Destroyed

Destroyed review

The fruit of Moby’s insomnia

Most artists, especially the beginners work hard to express themselves in music and lyrics as much as they can, work hard on their dance numbers day and night, get worried and have hard time in studio. Of course, as time passes they become more confident of their strength, but to preserve as well as to raise their own level they have to make much significant efforts all the time. Yet, another approach to work is also wide-spread, and that happens when music is the continuation of the artist’s personality wherever he finds himself. It is definitely to this kind of artists that Moby can be referred. Making a studio out of his own apartment the electronic musician, singer and composer is always ready to get inspiration from everything that surrounds him: that can be other people (We Are All Made Of Stars), New York City’s night clubs (Last Night) or himself and his personal story (Wait For Me). And during his tour supporting the latter Moby could not sleep at night and studied the sleeping cities lives, taking pictures and recording song drafts on his telephone singing them to his guitar. When he came home he invited some of his friends, and the half-finished songs turned into complete tracks that comprise Moby’s great tenth album Destroyed.

Destroyed is the longest album in the artist’s discography

Paradoxically, the album Destroyed which was created almost spontaneously in a journey proves to be the longest one in the artist’s discography – it lasts more than seventy minutes and offers fifteen marvelous tracks. The album opens with a very soft and even gentle instrumental composition The Broken Places, on which the stopped night life atmosphere is rendered really well. On a more active and heavier song Be The One four text lines are repeated against the background of distorted electronic sounds, and Sevastopol is built on a danceable beat and pleases with melodious female vocals without words. The identical male vocal part refines the track After lasting almost six minutes, definitely, one of the album’s highlights with its memorable tune and faultless electronic arrangement with fantastic sonic effects. A very interesting number is The Right Thing featuring amazing female vocals, orchestra arrangement and a contagious beat. The greatest portion of electronic effects can be probably found on the danceable track Blue Moon, on which one can hear Moby’s voice, and Stella Maris conquers with the most beautiful orchestra melody. The almost seven minute long number The Violent Bear It Away is comprised of beautiful major keyboards and fiddles and vivid drums. The longest track on the record Lacrimae last eight minutes and conveys an impressive passing from one emotional pole to another, from sadness to happiness, probably because both of them are able to make us cry. The album closes with a very soulful piece When You Are Old complicated in its melody with classic instruments sounds marrying electronic effects.

The atmosphere created by a couple of synthesizer strokes

The album is accompanied by a collection of photographs which Moby has made while traveling, the music serving the soundtrack for that collection. The acoustic component is present on Destroyed to a greater extent than on the artist’s previous works. At the same time, it is a classic electronic collection, made in the best genre’s traditions. On the whole one should note that it is Moby’s tenth, jubilee album, and today this author can allow himself to relax a little, making it clear to his listeners that the most important thing in music for him is the atmosphere, which requires only a couple of synthesizer strokes to be created. Besides, Destroyed is the night city’s atmosphere, the state of still moments in people’s lives, buildings, streets, rooms – everything that has attracted Moby-the-photographer’s attention. As before, Moby has remained himself, expressing what he feels is right to express, displaying what he believes deserves attention and recording music he considers able to embody his inner world. The album Destroyed is released in two years after Wait For Me, and one can be sure that Moby will find a new inspiration source very soon and give us his another one of his stylish creations.