Editing Moby (section)

==Career==

===Early Work and Rave Scene (1980s–1993)===

Moby began his career as a DJ and musician in the late 1980s, becoming embedded in the New York rave and club scene. He released several early dance singles, including ''Go'' (1991), which sampled the ''Twin Peaks'' theme by [[Angelo Badalamenti]] and became a significant club and chart hit in the United Kingdom. His early sound drew heavily on techno, hardcore, and ambient influences, and he was among the first American artists to gain credibility in the British rave scene.

His self-titled debut album ''Moby'' was released in 1992 on Instinct Records, showcasing his range across techno, ambient, and experimental electronic music.

===Mainstream Breakthrough (1994–1998)===

The mid-1990s saw Moby experiment more widely, releasing ''Everything Is Wrong'' (1995) and ''Animal Rights'' (1996), the latter a sharp stylistic turn toward guitar-driven punk and heavy rock that divided critics and alienated much of his dance music fanbase. The period also produced the ambient and instrumental ''I Like to Score'' (1997), a collection of film and TV compositions.

===''Play'' and Global Success (1999–2001)===

Released in May 1999, ''Play'' became a cultural phenomenon. The album featured interpolations of old [[blues]] and [[gospel]] field recordings — sourced largely from the Alan Lomax Archive — layered over modern electronic production. Tracks such as ''Porcelain'', ''Natural Blues'', ''South Side'' (featuring [[Gwen Stefani]]), and ''Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?'' achieved widespread radio play and commercial licensing.

In an unprecedented move at the time, every track on ''Play'' was licensed for use in films, television shows, and advertisements, making the album's music ubiquitous in popular culture. It eventually sold over 10 million copies worldwide and remained on the UK Albums Chart for years.

===Later Albums and Evolution (2002–present)===

Moby followed ''Play'' with ''18'' (2002), which performed well commercially though was overshadowed by its predecessor. Subsequent albums including ''Hotel'' (2005), ''Last Night'' (2008), ''Destroyed'' (2011), and ''Innocents'' (2013) demonstrated continued evolution across ambient, techno, blues, and post-rock textures.

''Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt'' (2018) and ''All Visible Objects'' (2020) continued his exploration of atmospheric and politically charged songwriting. He has also released several ambient-focused records under his own imprint, freely available for streaming and download, intended for sleep, meditation, and relaxation.