Moby Reveals Battle With Drug and Alcohol Addiction
In the decade since his landmark 1999 album, 'Play,' made him a household name, electronic musician Moby has spent a lot of time in hotel rooms. His latest release, 'Destroyed,' is a mix of melancholy and warmth, composed while on tour in the dead of night during bouts of insomnia in hotels around the world.
A book of photos released alongside the album documents Moby's experiences on the road, from wide shots of excitable crowds to lonely glimpses of empty airport corridors. Taken together, the music and photography offer up a deeply personal account of the life of a touring musician. Moby spoke to Spinner about the pain of his drug and alcohol addiction, "repurposing insomnia" and why sometimes he likes to be treated like a baby.
You've said that the first video from the album, 'The Day,' is about addiction. Was it written from personal experience or from seeing others go through it?
It's both. I've had my own battles with drugs and liquor, and most of my friends have.
Was this a long time ago?
Actually, pretty recently. I'm clean and sober now, but I've spent most of my adult life not being that. What fascinates me about addiction and obsessive behaviour is that people would choose an altered state of consciousness that's toxic and ostensibly destroys most aspects of your normal life, because for a brief moment you feel okay. It's a response to the human condition that, when it works, is incredibly effective. I think it's really odd when people ostracize addicts, and someone says, "That dirty alcoholic," or "That dirty drug addict," when all they're trying to do is get through the next 48 hours and not feel terrible.
Why
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