In an op-ed piece for Creative Time Reportsthat was also published in the Guardian, Moby writes about his reasons for leaving New York City and moving to Los Angeles and encourages others to do the same. The musician refers to the "absurd cult of money" that has taken over New York, and says that at some point in the mid '90s, "New York had entered the pantheon of big cities that people visit and observe and patronize and document, but don’t actually add to, like Paris."
Later in the essay, Moby writes that New York is "exclusively about success" and that, conversely, "experimentation and a grudging familiarity with occasional failure are part of L.A.’s ethos." He uses Katy Perry and Quentin Tarantino as examples of nobodies who were able to "make something out of nothing" in Los Angeles, but conveniently ignores the many musicians and artists with similiar stories on the East Coast.
As a delayed disclaimer, Moby insists that "both cities are progressive and wonderful" and that he doesn't want to create a "New York-L.A. dichotomy." Instead, his essay reads more like a "New York is worst than literally every other place in the United States" rant, as he states that artists are leaving for "Portland, Minneapolis, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia and countless other places" (just not New Jersey).
We're not sure what New York did to Moby, but he isn't alone in his opinions. Check out the full essay over at Creative Time Reports and share your opinions below.
[via ArtInfo]
