Album Details

• Artist: Moby
• EP:
Be The One
• Label:
• Year of Release: 2011
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2011-03-05

Available free from Moby's website (http://www.moby.com), "Be the One" is a quick three song EP released just ahead of the full-length CD & photobook media behemoth "Destroyed," which is due in May. For the ambition of the upcoming release, the songs here are relatively quiet, almost like short poetic notes, rather than songs.

The title track is the most demonstrative, with lyrics like "I was the one that you needed love/I was the one when you needed love"  (and their opposite: "I was the hell that you needed..."etc) and a metallic monotone half spoken over a simple shimmering beat that slowly builds, or at least becomes louder and more dramatic; the tone of voice never changes. The instrumental "Sevastopol" features an insistent, ringing pulse, overlaid with a graceful sustained synth line. Humble, angelic, dreamy voices soar in the background.

A simple piano chord progression under a whispy ambient phrase propels "Victoria Lucas," which also includes what sounds like people whispering asides to each another, disembodied commentary; a louder moaning voice, in prayer or pain, echoes on out to the end of the track. This is minimal, ambiguous and haunting.

Moby has said that "Destroyed" sounds to him as "broken down melodic electronic music for empty cities at 2 a.m." If so, then "Be the One" offers the feeling of wonder and dread that anticipation brings upon entry into a new city. These songs are cautious, but direct and clearly open to whatever experiences they fuel or express.

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