Reprise (Moby album)

Last updated
Reprise
Moby - Reprise.png
Studio album by
ReleasedMay 28, 2021 (2021-05-28)
Recorded2021
StudioMoby's home studio in Los Feliz, Los Angeles
East-West Studios, Los Angeles
Budapest, Hungary
Length70:32
Label Deutsche Grammophon
Producer Moby
Moby chronology
Live Ambients – Improvised Recordings Vol. 1
(2020)
Reprise
(2021)
Ambient 23
(2023)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 6.7/10 [1]
Metacritic 76/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Irish Examiner Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
laut.de Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Musikexpress Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Uncut 7/10 [10]

Reprise is the 19th studio album by American musician Moby, released on May 28, 2021, by Deutsche Grammophon. It features orchestral and acoustic arrangements of songs from his career, performed by the Budapest Art Orchestra, a string quartet, along with multiple guest artists. [11]

Contents

Background

The album originates to when Moby attended a Bryan Ferry concert in Los Angeles, where a booker for the Los Angeles Philharmonic offered him the chance of performing live with the orchestra. This led to Moby's first ever concert with an orchestra, which took place in October 2018 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with conductor Gustavo Dudamel and Mayor Eric Garcetti on piano. [11] [12] A representative from Deutsche Grammophon approached Moby backstage with the idea of making an orchestral album, and he leapt at the idea. About the idea of his own songs re-recorded the classical way, Moby said, "Sometimes you just want direct, honest communication. Using acoustic and classical instruments allows you to increase the chances that direct vulnerable communication will be there. I don't know if I achieved that with Reprise, but that was the goal." [11]

After selecting a group of songs from his discography and preparing basic orchestral arrangements to accompany them at his home studio in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, initial sessions took place at East-West Studios in Los Angeles where tracks featuring piano, guitar, percussion, drums, and from a chamber orchestra were put down. When it came to recording the final orchestral parts, orchestras based in London, Berlin, and Memphis, Tennessee were considered but decided against. [13] In the end, the Budapest Art Orchestra was chosen and Moby decided not to attend the sessions in Budapest in person as he preferred to hand over his arrangements to a professional orchestrator. [11]

On March 26, 2021, Moby announced the album, and released "Porcelain" on his YouTube channel on the same day. [12]

Critical reception

The Independent critic recalled that “the original tracks felt as though they were recorded under the adrenalin of artificial lights, but these reworkings are flooded with daylight. It’s as though Moby is opening the curtains after a party, smoothing down the soft furnishings and carefully placing the crockery in the sink. The tracks lose their tension but gain an orderly, classical frame.” [14]

According to Gary Ryan of NME , Reprise is “full of dignified reworkings that don’t offer too many surprises”. “By drilling down to the compositional basics of his songs and then divesting them of their interesting production flourishes, [Moby] perversely makes them feel more like aural wallpaper.” [15]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Moby, except where noted

Reprise track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Original versions on:Length
1."Everloving"  Play (1999)3:18
2."Natural Blues" (with Gregory Porter and Amythyst Kiah)Play (1999)4:30
3."Go" Moby (1992)3:44
4."Porcelain" (with Jim James) Play (1999)5:54
5."Extreme Ways"  18 (2002)5:00
6."Heroes" (with Mindy Jones) 5:18
7."God Moving Over the Face of the Waters" (with Víkingur Ólafsson)  Everything Is Wrong (1995)7:42
8."Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" (with Apollo Jane and Deitrick Haddon) Play (1999)4:38
9."The Lonely Night" (with Mark Lanegan and Kris Kristofferson)
  • Moby
  • Mark Lanegan
Innocents (2013)5:43
10."We Are All Made of Stars" 18 (2002)6:01
11."Lift Me Up"  Hotel (2005)5:22
12."The Great Escape" (with Nataly Dawn, Alice Skye, and Luna Li)18 (2002)2:51
13."Almost Home" (with Novo Amor, Mindy Jones, and Darlingside)Innocents (2013)5:28
14."The Last Day" (with Skylar Grey and Darlingside)Innocents (2013)5:13
Total length:70:42

Notes

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Reprise
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [16] 32
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [17] 3
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [18] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [19] 4
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [20] 20
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [21] 8
French Albums (SNEP) [22] 30
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [23] 4
Irish Albums (OCC) [24] 23
Italian Albums (FIMI) [25] 24
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [26] 40
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [27] 37
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [28] 4
Scottish Albums (OCC) [29] 10
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [30] 1
UK Albums (OCC) [31] 21
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [32] 49
US Top Classical Albums (Billboard) [33] 2

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