Always Centered at Night

by Moby

Overview

Moby launched Always Centered at Night as a digital imprint in 2022, aiming to collaborate with lesser-known vocalists he admires, in order to create music without commercial expectations. He wants the project's output to be the type of music people discover on their own, preferring a small but passionate audience to the sort of cultural ubiquity Play had decades earlier. Several singles culminated in the 2024 release of the full-length Always Centered at Night, issued by Moby's longtime home Mute. Considering that Moby has released defiantly non-commercial music such as his long-form ambient/drone works (like the stellar Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep.) and the minimalist techno 12"s of his short-lived side label Trophy Records, Always Centered at Night actually sounds much closer to his pop-minded albums, except that he doesn't sing any of the songs. (Nothing against Moby's own voice, but the guest vocalists are welcome, considering that they all sound much better than him.) The title nods to his longstanding passion for club culture, and while this is certainly an electronic album, with hardly any obvious rock influences, it's not strictly made up of dance tracks, either. Stirring opener "on air" features serpentwithfeet, an ideal match for the song's drifting beat, rhythmic handclaps, and haunting vocal samples. Several other songs showcase bluesy, gospel-inspired vocals, often over tasteful disco/house grooves, with highlights including the crackling, slightly psychedelic "wild flame" (featuring Danaé Wellington), the yearning deep house of "feelings come undone" (with Raquel Rodriguez), and the slow-burning boogie of "should sleep" (featuring JP Bimeni). Two tracks surprisingly dip into drum'n'bass rhythms, a genre Moby has only occasionally touched in the past, and usually on obscure B-sides. The socially conscious but not explicitly political "where is your pride?" features one of the final performances by revolutionary dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah (like Moby, a longtime vegan and animal rights activist), while the tense "medusa" features returning collaborator Aynzli Jones. Gaidaa contributes the lovely trip-hop cut "transit," and the intoxicating "fall back" (featuring Akemi Fox) deserves mention as well. José James, easily the album's most famous guest star, closes the record with "ache for," a Nat King Cole-style jazz ballad that soars with emotional intensity. For an album that spans multiple styles and features a different guest vocalist on every song, Always Centered at Night is consistently passionate and spiritual. ~ Paul Simpson

Product Details

Release Date:	06/14/2024
Label:	Mute U.S.
UPC:	0724596115121

Tracks

1. On Air
2. Dark Days
3. where is your pride?
4. Transit
5. Wild Flame
6. Precious MInds
7. Should Sleep
8. Feelings Come Undone
9. medusa
10. We're Going Wrong
11. Fall Back
12. Sweet Moon
13. Ache For

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Moby   Primary Artist
Choklate   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Benjamin Zephaniah   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Brie O'Banion   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Akemi Fox   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Lady Blackbird   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Gaidaa   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
J.P. Bimeni   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Danae Wellington   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
serpentwithfeet   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
India Carney   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Raquel Rodriguez   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Aynzli Jones   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Jose James   Primary Artist,Featured Artist

Technical Credits

India Carney   Composer
Chris Seefried   Vocal Producer
serpentwithfeet   Composer
Danae Wellington   Composer
Benjamin Zephaniah   Composer
Moby   Composer,Producer
Choklate   Composer
J.P. Bimeni   Composer
Akemi Fox   Composer
Raquel Rodriguez   Composer
Ben O'Neill   Mixing Engineer
Brie O'Banion   Composer
Aynzli Jones   Composer
Brian Sanhaji   Mastering Engineer
Gaidaa   Composer
Jose James   Composer
Lady Blackbird   Composer