I caught up with Moby at the opening of his photography exhibit from Destroyed at Clic bookstore and gallery in New York to ask him how he got into photography and how the book came about. “I’ve been a photographer for as long as I’ve been a musician,” said Moby. “I started shooting when I was ten, because my uncle has been a photographer for the New York Times, and he would give me his hand-me-down equipment. Later I became a photo assistant and started developing film and working in the dark room. For some reason I was never comfortable showing anybody my pictures. But on this last tour I took a lot of pictures and at the end of the tour I was showing the pictures to some friends of mine who are artists, and they were very encouraging. And that’s why I put it out as a book. Also, being on tour is a very weird environment, and putting out these photos makes me understand more the way I live.”
     It seems that putting out books in conjunction with music is a new trend (A few months back I reviewed the book/record combo by Anthony and the Johnsons for this publication). I asked Moby if this is the way to make a commercially viable product. “We are putting out a book at a small art publisher, so I don’t plan to sell many,” said he, “and no one really buys music anymore, so I don’t think there is such a thing as adding retail value. I make music because I love making music and I hope somebody listens to it. And I love taking pictures and showing them to people. So if people buy it or steal it or look at it for free, I don’t really care.”