Moby Reprise 2LP

TAS Super LP List! Special Merit: Informal

Moby's eclectic career has cast him in the roles of electronic dance music pioneer, singer/songwriter, producer, activist, and restaurateur, but for his latest venture he presents his music in a whole new light. Together with Deutsche Grammophon, he is releasing an album of his best-known tracks in stunning new arrangements for classical instruments - featuring Moby himself and a stellar lineup of collaborators from across the musical spectrum.

Always a daring and imaginative thinker, Moby's first classical collaboration happened in October 2018, when he performed a selection of his songs alongside the LA Phil with conductor and friend, Gustavo Dudamel. This was the inspiration for the current project, which features not only full orchestral versions but new electronic arrangements, as well as sophisticated smaller-scale acoustic interpretations.

The 14-track album includes Moby classics like "Porcelain," "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" and "Extreme Ways" in innovative new versions. Featuring eye-catching collaborations including Jim James (My Morning Jacket) on "Porcelain"; Gregory Porter and Amythyst Kiah on "Natural Blues"; and Kris Kristofferson with original vocalist Mark Lanegan on "The Lonely Night". The album also features a cover of David Bowie's "Heroes."

By toning down the euphoric dancefloor bliss of these often-repetitive techno anthems, the songs breathe and move in ways like never before. Reprise is a bold late-career gem that legitimizes Moby's brand of electronic music by extracting the existing emotions that always dwelled beneath the digital soundscapes, revealing a heart that was always there but is now on full glorious display.