Editing Moby (section)

===1993–1998: Signing with Elektra, ''Everything Is Wrong'', and ''Animal Rights''===
In 1993, Moby signed with [[Elektra Records]], which lasted for five years. He secured a deal with [[Mute Records]], a British label, to handle his European distribution.<ref name=NYT02/><ref name=CCD99>{{cite web|url=https://www.chaoscontrol.com/moby-1999/|title=Moby|first=Bob|last=Gourley|date=1999|publisher=Chaos Control Digizine|access-date=April 14, 2019|archive-date=April 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414142710/https://www.chaoscontrol.com/moby-1999/|url-status=live}}</ref> Moby's output for Elektra/Mute began with ''[[Move (Moby song)|Move]]'', a four-track EP released in August 1993. He attempted to make it in a professional studio, but he disliked the results and re-recorded it at home. The song "[[All That I Need Is to Be Loved|All That I Need Is to Be Loved (MV)]]" is his first song to feature his own vocals.<ref name=CC93/> The first single, "[[Move (Moby song)|Move (You Make Me Feel So Good)]]", reached No. 1 on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot Dance Club Songs|Hot Dance Music/Club Play]] chart and No. 21 in the UK.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lifeandlove.tv/article.cfm/aid/1078 |title=Moby |publisher=LifeAndLove.tv |access-date=November 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131119082643/http://www.lifeandlove.tv/article.cfm/aid/1078 |archive-date=November 19, 2013 }}</ref> In 1993, Moby toured as the headlining act with [[Orbital (band)|Orbital]] and [[Aphex Twin]]. A rift developed between Aphex Twin and himself, partly due to Moby's refusal to tolerate their cigarette smoke, so he travelled to each gig by plane, leaving the rest on the tour bus.<ref name=EXC02/> In 1994, Moby put out ''Demons/Horses'', an electronic album of two 20-minute tracks under the name Voodoo Child.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|url=https://www.discogs.com/Voodoo-Child-Demons-Horses/release/20506|title=Demons/Horses|year=1994|others=Voodoo Child|publisher=NovaMute|id=12 NoMu 32|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126161431/https://www.discogs.com/Voodoo-Child-Demons-Horses/release/20506|url-status=live}}</ref>

Moby's contract with Elektra allowed the opportunity to make his third full-length album, which was underway in 1994. He chose to include a variety of musical styles on the album that he either liked or had been influenced by, including electronic dance, ambient, rock, and industrial music. ''[[Everything Is Wrong (album)|Everything Is Wrong]]'' was released in March 1995 to critical praise; ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' magazine named it Album of the Year and some commentators considered it to be an album ahead of its time as it failed to crack the ''Billboard'' 200 or have an impact on the dance charts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2005/06/100-greatest-albums-1985-2005/ |title=100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005 |work=Spin Magazine |date=June 20, 2005 |access-date=February 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804123605/https://www.spin.com/2005/06/100-greatest-albums-1985-2005/ |archive-date=August 4, 2009 }}</ref><ref name=LAT95>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/154668659/|title=Superstardom remains elusive for Moby|first=Lorraine|last=Ali|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|page=F10|date=July 1, 1995|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=April 14, 2019|archive-date=June 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614024106/https://www.newspapers.com/image/154668659/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the UK, the album reached No. 25 and the singles "[[Hymn (Moby song)|Hymn]]" and "[[Feeling So Real]]" went to Nos. 31 and 30, respectively. Elektra took advantage of its diverse sound by distributing tracks of the same style to corresponding radio stations nationwide.<ref name=THC95/> Early copies put out in the UK and Germany included a bonus CD of ambient music entitled ''Underwater''. Moby toured the album with some headline spots on the second stage at the 1995 [[Lollapalooza]] festival.<ref name=LAT95/> He followed it with a double remix album, ''[[Everything Is Wrong (remix album)|Everything Is Wrong—Mixed and Remixed]]''.

The success of ''Everything Is Wrong'' had Moby reach a new peak in critical acclaim. The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' thought the 29-year-old Moby was "poised for greatness [...] to make that big crossover" from a respected underground artist to a mainstream dance and rock musician.<ref name=LAT95/> ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' declared him "King of techno" and ''Spin'' named him "the closest techno comes to a complete artist."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l-MCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA51|magazine=New York Magazine|date=March 27, 1995|title=Call Me Moby|first=Chris|last=Norris|page=48|via=Google Books|access-date=May 11, 2019|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204031818/https://books.google.com/books?id=l-MCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA51|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1995, Moby was approached by [[Courtney Love]] to produce the next [[Hole (band)|Hole]] album, but he declined.<ref name=EXC02/> He directed the music video for "Young Man's Stride" by [[Mercury Rev]].<ref name=TW13>{{cite web|url=https://theweeklings.com/joe-daly/2013/08/03/moby-the-interview/|title=Moby: The Interview|first=Joe|last=Daly|date=August 3, 2013|access-date=May 12, 2019|archive-date=May 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512200721/https://theweeklings.com/joe-daly/2013/08/03/moby-the-interview/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1995 and 1996, Moby put out a number of "self-indulgent dance" singles under the pseudonyms Lopez and DJ Cake on Trophy Records, his own Mute imprint, so he could release material that he was interested in without concern for its commercial impact.<ref name=F97>{{cite web|url=https://www.furious.com/perfect/moby.html|title=Moby: Interview by Jason Gross (September 1997)|publisher=Perfect Sound Forever|first=Jason|last=Gross|date=September 1997|access-date=April 14, 2019|archive-date=November 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106031305/http://www.furious.com/perfect/moby.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1996, Moby contributed "Republican Party" to the AIDS benefit album ''[[Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip]]'' produced by the [[Red Hot Organization]] and released his second Voodoo Child album, ''[[The End of Everything (album)|The End of Everything]]''.<ref name=LAT97/>

