The renowned DJ and multi-instrumentalist Moby shares insights into his musical journey, revealing why Donna Summer’s tracks continue to feel futuristic to him. He also confesses which classic Kinks song, with its “unevolved” lyrics, he finds hard to endure today.
My First Musical Love
My childhood summers were often spent by the radio, recording tunes onto an old Dictaphone I’d discovered beneath my grandfather’s desk. That’s how I repeatedly absorbed The Clash’s “I Fought the Law.” Even distorted by the Dictaphone, its raw power resonated like an explosion.
My Inaugural Single Purchase
My very first single was CW McCall’s “Convoy,” bought for a dollar at Bradley’s discount store in Connecticut. I recall listening to it an astonishing 40 times consecutively, a moment I suspect led my mother to the conclusion: “He’s destined to be both a musician and an addict.”
Karaoke Antics
I pride myself on never performing the same karaoke song twice. Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” certainly wasn’t a highlight, nor was 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.” Thankfully, my rendition of Young MC’s “Bust a Move” didn’t descend into utter disaster.