DJ and EDM Trends: Moby (2015 NAMM Show)

During “Breakfast of Champions” at the 2015 NAMM Show, Moby joined NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond to discuss the DJ and electronic dance music explosion. The pioneering artist also received NAMM’s Music for Life Award, the highest honor in the music products industry.

Weighing in on the stigma that’s sometimes attached to DJ and EDM artists, Moby pointed out that great albums are made by a range of different musicians—everyone from virtuosos to those with little skill but an abundance of creativity.

“A lot of my friends who are more traditional musicians hate the fact that people have success without any musical background,” he said. “But to me, that’s the world that we live in. There are some amazing musicians making great records, and then there are some people who literally don’t know how to play music but they’re making great records. Railing against that or complaining about it is akin to yelling at a train as it goes by.

“Great records have always been made in a myriad of different ways—by virtuoso musicians and by people who have no idea what they’re doing. And ultimately, the way an individual responds to music subjectively is the criteria by which music should be evaluated.”

Moby also shared how he shops for musical instruments and gear. He acknowledged that he purchases gear through online retailers and eBay but also said he enjoys the hands-on experience central to brick-and-mortar merchants.

​“The first time an electronic musician who only works with software touches an analog synth and actually touches the VCO or LFO, all of sudden, their world expands. And I think retailers ideally should be promoting that experience. You’re selling equipment to people who already know what the equipment does, but you’re also introducing equipment to people who’ve never had that hands-on experience with equipment. And that’s something that can only happen in-person.”