September 3, 2000

What's the deal with MOBY?

September 3, 2000

What's the deal with MOBY? Just last week, he was on NBC's "Later", where it was proudly mentioned that all 18 songs on his multi-platinum "Play" album have been licenced for commercials or films.

All 18 songs! Can you believe that? Can you believe that this is the same guy who wrote the liner notes to "Animal Rights"?

Moby has incorporated visions of diamond rings, summer blockbusters, and automobiles into the themes of the songs on his latest album...or has he? I'm sure that Moby will maintain that all of the songs on his album are important, but how on earth are we, the listeners, supposed to shake the images of Volkswagens from our minds while listening to them?

Wait a minute! Isn't Moby the guy who HATES CARS? Isn't the fact that his music appears in a car commercial a bit hypocritical? By the way, this isn't the first time Moby's music has appeared in a car commercial. This post from www.moby.org explains Moby's intentions from the FIRST time he allowed his music in a car commercial:

Moby, sworn opponent of the auto industry and the petro-chemical complex, is allowing his track "God Moving Over The Face Of The Waters" to be used in a car commercial. Although this may seem to be against all his beliefs, there's a good reason for it; all of the money Moby receives from the commercial is going to be given to environmental, alternative energy and animal rights organisations. He feels that he should take the opportunity to do something of benefit rather than refusing and letting the money go to someone else.

As Moby says, "There's something perversely satisfying about taking money from a car company and giving it to organisations which work to protect the environment. I figured that they were going to make the commercial with or without my music, so why not let them use my music and in the process help out some worthwhile organisations?"

He's currently in the process of deciding which organisation the money should go to; if anyone knows of any suitable cause which he may not know of already, they should write to PO Box 2477, London NW6 6NQ or e-mail def@bogo.co.uk

Since this posting, there has been no mention of what has happened to the oodles of royalties that Moby has received for having his music in car commercials.

The Paperless One wouldn't buy a Volkswagen anyway!