Tonight we’ve got Richard Melville Hall – Moby himself! – coming into the Pedestrian office to do a live online Coach Session and interactive Q and A with you guys. He’s going to be talking about his new record, past collaborations and previous recordings, as well as give you tips on music production, composition, songwriting, DJing, advocating for animal rights and how to keep your shit together in the face of huge success. Pedestrian editor Ash Chang is moderating the 45-minute chat that we invite you to stream for free from a computer of your choosing. All you need to do is sign up.
To celebrate Moby’s imminent arrival, we’ve put together a list of some of his most memorable music videos, from the undisputed classics like “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?” to more recent collaborations with directors including David Lynch. Listening may induce dancing.
Song “Bring Back My Happiness”
Album Everything Is Wrong (1995)
Director Jim Tozzi
I’m not sure if I chose this for sentimental reasons because I have a real weak spot for acid house or because its hyperactive cross-section of animation techniques used to make afternoon ABC kids shows is actually any good. The “Bring Back My Happiness” video also features one of the earliest appearances of “Little Idiot”, the animated character who is widely recognised as a totem of Moby.
Song “Honey”
Album Play (1999)
Director Roman Coppola
Multiple Moby’s take off on a surrealistic odyssey beginning and ending in the same wooden box. The narrative in the video carries the ultimate message of existential nihilism: our journey, however lengthy and seemingly complex, is ultimately meaningless. Or maybe he just thought it would be cool to clone himself.
Song “Find My Baby”
Album Play (1999)
Director Barnaby & Scott
In addition to being adorable because BABIES. Squuueee!, this video premise was conceived as a satirical comment on the boy band movement that was far out-performing every other genre of music at the time this song was released. Moby was all “what if there was an all-powerful boy band, but the boy band was BABIES” and everyone else was all “I love it”. Incidentally, Moby’s album Play (off which this single belongs), has sold roughly the same number of units as 2000 ‘N Sync release, No Strings Attached. Boy band baby on the telephone is all “do I know you?”
Song “Jam For The Ladies”
Album 18 (2002)
Director Simon and Jon
Much of this video consists of a puppet monkey wearing a basketball jersey and making rap hands. Need I go on? [Shout out to Princess Superstar, the pre-meme electroclash rapper who brought us “Fuck Me On The Dance Floor” before fading into relative obscurity.]
Song “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?”
Album Play (1999)
Director Susi Wilkinson
Little Idiot returns in this exploration of human loss, loneliness, isolation and grief. It’s pretty remarkable, and says a lot for the emotional strength of Moby’s orchestral composition and incredible vocals contributed by The Shining Light Gospel Choir, that a crude animated clip is one of the most poignant and moving music videos since the medium’s inception.
Song “Shot In The Back Of The Head”
Album Wait For Me (2009)
Director David Lynch
David Lynch took this soaring cinematic work of ambient electronica into a much darker, provocative place with his macabre video for “Shot In The Back Of The Head”.
Song “The Perfect Life”
Album Innocents (2013)
Director Moby and Wayne Coyne
A feelgood video from his new album, terrific because it’s a celebration of weirdness and also has a co-starring role by the Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne. Moby says, “the idea for ‘the perfect life’ video is pretty simple… Wayne and I in mariachi costumes walking around LA, picking up a very random and disparate bunch of disenfranchised oddballs and leading them – via trolley – to a giant party on a roof overlooking LA while the sun sets.” Sounds like a pretty perfect outcome.
Song “Bodyrock”
Album Play (1999)
Director Fredrik Bond
It would be inconsiderate to include the finished product for the “Bodyrock” video and not also put the slightly scary audition video in for kicks. You can’t speall Crazy Eyes without 2 ‘E’s, if you know what I’m saying.
