Mobi spoke in Estonia about Tallinn, punk, and the future of classical music
American musician and songwriter Moby gave an interview to the Estonian public broadcaster ERR during his tour of Estonia. Earlier this month, he performed at the Singing Field in Tartu as part of his tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of the album *Play*.
According to ERR News, the musician’s real name is Richard Melville Hall. Moby said that his previous visit to Estonia was essentially limited to the hotel, the concert venue, and the airport. This time, he was able to go for a walk and noted the cooler weather after the heatwave of over 40 degrees in Spain, as well as the high temperatures in the UK and Denmark.
The musician also mentioned the song “Tallinn” from *The Future Wet*. According to him, it was influenced by the music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, particularly the simplicity and meditative quality of his later works. Moby added that he was born on the same day as Pärt.
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He said that at the age of nine, he studied jazz-fusion, but at 12, he changed his musical direction after discovering the work of the British punk band The Clash. Among his musical influences, Moby named John Lennon, David Bowie, and Joe Strummer, noting that he saw no need to limit himself to a single genre.
Moby also said that he had previously imagined himself as a philosophy professor rather than a musician. The song “Extreme Ways,” which was featured in the opening credits of the Jason Bourne films, was, in his view, a “happy accident.” Going forward, he is increasingly drawn to orchestral classical music and would like to write quiet, simple classical compositions.
During the conversation, the musician confirmed his connection to the writer Herman Melville, author of the novel Moby-Dick. He also shared that his father gave him the nickname Moby when he was a baby. The artist is known as an animal rights advocate and has been a vegan for nearly four decades.
