Moby

Fire up a few seconds of "Go" and most retired ravers will spontaneously combust. Or at the very least, dance awkwardly, their memories tapped by the track's throbbing techno beat and sweeping Twin Peaks sample. The same club-anthem status applies to the rabid head-rush of "Feeling So Real," the piano stabs and wailing diva vocals of "Move (You Make Me Feel So Good)," and the candied house of "Everytime You Touch Me." Of course, Moby's more than just a dance music don; he's also a master of ambient movements (the piano-produced rain drops of "Hymn" and "God Moving Over the Face of the Waters") and — as Play would prove to millions — a bluesy middle ground between the DJ booth and long-lost field recordings ("Natural Blues," "Honey," "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?"). Did we mention that Moby's also an aspiring film composer and recovering punk rocker? Well, we'll get to that in our Next Steps.

Moby's classic 1997 compilation, I Like to Score, is exactly what the title suggests: a collection of songs written with a movie in mind, including a buzz saw guitar version of Joy Division's "New Dawn Fades" and the funky, locked spy grooves of a rebooted "James Bond Theme" (presented here in an EP-only extended mix). This might be surprising given the bald one's start as the rampaging conductor of rave standards like "Barracuda," "Next Is the E," and "Voodoo Child (Poor in NY Mix)." At least until you realize that Moby's an ex-punk rocker who’s able to pull off everything from a spastic, synth-guided Mission of Burma cover ("That's When I Reach for My Revolver") to very different collaborations with Public Enemy (a bombastic "Make Love F**k War") and Debbie Harry (the disco-leaning "New York, New York"). The pleasant surprises continue in our Deep Cuts, which also gather a ton of top-notch remixes.

One of the ways Moby continues to reinvent himself — aside from the constant creative shifts of his massive back catalogue, of course — is through his remixes. You know, slight left turns and complete 180s like the mic-toting MC and adrenaline-shot drum beats of "Everytime You Touch Me (NYC Jungle Mix)," the muted bongos and acid techno pulse of "All That I Need Is to Be Loved (Moby Dub)," and the manic club-pleaser "Bring Back My Happiness (Extended Version)." Moby's also handed over his tracks to some of the world's biggest and best DJs/producers, including DJ Tiësto (the thumping percussion and hissing hi-hats of "Extreme Ways"), Ferry Corsten (the superclub-bound "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad"), and fellow vocal vegan Josh Wink (the trance traces of "Bring Back My Happiness").

While it may be hard to believe that Moby's been around since the late '80s — what with the career-eclipsing sales of 1999's Play and all — it'll only take one quick spin of our playlist to appreciate the considerable growth that's characterized his career. In fact, you might even call him a living legend of electronic music, beginning with his pre-Play days and the boundless genre-jumping of the critically acclaimed Everything Is Wrong, considered one of the most important albums of the '90s. As for what's happened in the decade since Moby's breakthrough, he's done much more than modernize ancient blues and gospel songs (the Alan Lomax updates of "Run On," "Flower," and "In This World"). Aside from becoming a tea-peddling entrepreneur (his popular line, Teany), he’s attempted everything from old-school hip-hop ("Jam for the Ladies," featuring Angie Stone and MC Lyte) to melancholic pop ("South Side," "We Are All Made of Stars"), leaving listeners asking, "What can't this guy do?"