Moby has released his new project Reprise, which finds him reimagining some of his biggest tracks through the lens of classical music. Working with the Budapest Art Orchestra and a slew of other collaborators like Jim James, Gregory Porter, Mindy Jones, Skylar Grey, Luna Li and others, they give a new sound to each of these classics.
With the new tools and collaborators at his disposal, Moby works to create intriguing versions of his songs. He doesn’t completely disappear from the picture, often singing on the songs, but he does step aside to allow other artists to give their own vocal interpretations of the tracks, which can be a welcome addition to the LP.
There are moments when Reprise really shines when artists add more soul to some of the songs like “Natural Blues” with Gregory Porter and Amythyst Kiah or on “Why Does My Heart Hurt So Bad” with Apollo Jane & Deitrick Haddon.
Dance music and orchestras have become pretty common over the past few years, either as live shows or ways to recast songs like Above & Beyond’s Acoustic albums. Reprise does something similar, using the orchestra in multiple ways, allowing the orchestra to go full blast or let it gently recreate the tracks.
“God Moving Over The Face Of The Water” is one of the best examples of orchestral arrangements on the album reshaping the face of a track. The classic “Go” strips away the vocals, but keeps the energy with percussion and big, cinematic strings.
“Extreme Ways” gets much mellower and slower as if David Webb got old and is now walking off into the distance, tired of battling Treadstone, his Jason Bourne life and just wants some peace. Reprise eventually ends with slower and cinematic version of “The Last Day” featuring Skylar Grey and Darlingside.
Reprise gives Moby’s classics a new lease on life with new orchestral interpretations. They aren’t necessarily all slow, classical arrangements, but sometimes soulful and even upbeat, allowing the Budapest Art Orchestra to really go all out. It is a new way to listen to some classics with a new cast coming to the fore on these tracks. Pick up your copy here.
