Great White Hope

You may not have heard of Moby, but if you listen to his new album, you won't forget about him any time soon. Moby's newest release is a compilation of his contributions to popular movies and shows, including "Twin Peaks," The Saint, Scream and Tomorrow Never Dies (the upcoming James Bond movie). Moby emerged in the early 90s as one of the vanguards of dance and techno music, and I Like to Score gives the listener a good taste of the depth and versatility of this outspoken artist's musical talent.

From reading the philosophical musings on the liner notes as well as listening to the music, one can tell that Moby's work revolves around some elemental themes: humanity, love, sex and spirituality. To develop these, Moby uses a wide range of sounds and beats. His ambient work, exemplified in the slow and encompassing melodies of "Novio" and "God Moving Over the Face of the Waters," are profoundly spiritual. He goes on to explore human passion in the pulsating, guitar-ridden and intensely sexual "Oil 1," and love in the deeply emotional "Love Theme." "Love Theme" is possibly the best song on the album, with its beautiful guitar work, tender, slow beats and a deep, rich background bass.

For all those who want a CD they can get up and dance to, not to worry; all of Moby's work on this album is not quite so heavy. The funky "I Like to Score" and "First Cool Hive" are catchy tunes, as is the "James Bond Theme"--a high-energy, danceable new track that will be released as a single in the near future. The most intriguing thing about Moby that manifests itself on this album is his musical flexibility, which is evident in the way his work on this album ranges from the sweeping mystical ambient-style of "Grace", to the fast-paced, hard grating electronica of "Ah-Ha". There is no doubt that the listener gets a full plate with this CD--it has music you can fall asleep to as well as play at your next party.

Another great thing about this album is that it is extremely accessible and easy to enjoy, even if one doesn't have a great knowledge of techno music. With the recent popularity of groups such as the Prodigy, it is easy to associate techno with just one kind of sound without realizing all of the different forms that electronica can take on. Although Moby isn't quite as well known as some other dance/techno icons, he is undoubtedly one of the best musicians because one can hear traces of his stylistic elements in acts such as Orbital, the Prodigy, Underworld and the Crystal Method. I Like to Score is an album that is easy to listen to and can also serve as a primer for the listener to experience different types of techno music.

No matter what the style, one word can describe all of the songs on I Like to Score, and that word is "consuming." Throw this disc in your CD player some time. You can sit and think about the music or just kick back and let it play in the background, but whatever you choose remember to be careful with this album--you could get lost in it.