News

​Moby comments on feud with Aphex Twin: “It rubbed me the wrong way”

The pair first clashed in 1993 during a joint headline tour alongside Orbital

Moby has commented on his long-running feud with Aphex Twin, which began more than three decades ago during a joint headline tour alongside Orbital.

In an interview with Stereogum, the US producer explained that there was a “sadness” to their feud, adding: "It rubbed me the wrong way”.

The clash began in 1993 when Moby embarked on a headline tour alongside Aphex Twin and Orbital. Moby insisted on travelling by plane to each show while the others travelled via tour bus, causing tensions between the pair.

Read this next: Aphex Twin reveals new augmented reality app and immersive experience

The feud developed when Aphex reportedly called Moby a “buffoon” during an interview with a journalist at the time, telling them that he “couldn’t understand” why Moby was booked on the same tour.

“There was a sadness to it, because I really liked his records. I especially liked ['Selected Ambient Works 85-92'],” Moby told Stereogum in a new interview.

“I went into that tour feeling like, 'hey, we’re all in this together'. I realised pretty quickly they didn’t feel that way. Luckily, that was a long time ago.”

Moby added that he doesn’t have an “ill will” towards anyone, but said that there was a “collective embarrassment about the emotional expression of rave culture”.

“It rubbed me the wrong way because I love underground electronic music,” he said. “I always have, even going back to the ’70s and the ’80s.”

Read this next: Two archival Aphex Twin tracks released by anonymous SoundCloud account

Speaking on Thump’s Rave Curious podcast back in 2016, Moby said that he was a fan of Aphex Twin at the time, but struggled to enjoy his music after their clash.

“It was a shame,” he told the podcast host, adding: “It was hard to continue to like someone’s music when you know they hold you in contempt.”

[Via: Stereogum]

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter