While his involvement in both the Rednecks and C4O suggest a youth spent listening keenly to the early-to-mid nineties American post-rock/punk explosion that brought groups such as Shellac and Tortoise to wider prominence, his work in Somadrone is more reflective of the present.

Currently in the process of finishing off a PhD in Composition, Somadrone allows Neil to put those lessons into practice. His 2007 album Of Pattern and Purpose bore the fruits of his considerable labour, as Neil utilised a variety of instruments, including vibraphone, harp, Theremin, Indian drone machines, analogue synths and strings to create minute ambient-glitch suites, pulsing electro and lush string-ladden movements.

“When I began research, I was only able to conceive short pieces for one or two instruments. Now its 16 plus. So there is an evolution in harmony and rhythm. Just like what’s happening in Somadrone. There has been a direct channelling on ideas and modes into how I structure songs. In a group setting too it has given me the sense to know to listen to other instruments and what they are bringing, then trying to structure around them. Miles Davis put it well: ‘Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there’.”

As O’Connor’s understanding of music theory has grown so too has the structure of Somadrone, from it’s initial (and humble) ‘bedroom producer’ beginnings to the more fully realized line-up that now records and performs. “Well, its mostly me, but I have had an array of other musicians help me in recording and performing. The current set-up features myself on Moog, Modular Synth, Omnichord, Guitar, sampler and Glenn Keating (C40, Jape, Messiah J and the Expert) on drums, sampler and synth. This changes from show to show. For the performance of La Jetee, long time Somadroners Lioba Pertie (Cello) and Abigail Smith (Viola) will be joining us. They are fantastic players, able to improvise and respond amazingly to any material I present to them.

Initially, before any of these band even started, I was recording song’s on an old organ in my parents house, recording on to a tape machine. This would have been maybe 1992/93. So when I got a computer that could handle more complicated matters, the sound expanded.”

The expansion of Somadrone’s sound is particularly evident on last years Of Pattern and Purpose, an album that not only draws to mind the likes of Kraftwerk, Harmonia, Eno and Steve Reich, but also introduced vocals for the first time, inspired by techniques utilised by Bowie and William Burroughs.