Destroyed (Moby album)
Encyclopedia
Destroyed. is the tenth studio album by American electronic
artist Moby
. It was released on May 13, 2011 by Mute Records
. Moby announced the title, track listing, and release date of the album on his website on February 15, 2011. A photography book of the same name was released in conjunction with the album.
and work on music at odd times of day, such as 2 a.m.. He said "it seemed as if everyone else in the world is sleeping." He would take any incomplete tracks back to his apartment, where, using his collection of unique instruments, he would finish them. His friends Emily Zuzik, Inyang Bassey, and Joy Malcom, as well as Moby himself, sang on the record. Musically, Moby summed it up as "broken down melodic electronic music for empty cities at 2 am." He says the title of the album makes sense when he listens to the music.
The song "Rockets" was previously released in 2008 as track 13 on A Night in NYC
. That version and the Destroyed version are different.
. Moby's flight was delayed, so he decided to explore the airport. He came across an electronic sign that said 'all unattended luggage will be destroyed'. Since the sign could only fit one word at a time, he waited until the word 'destroyed' appeared and snapped a shot. It was used as the cover art
for the album and also for the corresponding photography book, because it made sense to him when he listened to the contents of the album.
from April 2 and was officially released on May 9, along with a full remix bundle.
For the next single, Moby put a poll on his website for fans to vote on which song should be released next. After the voting ended, the chosen single was "Lie Down in Darkness", even though it came in third, the first two songs being "After" and "Blue Moon".
On 30 August, Moby posted on his website journal another request for the third official single. This time the fans could only suggest the titles of the songs without a poll. The following day, he announced through his Twitter
account that, as per choice, the next singles to be released from the album were "After" and "The Right Thing", even though "Blue Moon" was a fan favourite, as seen from the title entries and the previous poll's results. The release will be a double single.
, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 61, based on 23 reviews, which indicates "Generally favorable reviews". Shakefire.com was generally positive in its review of the album, saying that "Destroyed. provides a much more enjoyable experience than some of his previous albums. It's not as good as his early work but it'll do." Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone
wrote that "Moby finds a way to make permanent midnight weirdly inviting", giving the album 3.5 stars out of 5. BBC Music
's Ian Moffatt praised the album, describing the songs as being "his most enduring endeavours yet". However, Spin
gave the album a negative review, writing that "Destroyed. is about as appetizing as a warmed-over deli tray." Pitchfork Media
also gave the album a low 3.5 out of 10.
(2009), debuting at number 35. In Europe, the album reached top 10 positions in Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland.
.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
artist Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
. It was released on May 13, 2011 by Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
. Moby announced the title, track listing, and release date of the album on his website on February 15, 2011. A photography book of the same name was released in conjunction with the album.
Recording and sound
The majority of the recording was done while Moby was touring. He'd stay up in his hotel room because of his insomniaInsomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
and work on music at odd times of day, such as 2 a.m.. He said "it seemed as if everyone else in the world is sleeping." He would take any incomplete tracks back to his apartment, where, using his collection of unique instruments, he would finish them. His friends Emily Zuzik, Inyang Bassey, and Joy Malcom, as well as Moby himself, sang on the record. Musically, Moby summed it up as "broken down melodic electronic music for empty cities at 2 am." He says the title of the album makes sense when he listens to the music.
The song "Rockets" was previously released in 2008 as track 13 on A Night in NYC
A Night in NYC
A Night in NYC is a compilation album by Moby released free with The Sunday Times on May 11, 2008 to promote his album Last Night.- Track listing :# "Ooh Yeah" – # "Honey" – # "In My Heart" –...
. That version and the Destroyed version are different.
Artwork
The artwork for the album was shot at LaGuardia AirportLaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
. Moby's flight was delayed, so he decided to explore the airport. He came across an electronic sign that said 'all unattended luggage will be destroyed'. Since the sign could only fit one word at a time, he waited until the word 'destroyed' appeared and snapped a shot. It was used as the cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
for the album and also for the corresponding photography book, because it made sense to him when he listened to the contents of the album.
Singles
It was revealed on Moby's official site that the first single would be "The Day". It was available in advance on iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
from April 2 and was officially released on May 9, along with a full remix bundle.
'The Day' was written in a hotel room in Spain at dawn when I hadn’t slept. It was a beautiful hotel room, a beautiful perfect hotel room and it was six or seven in the morning. I wrote it on an acoustic guitar and recorded it on my phone, brought it home and re-recorded it with old broken down electronics that I have in my studio"
– Moby
For the next single, Moby put a poll on his website for fans to vote on which song should be released next. After the voting ended, the chosen single was "Lie Down in Darkness", even though it came in third, the first two songs being "After" and "Blue Moon".
On 30 August, Moby posted on his website journal another request for the third official single. This time the fans could only suggest the titles of the songs without a poll. The following day, he announced through his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account that, as per choice, the next singles to be released from the album were "After" and "The Right Thing", even though "Blue Moon" was a fan favourite, as seen from the title entries and the previous poll's results. The release will be a double single.
Reception
Critical reception
The album has received mixed to positive reviews from critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 61, based on 23 reviews, which indicates "Generally favorable reviews". Shakefire.com was generally positive in its review of the album, saying that "Destroyed. provides a much more enjoyable experience than some of his previous albums. It's not as good as his early work but it'll do." Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
wrote that "Moby finds a way to make permanent midnight weirdly inviting", giving the album 3.5 stars out of 5. BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
's Ian Moffatt praised the album, describing the songs as being "his most enduring endeavours yet". However, Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
gave the album a negative review, writing that "Destroyed. is about as appetizing as a warmed-over deli tray." Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
also gave the album a low 3.5 out of 10.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 69 in the United States, becoming Moby's lowest charting album to date. In the United Kingdom, the album fared better than Wait for MeWait for Me (Moby album)
Wait for Me is the ninth studio album by American electronica musician Moby, released on June 29, 2009. Moby announced the title, track listing, and release date of the album on his website on April 14, 2009....
(2009), debuting at number 35. In Europe, the album reached top 10 positions in Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany and Switzerland.
Destroyed Deluxe
On October 31, a deluxe edition of the album was released, called Destroyed Deluxe, including, beside the standard CD, a full disk of new music, a DVD with videos and exclusive festival footage, and a 24-page booklet with new photos taken by Moby. A free download of one of the new songs included, "The Poison Tree", was released on the album's mini-site. It was first released as part of the Download for Good compilation in support of the David Lynch FoundationDavid Lynch Foundation
The David Lynch Foundation For Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace is a global charitable foundation based in Fairfield, Iowa. It was founded by film director and Transcendental Meditation practitioner David Lynch in 2005....
.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Moby, except "The Low Hum", co-written with Emily Zuzik, and "Lie Down in Darkness", co-written with Justin Kielty and Joy Malcolm.Track listing
Deluxe Edition Bonus CD
DVDCharts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
27 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
6 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
8 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
16 |
| Czech Albums Chart | 8 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
14 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
19 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
10 |
| Greek Albums Chart Greek Albums Chart International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
26 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
60 |
| Polish Albums Chart OLiS OLiS is the official list of the highest selling music albums in Poland. The list exists since October 23, 2000 and is provided by ZPAV.... |
43 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa is currently the only recording industry association in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV and UNEVA .... |
27 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 35 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
7 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
35 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
69 |
| US Dance/Electronic Albums | 2 |