i hope i don’t get into copyright trouble by including the following, but it made me very happy and i wanted to share it with you.
wednesday, 27 november, 2002, 11:57 gmt by louise burke bbc news online
moby won the best website award at this year’s mtveurope music awards; bbc news online finds out what all the fuss is about.
moby is no stranger to music award ceremonies andthis year’s mtv europe music awards was no different. but this time round it was his website, not his music, that got the vote.
in the music world, moby is well known for hiscutting edge dance music. since his arrival on the dj circuit in new york in 1984, he has gone on to great success with his albums play and 18.
and it is clear that his dynamism is also reflected in his website, moby.com.
moby reveals his innermost thoughts in his online journal
the design of the site is minimal and simplistic -and that is its charm.
his fellow mtv nominees linkin park and u2 mayprovide the “”wow-factor”” with their flash introductions, but once they are over it leaves you hesitant about where to click next.
in contrast, moby’s site is clean and clear -content evidently comes before design finesse. the navigation is straight-forward – if you highlight an area with your cursor it will simply send you there.
and you will not be disappointed when you arrive at your destination.
the journal, for example, allows you to enter themind of the man himself.
moby submits a diary entry almost every day -sometimes 3 times a day. it is not just celebrity drivel either. while on tour in manchester recently, moby took time out to put across his views on the oil spill in spain.
animations
he has also commented on the us election and even us studies on sperm count.
the informality of the journal makes it an addictive read. his musings are very personal and entertaining (with the odd expletive thrown in).
seven moby videos including the making of… we are all made of stars, honey and body rock are available to view on the site using windows media player which is easy enough.
but the best media feature has to be the moby blips.
these are 18 animated mini-movies created in flash and designed by moby himself. each blip corresponds to a track on the album 18. they are funky, quirky and amusing. an added bonus is that you can share their value with a friend by clicking on the e-mail option.
doubtless moby will offer something similar topromote future albums, creating a pull for dedicated fans.
although the other features are generally what youwould expect from a music artist’s website – discography, pictures, tour information and news – you get the feeling that moby played a large part in the creation of this site.
it is this personal touch that sets it apart from the usual fan fodder often created and written by a team of techies at the record label.