Somadrone is essentially Dublin-based Neil O’Connor and musical colleaugues. Pictured on his third album’s cover standing bearded and priestlike (in the modern-day, electro-mystic sense of the word) in front of his synthesizer, both O’Connor and his keyboard are covered in a complex black and white pattern, being blown on to them by a fan to which they’re attached by leads, as though Somadrone’s futuristic ‘miniature symphonies’ and ‘electronic interludes’ are covering their creator in their own inherent musical equivalent to DNA. Cool.
And so are the tunes on Of Pattern And Purpose – so cool in fact that they offer the kind of pleasing, relaxing, thought-disengaging, space-creating emotional detachment that we find in Steve Reich or Brian Eno circa Music For Airports. Some of the instruments O’Connor plays should give you a fair idea what we’re dealing with here: Vibraphone, Fender Rhodes 1973, Moog Source, Farfisa Organ VIP 35, Roland Juno 60, Fender Jazzmaster, Theremin, Melodie Harp, Indian Drone Machine, etcetera etcetera…
Around since 1995, Somadrone have in recent years been playing, recording and touring in Europe and the States with the likes of Redneck Manifesto, Connect Four Orchestra, Goodtime John and Jape. Following on from 2005’s Fizzing Away To A Whisper, Of Pattern And Purpose, this album continues their psychedelic exploration of ambient musical forms. It’s ideal for the practice of any kind of moving meditation, but guaranteed to make even the most garrulous person turn inwards. So keep it off the stereo when it’s social interaction you’re after!