Moby

Moby’s latest “album” is a four-hour playlist available as a free download (or on all the streaming platforms) that aims to encourage you toward sleep, or at least to enjoy calm and peaceful activities. Created as part of the soundtrack for Moby’s own yoga and relax-time, Long Ambients is, as it says on the box and does what he aims: a series of 20-minute tracks that are beat-less, word-less and drift along softly, slowly, as soundtrack on the quest for an inner calm.

I’ve been using it as the go-to-sleep-album across the last few weeks and it works. In that sense it’s very similar to – and a fine replacement/switch-up from – Max Richter’s 8-hour dream-soundtrack from last year, Sleep.

Perhaps the Moby album works better in, shall we say, the non-sleep mode; by which I mean I’ve found this a very nice early-AM soundtrack for first noises around the house, to accompany early-morning work and a cup of tea, to put on for a half hour or hour (or two) while reading or working or even for a nap outside of and away from the evening’s sleep.

It’s very Eno-esque/derived – which anyone with any knowledge of Moby will know is an obvious antecedent and influence. And the subtitle suggests there will be a series, more – and then maybe much more – to come.

Well, I’d welcome it. There are some lush and ovely chords here – reminding of the very best of Moby’s early ambient works and even some of the moments on his biggest pop successes. At his very best he’s able to create and achieve a unique space within and around a sonic that coaxes and calms. And that’s entirely the aim here. I’m interested in this not only for its restorative/calming qualities but as part of a process – presumably – in more (shorter-length) music to come.

Grab a hoon on this and tuck yourself in for a night of early relax-and-drift. It’s well worth it. Or use it as your “working” music if you’re that way inclined. I should think that after a good night’s sleep this wouldn’t lull you too easily, it could work as aural wallpaper through the headphones when tied to any of the screens.

A welcome gift from the Moby man at any rate.