Moby : 'Pale Horses'
Released: 22nd June 2009
Label: Little Idiot
Initially there isn't a great deal to dislike about “Pale Horses”, the latest offering from ambient-grandaddy Moby, although that may be largely in part to the fact that there isn't a great deal to like either. Frankly, under first inspection, there isn't a great deal of much. Yet, ever the master of minimalism, Moby has again created a track that whilst seemingly insubstantial grows of it's own accord.
Set against familiarly blissful beats, a downtrodden female vocal floats throughout in a recognisable style. Delicate sustained strings carry the melody in stark contrast to it's rather morbid content. “Put me by the window/let me see outside/look at all the places where all my family died.” Such heavy lyrics are curiously at home amidst the gentle electronic pulses, creating a warmth that taps the emotion of the vocals in an uncanny way. Floating backing vocals enforces a dreamlike state around the track, all of which eventually ebbs away to a tidy conclusion. Far from being insubstantial, the track becomes mesmeric without ever stepping away from it's quiet, unassuming premise.
When a track feels so sparse and bare after an initial listen, it is often impossible to hold out any hope for it. Yet Moby manages to somehow conceal the intricacies of “Pale Horses” beneath this simple premise, once again weaving his ambient magic into a seemingly lifeless song. His habit for reinvention is also indulged, with the single containing a total of nine track versions. Each prove to be as unique and as fascinating the next, crafting magic around a beautifully simple basis. If there is one thing to be learnt about Moby, it is certainly that all is not what it first appears to be.
Words: Dan Grose
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