| Feeling So Real | |
| Cover: | Feeling So Real.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Moby |
| Album: | Everything Is Wrong |
| B-Side: | New Dawn Fades |
| Released: | October 1994[1] |
| Length: |
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| Label: | |
| Producer: | Moby |
| Prev Title: | Hymn |
| Prev Year: | 1994 |
| Next Title: | Everytime You Touch Me |
| Next Year: | 1995 |
"Feeling So Real" is a song by American electronica musician Moby, released on October 1994 by Mute and Elektra, as the second single from the musician's third studio album, Everything Is Wrong (1995). The song, both written and produced by Moby, features the phrases "sound system rocking my....." (the full sample saying "sound system rocking my sieve") and "set it up DJ!" spoken by Kochie Banton, who also appears in Moby's following single, "Everytime You Touch Me". The guest vocalist for the song is Rozz Morehead. It peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart, number nine on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart, and number one on the Finnish Singles Chart. Julie Hermelin directed the song's accompanying music video. Spin ranked "Feeling So Real"/"Everytime You Touch Me" number one in their list of the 20 best singles of 1995.[2]
The single's B-side is Moby's take on the Joy Division song "New Dawn Fades". It would later be included on the Joy Division tribute album , and Moby would go on to perform it live with New Order.
The remix CD contains all the separate parts (vocals, strings, drums, etc.) for "Everytime You Touch Me". Mute Records and Elektra held a competition where one had to use the parts to create a remix "in any style you want" and mail it in on digital audio tape (DAT) by November 18, 1994. The winning remixes were included on later singles.
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Leave it to the brilliant mind of Moby to build a bridge uniting rave and classical music. Single has a majestic quality–particularly with its vocals, which have a decidedly operatic bend–that is as interesting to the ear as it is to the body."[3] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton said, "Few techno singles seem to be complete these days without a gimmick, hence the remixing competition that accompanies this release."[4] Ian Gittins from Melody Maker noted its "giddy, insatiable euphoria",[5] calling it an "irresistible E-anthem (or, in New York parlance, Ex-anthem)".[6] Another Melody Maker editors, The Stud Brothers, named it "a fairly crass powerbag stormer, complete with soul diva and full-on ragga-man".[7] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "In '91, "Go" his version of the Twin Peaks theme, portrayed Moby as the cryptic one in the dance sphere. Now he's as "vulgarly" Euro as everybody else, but still with a wink."[8]
An Music & Media editor, Maria Jimenez, stated, "Injected with virtually every vibe from techno to jungle to pop, Moby's latest single "Feeling So Real" (Mute) flies high and fast. If it hasn't reached your turntable yet, now is as good a time as any to put it on and allow yourself to be energised by the euphenic tone and electrifying sounds."[9] Andy Beevers from Music Week rated the track four out of five. He added, "The high speed Original Mix of "Feeling So Real" verges on hardcore and may be the least commercial Moby single for a long while. Slower versions broaden its appeal, but it is unlikely to match the last few releases."[10] Johnny Cigarettes from NME remarked the "ridiculously frantic jungle mantra" that begins "Feeling So Real".[11] Tim Jeffery from the Record Mirror Dance Update deemed it "another uplifting techno track with vocals from the slightly odd Moby, but does it have to be so fast?"[12] Another editor, James Hamilton, described it as a "mind bogglingly frantic yet stratospherically soaring flyer strictly for speed freaks, with sweet girl cooed I'm feeling so real, take me away repetition and some ragga step it up DJ punctuation".[13]
A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Julie Hermelin.[14]
| Chart (1994–1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] | 54 |
| Europe (European Dance Radio)[16] | 21 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[17] | 1 |
| UK Club Chart (Music Week)[18] | 22 |