Moby: Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?

Question 1

Samples and Melody

Answer 1

• Based on two samples taken from a recording made in 1953 of a gospel choir, singing King Jesus will roll all burdens away.
• The first sample(A) is sung by a male singer and is used for the verses.
• The second sample(B) is sung by a female singer and is used In the chorus.

Question 2

Samples and Melody 2

Answer 2

• Both samples have been manipulated to change the meaning of the words.
• They have a ‘vintage’ feel as Moby hasn’t cleaned up the surface noise on the recording(crackles).
• These samples are looped to create a melody, repetitive and simple.

Question 3

Harmony and Tonality

Answer 3

• The harmony is entirely diatonic, made up of three simple, repeated chord progressions lasting for 8 bars.
• First sample set to chord sequence Am, Em ,G, D.
• Second sample is harmonised in 2 different ways, firstly C,Am,C,Am to F,C,F,C.
• Verse in Dorian mode on A and choruses in C major.

Question 4

Rhythm, Tempo and Metre

Answer 4

• The song is in 4/4 with a steady tempo of 98bpm.

- Syncopation is used in the piano, vocal and synthesised string parts.

Question 5

Rhythm, Tempo and Metre 2

Answer 5

-Rhythms varied between sections providing contrast.
I.e the piano pattern changes at the end of the first verse and static chords appear in the second chorus.
-Drum loop entering after 16 bars, made up of a breakbeat that Moby sampled from a hip-hop track.
Bass drum beats 1 and 3 with strong accents on the back beats beats 2 and 4 from snare drum.

Question 6

Structure and Texture

Answer 6

-Based on a verse-chorus structure.
-Samples are looped to create verse and choruses.
-After second verse there is a breakdown-bar silence.
Contrasts in texture are provided by: Varying instrumentation for each 8-bar section, the use of silence, sections with just static chords for accompaniment.

Question 7

Structure and Texture 2

Answer 7

-The texture is built up as individual tracks are introduced one by one:
A1: Piano only, A2: Voice enters, A3: Drums enter, plus a string-synth countermelody, A4 bass enters, plus held string-synth chords, A5:Syncopated piano chords introduced.
-After breakdown texture becomes thinner as piano and drums drop out, and re-enter for the next 8 bars, then drop out again until end.

Question 8

Use of Technology

Answer 8

-Moby used:
Synthesiser- to produce the string, bass and piano sounds.
Sampler- Used for the vocal samples, and breakbeat rhythm on drum track.
Drum Machine- to create the drum track
Sequencer- To trigger the sampler and synthesisers.

Question 9

Use of Technology 2

Answer 9

• Panning is used to place sounds in stereo field.
• Reverb and delay are used to break down the track, hearing effects in one bar break down.
• In second verse, echoes of voice are created through delay and processed by EQ to remove lower frequencies.
• Electronic ghostings on the male vocal sample when it first comes in (backing singers in original sample)

Question 10

History

Answer 10

• Comes from the album Play released in 1999.

- Play has 18 tracks with Moby featuring as singer, composer, performer, engineer and producer.