By Felicity Clarke, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO – One of the most famous and most unassuming stars of electronic music, Moby, will be playing four dates in Brazil this month, including at Citibank Hall in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, April 24th.
The dates form part of the DJ, singer-songwriter, producer’s Wait For Me tour which follows on from the release of the album of the same name last April 2009.
Recorded in his studio hang out in New York’s Lower East Side and released on his Little Idiot label, Moby (real name Richard Melville Hall) was inspired to record the album after hearing a speech by cult art-film director David Lynch, with whom the artist has collaborated on videos such first single off the new album “Shot in the back of the head.”
“David was talking about creativity, and to paraphrase, about how creativity in and of itself, and without market pressures, is fine and good,” Moby says. “In making this record I wanted to focus on making something that I loved, without really being concerned about how it might be received by the marketplace. As a result it’s a quieter and more melodic and more mournful and more personal record than some of the records I’ve made in the past.”
Whether it’s his concern or not, the marketplace has been fond of Moby’s lush ambient electronica with its quirked samples and hip hop sensibility. 1999 breakthrough album Play sold over 10 million copies worldwide and spawned hits such as “Porcelain” and “Why does my heart feel so bad?”; he also famously licensed every track from the album to advertisers.
The incredible success of Play was followed by the albums 18 (2002), Hotel (2005) and Last Night (2008) as well as numerous collaborations and remixes for artists such as The Beastie Boys, Metallica, David Bowie and Michael Jackson.
Unlike the lukewarm receptions for his other recent work, Wait For Me has garnered critical acclaim for it’s more mature and contemplative direction while maintaining Moby’s signature elegant production.
To create the live sound, the Wait For Me tour will features a full band. In a website journal entry, Moby has said “the touring for the album will be with a full band and multiple vocalists, although i might incorporate some elements of the electronic/ambient show, as it enabled me to perform some songs I’d never been able to perform before.”
With a back catalog of exquisite electronic pop hits and a complete troupe of musicians, the shows this month look set to be a must for fans. The dates in Porte Alegre (April 20th), Curitiba (April 21st), São Paulo (April 23rd) and Rio de Janeiro (April 24th) form part of the South America leg which also includes shows in Peru, Chile, Argentina and Colombia.
The South American shows are the latest in a tour that has had dates in Europe and the USA over the last nine months. Tickets are available through Tickets For Fun.
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