Moby Shares Track 'where is your pride?' Feat. the Late Benjamin Zephaniah
Moby will embark on his first tour in over a decade later this year across Europe/UK in celebration of his album "Play."
By: Josh Sharpe May. 15, 2024
Acclaimed New York City-based electronic musician, producer and activist Moby celebrates the life of Benjamin Zephaniah with new track "where is your pride?," out now taken from his 22nd studio album always centered at night, due out June 14th and available for pre-order now.
The propulsive, break-beat driven track is spoken word with a powerful message delivered in the late dub poet’s characteristically warm burr. "Where is your love? / Where is your faith? / Where is your hope? / Where is your place? / Where is your pride?" Moby is proud to share a track with the late Benjamin Zephaniah to continue to celebrate his life and notes their aligned ideals, "As a vegan activist, and as a wise and compassionate man, Benjamin inspired me for many years. I hope that 'where is your pride' honors his legacy and also draws people's attention to his life, work, and principles."
Benjamin Zephaniah was a British writer, dub poet, actor, musician and professor of poetry and creative writing. He was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008. He won the BBC Radio 4 Young Playwrights Festival Award in 1998 and was the recipient of at least sixteen honorary doctorates. Zephaniah was also a vegan and animal rights activist.
Even by Moby’s standards, always centered at night is special. The album features 13 collaborations in all, from names many might recognize to others many undoubtedly will come to recognize. The captivating voices on always centered at night include Sudanese, Netherlands-based chanteuse Gaidaa, London-based, Burundian royal refugee J.P. Bimeni, and Kingston-raised, London-based Aynzli Jones. These are often personal songs, and the personal is the political, as is the border-defying nature of the work. Moreover, they’re crepuscular, conceived at twilight, with many of the styles of the last 30 years in electronic music coming to the fore, such as the trip-hoppy "we’re going wrong" featuring Brie O’Banion, the broken beat, almost drum ‘n’ bass influenced "medusa" (with the aforementioned Aynzli Jones), or the Latin house of "feelings come undone" with Raquel Rodriguez.
In his pursuit of new sounds, Moby has become something of a collector of voices. He’s a connoisseur of the timbre and texture of human vocal chords, whether sampling artists like Bessie Jones, Vera Hall or Boy Blue on Play, or working with superstars like David Bowie.
Always centered at night–the album–is the continuation of the project of the same name that started in 2022. So far, each release has provided its own magic, such as lead single "dark days," which was released last month and was recorded with acclaimed soul-jazz singer-songwriter Lady Blackbird. It’s a defiant, rhythmic work propelled by her alluring, deep vocals and earnest soul. Since its inception collaborations with Gaidaa ("transit"), José James ("ache for"), Akemi Fox ("fall back"), serpentwithfeet ("on air") and Aynzli Jones ("medusa"), have seen it amass collective streams of over 15M across platforms. All 13 collaborations are collected together here for the first time. Thrilled to bring this dynamic body of work to the world, Moby explains, "For the last 30 years, I've worked with amazing singers–everyone from David Bowie to Freddie Mercury, Gregory Porter to Jill Scott. 'Always centered at night' continues my love of collaborating, but has a focus of working with amazing singers who might not be as well known as David Bowie and Gregory Porter." Though all tracks are collaborations, the music remains unmistakably Moby, dripping with glittery melodies and warm, hypnotic instrumentals.
Plus, Moby will embark on his first tour in over a decade later this year across Europe/UK in celebration of Play, which featured classics “Porcelain,” “Natural Blues” and “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?” and sold over 12 million copies worldwide, winning numerous awards and becoming the biggest-selling electronic album of all time. Tickets for the select dates, including a newly added show in Lausanne, Switzerland, are on sale now here. Three of the seven dates have already sold out. 100% of his tour profits will go to European animal rights organizations.
Moby is a multi-platinum-selling, multi-award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, author, and animal rights activist. He has been a vegan and vegan activist for 35 years and last year released his directorial debut Punk Rock Vegan Movie via his production company Little Walnut, a passionate and stylistically idiosyncratic look at the ongoing relationship between the worlds of punk rock and animal rights. It includes interviews with some of the biggest names in punk and rock history.
Join Moby in celebrating the rich life of Benjamin Zephaniah with the momentous collaboration, "where is your pride?" out now. Moby's new album, always centered at night featuring a remarkable host of collaborators, is due out June 14 via Mute and available for pre-order now. See Moby live in Europe and UK this September with tickets on sale now here. Keep up with all things Moby on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Moby's Greatest Hits Live in Europe/UK Celebrating 25 Years of Play
September 2024
September 18 - Manchester, England - The O2 Apollo (JUST ADDED)
September 19 - London, England - The O2
September 21 - Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpaleis (SOLD OUT)
September 22 - Berlin, Germany - Velodrom (SOLD OUT)
September 23 - Düsseldorf, Germany - Mitsubishi Electric Hall
September 24 - Paris, France - Le Zenith (SOLD OUT)
September 25 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Vaudoise Arena (JUST ADDED)
always centered at night (LP) Tracklisting
01. on air (feat. serpentwithfeet)
02. dark days (feat. Lady Blackbird)
03. where is your pride? (feat. Benjamin Zephaniah)
04. transit (feat. Gaidaa)
05. wild flame (feat. Danaé Wellington)
06. precious mind (feat. India Carney)
07. should sleep (feat. J.P Bimeni)
08. feelings come undone (feat. Raquel Rodriguez)
09. medusa (feat. Aynzli Jones)
10. we're going wrong (feat. Brie O'Banion)
11. fall back (feat. Akemi Fox)
12. sweet moon (feat. Choklate)
13. ache for (feat. José James)
Photo credit: Lindsay Hicks
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