US musician and songwriter Moby gave a wide-ranging interview to ERR while in Estonia as part of a recent tour.<\/p>\n
Moby, real name Richard Melville Hall, played<\/a> the Song Festival Grounds in Tartu earlier this month, as part of a tour marking the 25th anniversary of his seminal album “Play.”<\/p>\n Speaking to “Ringvaade,” Moby, who had last toured 15 years ago, said his previous visit to Estonia had consisted of “the hotel, the venue, the airport \u2013 and that was it.” This time, he’s been able to walk around, and noted the cooler weather as a relief after 40-degree or more heat in Spain and even England and Denmark.<\/p>\n “The Future Wet” even includes a track “Tallinn,” which he said was inspired by Arvo P\u00e4rt \u2013 “the simplicity, sort of like some of his later simple, meditative work.” Moby also noted he and P\u00e4rt share a birthday.<\/p>\n His musical journey included a stint studying jazz fusion at nine but he switched track after hearing British punk legends The Clash at age 12. “I don’t want to play virtuosic guitar solos. All I want to do is play in a punk rock band and yell at the top of my lungs.” He said he’s never seen a reason to stick to one genre, citing John Lennon, David Bowie and Joe Strummer as among his influences.<\/p>\n He said he once expected to become a philosophy professor, not a musician. “I thought my whole life was going to be teaching and making music that everyone ignored.”<\/p>\n A track of Moby’s, “Extreme Ways,” appearing in the end credits of the Jason Bourne movies was “a happy accident,” he noted, while looking ahead, the musician said he gravitates toward orchestral classical music. “Giving up loud dance music and concerts… and just writing simple quiet classical music… that seems like paradise.”<\/p>\n The interview also brought confirmation that Moby is related to Herman Melville (1819\u20131891), author of “Moby Dick,” though he was given the nickname by his father when he was a baby. Ironically given the novel primarily concerns whale hunting, Moby is also well-known for being a champion of animal rights and a vegan for almost four decades now, also touched on in the interview.<\/p>\n The full “Ringvaade” interview with Moby can be watched by clicking on the video player up top.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Follow ERR News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a> and never miss an update!<\/p>\n