While touring ''Everything Is Wrong'', Moby had grown bored with the electronic scene and felt the press had failed to understand his records and take them seriously. This marked a major stylistic change for his next album, ''[[Animal Rights (album)|Animal Rights]]'', combining guitar-driven rock songs with Moby on lead vocals and softer ambient tracks.<ref name=SFE970209>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/462302404/|title=Moby gets out of his depth|first=Robert|last=Levine|date=February 9, 1997|page=42|newspaper=The San Francisco Examiner|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 13, 2019|archive-date=June 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623182004/https://www.newspapers.com/image/462302404/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=SFE970824>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/462708652/|title=Pop Quiz: Q&A with Moby|first=Steffan|last=Chirazi|date=August 24, 1997|page=51|newspaper=The San Francisco Examiner|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 13, 2019|archive-date=June 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614045315/https://www.newspapers.com/image/462708652/|url-status=live}}</ref> Upon completing the album Moby said that it was "weird, long, self-indulgent and difficult".<ref name="hitquarters.com" /><ref name=LAT97>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/156718292/|title=Cut the Beat, Crank Up the Guitar|first=Lorraine|last=Ali|date=January 19, 1997|page=80|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 10, 2019|archive-date=June 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623162120/https://www.newspapers.com/image/156718292/|url-status=live}}</ref> Its lead single is a cover version of "[[That's When I Reach for My Revolver]]" by post-punk group [[Mission of Burma]]. ''Animal Rights'' was released in September 1996 in the UK, where it peaked at No. 38, and in February 1997 in the US. It was poorly received by his dance fan base who felt Moby had abandoned them, creating doubts as to what kind of artist Moby really was. Moby pointed out that he had not abandoned his electronic music completely and had worked on dance and house mixes and film scores while making ''Animal Rights''.<ref name=SPIN97>{{cite web|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/moby-tech-inoi-|title=Moby: Tech no!|first=Eric|last=Weisbard|date=March 1997|magazine=Spin|via=[[Rock's Backpages]]|access-date=April 14, 2019|archive-date=April 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414162842/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/moby-tech-inoi-|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=LAT9700910>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/157168215/|title=Under the Big Top|first=Sara|last=Scribner|date=September 10, 1997|page=21|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 13, 2019|archive-date=June 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620202143/https://www.newspapers.com/image/157168215/|url-status=live}}</ref>

After ''Animal Rights'', Moby's manager recalled: "We found ourselves struggling for even the slightest bit of recognition. He became a has-been in the eyes of a lot of people in the industry".<ref name="hitquarters.com" /> Despite the hit in sales and critical response, Moby promoted the album with a European tour with [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] and [[Soundgarden]], and headlined the Big Top tour with other dance and electronic DJs.<ref name=SFE970824/> He returned to the genre after liking the [[house music]] that a friend and DJ had played at a party.<ref name=LAT9700910/> In October 1997, Moby displayed his range of music styles with the release of ''[[I Like to Score]]'', a compilation of his film soundtrack work with some re-recorded tracks.<ref name=SFE970824/><ref name=AAS97>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/356872661/|title=Moby scores with mix of soothers and seethers|first=Michael|last=Corcoran|date=October 21, 1997|page=E1|newspaper=Austin American-Statesman|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 13, 2019|archive-date=June 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614034711/https://www.newspapers.com/image/356872661/|url-status=live}}</ref> Among them are updated version of the "[[James Bond Theme]]" used for ''[[Tomorrow Never Dies]]'', music used in ''[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]'', and a cover of "[[New Dawn Fades]]" by [[Joy Division]], an instrumental version of which appeared in ''[[Heat (1995 film)|Heat]]''.<ref name=AAS97/><ref>{{cite web |last=Eakin |first=Marah |url=https://www.avclub.com/review/moby-emi-like-to-scoreem-21096 |title=Moby: I Like To Score · The A.V. Club |date=March 29, 2002 |publisher=Avclub.com |access-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-date=December 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206185224/http://www.avclub.com/review/moby-emi-like-to-scoreem-21096 |url-status=live }}</ref> Late 1997 saw Moby start his first US tour in two years.<ref name=AJ97>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/156156870/|title=Multitalented Moby proves he 'Likes to Score'|first=Matt|last=Peiken|date=December 5, 1997|page=B4|newspaper=Albuquerque Journal|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 13, 2019|archive-date=June 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614024107/https://www.newspapers.com/image/156156870/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1998, Elektra granted Moby's request to be released from his deal on the condition that he paid to leave, which amounted to "quite a lot". He felt Elektra did little to capitalise on the critical success of ''Everything Is Wrong'', and that it was only interested in radio friendly hits.<ref name=TR99>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30660171/|title=Moby's second coming|first=Larry|last=Katz|date=October 22, 1999|newspaper=The Record|page=17|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=April 16, 2019|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204031849/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30660171/moby-1999/|url-status=live}}</ref> Left without an American distributor, his only deal remained with the UK-based Mute Records.<ref name=NYT02/><ref name=LAT99>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/160490176|title=He sees no borders|first=Robert|last=Hilburn|date=August 10, 1999|page=F1, F12|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 13, 2019|archive-date=June 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620202149/http://www.newspapers.com/image/160490176/|url-status=live}}</ref> Moby considered himself an artist that did not belong to a major label as his music did not fit with the genres that they promoted.<ref name=CCD99/>