After
by Moby

Album: Destroyed (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Moby sings here (with the help of a vocoder) about messed-up relationships that have stopped working. He said: "What I really wanted to do with this song is have a middle section that goes on way too long and I hope I have achieved that. The song starts quiet and strange and then gets propulsive and energetic. And then about half way through the song it sort of stops for about a minute and a half and then it all comes back in. Whether anyone will notice this or care I don't know."
  • Flatbush, Brooklyn native Inyang Bassey supplies the backing vocals. She was two years into a day job producing concerts for the renowned Carnegie Hall when Moby invited her to tour with him.
  • This is the fourth single from Destroyed, Moby's 10th studio album. None of the singles from the album charted in the US or UK.
  • The album is Moby's second release via his own indie label, Little Idiot.
  • Aspiring filmmakers competed for the chance to create the Moby music video for the "Hello, Future" video contest organized by Saatchi & Saatchi and Vimeo. The winning entry for "After" was from Alberto Gomez, a 23-year-old director from Mexico. He explained the concept: "It's the story of a young princess who becomes an orphan and is charged with the responsibility and duty of being queen. At first she's scared, sad, and destroyed by her own thoughts, but in the end she blossoms into a beautiful and powerful queen."

    Another video by Austrian director Antonin Pevny was also selected. His version features a group of children attempting to escape a nuclear power plant while the monitors in the control room display Moby's performance. It was shot at a real nuclear facility that was built near Vienna in the 1970s. The same location was used in the 2013 French-Austrian film Grand Central.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Glen Burtnik

Glen BurtnikSongwriter Interviews

On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.