HE IS a member of The Redneck Manifesto, a ‘Doctor of Music’, and one of Ireland’s leading avant garde composers, whose solo releases explore ambient, minimalist electro-acoustic pop, soundscapes, and mood music - he is Somadrone.
Somadrone, the stage name of Neil O’Connor, made his first solo recordings on 1995 and his first 10 years of experimentation were released as the double album Fuzzing Away To A Whisper in 2005.
This was followed in 2007 by his proper ‘debut’ album, the impressive Of Pattern and Purpose, in which he infused heart and the human touch into a kind of music usually devoid of warmth and personality.
Neil’s third album Depth Of Field has just been released by Skinny Wolves Records and it again finds the Dubliner bringing human emotion to avant garde/ambient music. Yet this is also something of a departure from his previous releases - there are more vocals, acoustic instruments, and traditional song structures.
“‘Electronica’ is often just through of as background music or music that does not require much listening in terms of detail,” Neil tells me. “This time round, I went out of my way to structure songs in a ‘pop’ form: under five minutes and with typical structures (verse-chorus-verse ).
“I also brought the voice. The voice, for me, is simply another instrument to play with. I listen to the Beach Boys a lot, so their use of vocal harmony really influences the style of vocals on the album.”
However Depth Of Field is by no means a ‘traditional pop’ album. Avant-garde electonica/ambient is still to the fore, it’s just that this time there is a left-field, indie pop sensibility also at work, which makes for an engaging and rewarding listen.
The best example of this is the wonderful opening track ‘Vapours’. With its hushed vocals and gentle acoustic guitar strums, the song builds towards a series of string quartet flourishes at the end.
“The strings were recorded during last year’s snow storm, just before I left for the US,” says Neil. “The string players, Abigail Smith and Lioba Petrie, I have been working with since 2005. I usually just give then a rough mix of the tracks, then we get together and hash it out.
‘As for the lyrics, it’s about meeting someone unexpectedly, leaving an impression on you, be it sour or sweet, and them leaving ‘vapours’ behind, images and memories that linger.”
Depth Of Field was recorded in Ireland, Sweden, Germany, France, and the USA. How did the different locations/studios/people affect the development, sound, and feel of the music?
“I really feel I captured something extra-musical in the process,” says Neil. “Most of the piano was recorded at an arts residency I was in at Siggen, Germany. I was there with my girlfriend at the time. We were not exactly the best of friends at this stage, so at night, I would creep out and play and record this giant Steinbeck grand piano in the moonlight. Sounds romantic, trust me, it wasn’t!”
It is more accurate to describe Depth Of Field as more of a natural progression than a musical departure, as a hallmark of Somadrone has always been the incorporation of acoustic instruments into his electronic music.
“I wanted to just have a fully acoustic album, it’s around 80 per cent, I just could not help myself!” he says. “I am an electronic musician at heart. I plan for the next one to be 100 per cent acoustic instruments. I also hope it will not take as long, I am going to try and pull off an album per year.”
Depth Of Field was released on download and vinyl (as usual these days ), but also - most surprisingly - on cassette. Tapes died a death in the late 1990s, but a number of Irish artists, including Not Squares and Sean Millar, are reviving the form. To that list we can now add Somadrone.
“It’s part of Skinny Wolves agenda of releasing, and one I am 100 per cent behind it,” says Neil. “Cassette tape for me sounds great. A lot of my new material mixes both tape and digital recordings, so I am very fond of these. Peter and Jamie of Skinny Wolves have been so supportive during this whole process, it really made a big difference. The fact that we have all been mates for a long time made the process even easier.”
Neil is currently based in San Francisco. What led him to settle in the city?
“I was lucky enough to get an Arts Visa,” he says. “I was in Ireland, unemployed with a PhD - I am a Doctor of Music now, strange concept really - so it was perfect time to leave. I use to lecture at Trinity and the Art College in Dun Laoghaire, but lost my hours due to cutbacks. I work now at the Art Institute of California – San Francisco, where I lecture in acoustics and music theory. It’s great as I have free time to keep writing.”
The city’s rich artistic and cultural scene is also a great attraction for Neil.
“Every week I go and see a show, be it an electronic band in a warehouse in Oakland, or Indian music in Berkeley,” he says. “In March I am playing a festival in SF with NEU!’s Michael Rother so that will be amazing. There is a great art scene here too. I am a member of the SF Photo Centre. Every Saturday I go and print and develop photos. I am going to be part of a catalogue they are releasing next year.”
Neil has been keyboard player for The Redneck Manifesto since the Seven Stabs mini-album in 2006, but being away from Ireland now, is he still a member of the band?
“Yes, I am still very much a member,” he says. “I had to sacrifice a lot – friends, family and most importantly The Redneck Manifesto. I miss that a lot, but the guys know it’s a good career move for me. Glenn Keating, a member of Jape and Somadrone too, is filling my shoes. He goes way back with the band. He is probably the only person I would pass the golden gloves on to!”
Somadrone plays the Róisín Dubh on Monday December 20 at 9pm. Admission is free. See www.iamsomadrone.com
