Editing Moby (section)

===1989–1993: Signing with Instinct, "Go", and breakthrough===
In 1989, Moby relocated to New York City with his close friend, artist [[Damian Loeb]].<ref name=NYT11/><ref name=NYT02/> In addition to performing DJ sets in local bars and clubs, he played guitar in [[alternative rock]] group [[Ultra Vivid Scene]] and appeared in the video for their 1989 single "Mercy Seat".<ref>{{cite web|title=120 REASONS TO LIVE: ULTRA VIVID SCENE|url=http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2011/01/04/120-reasons-to-live-ultra-vivid-scene/|website=[[Magnet (magazine)|Magnet]]|date=January 4, 2011|access-date=June 2, 2016|archive-date=August 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821002741/http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2011/01/04/120-reasons-to-live-ultra-vivid-scene/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Buckley|first1=Peter|title=The Rough guide to rock : [the definitive guide to more than 1200 artists and bands]|date=2003|publisher=Rough Guides|location=London|isbn=978-1843531050|page=683|edition=3rd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&q=ultra+vivid+scene+moby&pg=PT690|access-date=June 2, 2016|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204031832/https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&q=ultra+vivid+scene+moby&pg=PT690|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1990, Moby joined Shopwell and played on their album ''Peanuts''.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|url=https://www.discogs.com/Shopwell-Peanuts/release/466530|title=Peanuts|year=1990|id=HF-01|publisher=Not on Label|others=Shopwell|access-date=April 29, 2019|archive-date=October 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002204357/https://www.discogs.com/Shopwell-Peanuts/release/466530|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=TG00/> Moby's first live electronic music gig followed in the summer of 1990 at Club MK; he wore a suit for the show.<ref name=MW>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercurywheels.com/Moby.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828100122/http://www.mercurywheels.com/Moby.htm|archive-date=August 28, 2012|title=Moby – In His Words...|publisher=Mercury Wheels|access-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref><ref name=EXC02>{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/moby-whale_of_tale|title=Moby: A Whale of a Tale|first=Joshua|last=Ostroff|date=June 1, 2002|work=Exclaim!|access-date=May 4, 2019|archive-date=May 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506174205/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/moby-whale_of_tale|url-status=live}}</ref> His future manager Eric Härle, who was in attendance, recalled Moby's set: "The music was amazing, but the show was riddled with technical mishaps. It left me very intrigued and impressed in a strange way."<ref name="hitquarters.com">{{cite interview |subject=Eric Härle |interviewer=Kimbel Bouwman |url=http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview/opar/intrview_EricHaerleInt.html |title=Interview with ERIC HÄRLE, manager at DEF for Moby, Sonique, Röyksopp&nbsp;— Mar 25, 2003 |work=[[HitQuarters]] |date=March 25, 2003 |access-date=September 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609212002/http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview%2Fopar%2Fintrview_EricHaerleInt.html |archive-date=June 9, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

By mid-1990, Moby had signed a deal as the sole artist of [[Instinct Records]], an independent New York City-based dance label then still in its infancy. The three-man operation saw Moby answer incoming calls and make records in a studio he set up in the owner's lounge.<ref name=BS16>{{cite web|url=https://newsflash.bigshotmag.com/features/46894/|title=Read a 2008 interview with Moby & Ryuichi Sakamoto|work=Big Shot|first=Darren|last=Ressler|date=October 16, 2016|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510194544/https://newsflash.bigshotmag.com/features/46894/|url-status=live}}</ref> To appear that Instinct had more artists, Moby's early singles were put out under several names such as Voodoo Child, Barracuda, Brainstorm, and UHF.<ref name=MW/> The first, "Time's Up" as The Brotherhood, was co-written by Moby and vocalist Jimmy Mack.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://moby.org/reviews/timesup.html |title=The Brotherhood: Time's Up |publisher=Moby.org |access-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-date=July 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727092349/http://moby.org/reviews/timesup.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="CT92"/> This was followed by "[[Mobility (song)|Mobility]]", his first single released as Moby, in November 1990, which sold an initial 2,000 copies.<ref name=EXC02/> He then scored a breakthrough hit with a remix of "[[Go (Moby song)|Go]]", originally a B-side to "Mobility" with an added sample of "Laura Palmer's Theme" by [[Angelo Badalamenti]] from the television series ''[[Twin Peaks]]''. Released in March 1991, it peaked at No. 10 in the UK in October and earned him national exposure there with an appearance on ''[[Top of the Pops]]''.<ref name="hitquarters.com" /> Instinct capitalised on Moby's success with the late 1991 compilation ''[[Instinct Dance]]'' featuring tracks by Moby and his pseudonyms. The following year, Moby revealed that "Go" had earned him just $2,000 in royalties.<ref name=CT92/>

