage, and now electronic artist Moby joins the ranks with "Last Night."
After 1999's critical and commercial smash "Play," Moby did his share of experimentation. "18" added alternative rock to Moby's repertoire, and "Hotel" returned to the ambient/experimental sounds that marked the beginning of his career.
But "Last Night" harkens back to the glory days of "Play," with one dancefloor-ready anthem after another.
On his official Web site, Moby mentioned that "Last Night" was "basically a love letter to dance music in New York City," and the rampant genre-hopping on the record is a fitting tribute to the eclectic nature of the NYC club scene.
Moby's previous contributions of guitars, vocals and other live instrumentation are wholly absent.
In their place, you can find the mindlessly-upbeat diva vocals typical of the genre, as well as an armada of rappers encouraging you to get the party started, already!
Moby takes a shot at disco, old-school Chicago house and hip-hop, just to name a few. The number of hyphenated electronic subgenres he touches on are far too numerous to mention.
Lead single "Alice" features buzzy synths reminiscent of The Prodigy, whereas "Hyenas" sounds more like a discarded Portishead track.
But if there's one thing that unifies the record, it's that four-on-the-floor bass drum that kicks off several of the tracks. If you can think of a better rhythm to dance to, let me know, because I know I haven't heard one.
A couple of slower, ballad-esque tunes break up the dance inferno; "Sweet Apocalypse", while hardly the end of the world, is at least a good way to approach the end of the record.
Closing tune, and title track, "Last Night" is perfect to send you off to sleep after a long night of clubbing.
Moby clearly is playing to his strengths; while "Last Night" is hardly revolutionary, it is a brilliant return to form.
Half of the "dance" tracks on the radio right now are just rehashed ideas that Moby, The Crystal Method and others engineered years ago. So why not let the king reclaim his throne?
We might not all get the chance to experience a wild night of dancing in New York City, but we can at least enjoy the experience vicariously thanks to "Last Night."
Lifeline@cm-life.com
The city that never sleeps has had its share of musical tributes. Artists as varied as Frank Sinatra and The Ramones have paid homage, and now electronic artist Moby joins the ranks with "Last Night."
After 1999's critical and commercial smash "Play," Moby did his share of experimentation. "18" added alternative rock to Moby's repertoire, and "Hotel" returned to the ambient/experimental sounds that marked the beginning of his career.
But "Last Night" harkens back to the glory days of "Play," with one dancefloor-ready anthem after another.
On his official Web site, Moby mentioned that "Last Night" was "basically a love letter to dance music in New York City," and the rampant genre-hopping on the record is a fitting tribute to the eclectic nature of the NYC club scene.
Moby's previous contributions of guitars, vocals and other live instrumentation are wholly absent.
In their place, you can find the mindlessly-upbeat diva vocals typical of the genre, as well as an armada of rappers encouraging you to get the party started, already!
Moby takes a shot at disco, old-school Chicago house and hip-hop, just to name a few. The number of hyphenated electronic subgenres he touches on are far too numerous to mention.
Lead single "Alice" features buzzy synths reminiscent of The Prodigy, whereas "Hyenas" sounds more like a discarded Portishead track.
But if there's one thing that unifies the record, it's that four-on-the-floor bass drum that kicks off several of the tracks. If you can think of a better rhythm to dance to, let me know, because I know I haven't heard one.
A couple of slower, ballad-esque tunes break up the dance inferno; "Sweet Apocalypse", while hardly the end of the world, is at least a good way to approach the end of the record.
Closing tune, and title track, "Last Night" is perfect to send you off to sleep after a long night of clubbing.
Moby clearly is playing to his strengths; while "Last Night" is hardly revolutionary, it is a brilliant return to form.
Half of the "dance" tracks on the radio right now are just rehashed ideas that Moby, The Crystal Method and others engineered years ago. So why not let the king reclaim his throne?
We might not all get the chance to experience a wild night of dancing in New York City, but we can at least enjoy the experience vicariously thanks to "Last Night."
Lifeline@cm-life.com
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