The success of "Go" led to increased demand for Moby to produce more music and to remix other artists' songs. He often arranged for the artist and himself to trade remixes as opposed to being paid for his work, which was the case for his mixes for [[Billy Corgan]] and [[Soundgarden]].<ref name=SPIN97/> The increased mainstream exposure led Moby to request a release from his contract with Instinct for a bigger label. Instinct refused, so Moby retaliated by holding out on new material. However, Instinct continued to put out records, mostly from demos, without his consent having previously copied many of his tapes and had the master rights.<ref name=THC95/><ref name=BS16/> This was the case for Moby's debut album, ''[[Moby (album)|Moby]]'', released in July 1992 and formed mostly of previously unreleased demos that Moby considered old and unrepresentative of the musical direction he had taken since. Nonetheless, he claimed Instinct had insisted and had the legal right to put it out.<ref name=BB92>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2REEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34|last=Flick|first=Larry|date=October 24, 1992|volume=104|issue=43|title=Moby Sails New Techno Waters; Owens In The Black|magazine=Billboard|issn=0006-2510|page=34|access-date=May 6, 2019|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204031817/https://books.google.com/books?id=2REEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|James|2001|p=70}} It was re-titled ''The Story So Far'' and presented with a different track listing for its UK release. Four singles were released: "Go", "[[Drop a Beat]]", "[[Next Is the E]]", and a double A-side of "[[Next Is the E|I Feel It]]" with "[[Thousand (song)|Thousand]]". The latter was recognised by ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as the fastest tempo in a recorded song at 1,015 [[beats-per-minute]].<ref name=HA00/><ref name="Mobybio">{{cite web|url=http://www.moby.com/biography |title=biography |work=moby.com |access-date=April 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227231313/http://www.moby.com/biography |archive-date=December 27, 2010 }}</ref>

In 1992, Moby completed his first US tour as the opening act for [[the Shamen]].<ref name=MW/><ref name=CC93/> In mid-1992, Moby estimated that he had earned between $8,000 to $11,000 a year for the past six years.<ref name=CT92>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30422341/|title=Breakfast with Moby, techno's reigning wizard|first=Greg|last=Kot|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=August 2, 1992|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|page=19|access-date=April 9, 2019|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204031800/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30422341/moby-1992/|url-status=live}}</ref> At the 1992 ''[[Mixmag]]'' awards, he smashed his keyboard after his set.<ref name=EXC02/> After his second nationwide tour, this time with [[the Prodigy]] and [[Richie Hawtin]], in early 1993,<ref name=MW/> a second compilation of Moby's work for Instinct followed named ''[[Early Underground]]''. His second and final album on Instinct, ''[[Ambient (album)|Ambient]]'', was released in August 1993. It is a collection of mostly [[ambient techno]] instrumentals of a more experimental style. By this time Instinct had agreed to release Moby who then took legal action, claiming that the label demanded "a ridiculous amount of money" that he did not have to leave. He also expressed disagreements over the way Instinct had packaged and handled his music.<ref name=CC93>{{cite web|url=https://www.chaoscontrol.com/moby/|title=Moby|first=Bob|last=Gourley|date=1993|access-date=May 10, 2019|publisher=Chaos Control Digizine|archive-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510210231/https://www.chaoscontrol.com/moby/|url-status=live}}</ref> Moby was eventually released after he paid the label $10,000.<ref name=TVS95/>