By Keith Walsh
Surrounded by remnants of the past in what was once the world’s greatest empire, Neil Dyer creates electronic soundtracks to daily life in nation perhaps too familiar with compromises. England’s former glory, now transformed into tidy, routine bureaucratic actions, is reflected in the obsessively constructed beats and lyrics of Dyer’s Planet Neil. His new album, titled Organic, is packed with catchy, electro funk with techno sounds and topical lyrics emphasizing quiet reflection and introspection. (My Q &A with Dyer is here.)
Opening track “Magnet” is catchy electro pop with plenty of glitch and a falsetto vocal hook that owes something to 70s funk. Now in his 60s, Dyer’s optimism is refreshing, against a background of syncopated, percussive electronic sounds that he painstakingly input into his laptop with a computer mouse, note by note. “Scenario” finds him commenting on modern commercial traps, with an understated vocal delivery that’s not far from something by Peter Gabriel.
“I wouldn’t claim to have an interest in science, per se. I think some of the inspiration for maybe two of these songs is based on my getting older, and seeing more clearly my place in the universe.”
Neil Dyer of Planet Neil
“Star” takes an iconic concept, presenting it in a unique fashion by analyzing the elements of starlight, conflating the sway of celebrity with the science behind illuminated celestial objects. “Riding To The Moon” is a moody piece, very minimal and lovely, sparking the imagination, building into dense layers of polyphony.
In 1980, Dyer fronted the short-lived post punk band Screen 3, with inventive, loud and clever songs. More than 40 years later, the man’s brilliant energy is still present, though refined and softened by the wisdom that comes with passing time. The title track, “Organic,” is a sexy anthem calling for sincerity in lovemaking, with glitchy beats. Never straying from his laid back vocal approach, Dyer seems dedicated to his non commercial mixing style. That’s not to say that these songs are not pleasant – they are very much so. It’s the avoidance of hype and bravado that set them apart from efforts seeking to trade songs for cash.
“You slot me in so naturally/it’s your natural magic/I’m your man/Not just your gadget”
From Organic, by Planet Neil
“Prehistoric” is a swirling, atmospheric piece that brings to mind the loneliness of a young planet, with the dangers of primitive emotions pushing through defenses into our consciousness. “Monkey In A Space Suit” captures the kitschy atmosphere of old sci fi, with humor and awareness of the absurdity of the human condition.
I asked Neil about the presence of technology and space in his songs: “I wouldn’t claim to have an interest in science, per se,” he told me. “I think some of the inspiration for maybe two of these songs is based on my getting older, and seeing more clearly my place in the universe (‘’Star,’ and ‘Prehistoric.’) “Riding To The Moon” just turns space travel into a kind of bus trip enveloped in a kind of retro-futuristic glow.”
“Domestic Goddess” conveys interpersonal relationships in the context of loss, while “Contactless” comments on the way the COVID pandemic played on our fears of communicable disease. Perhaps it’s coincidental, but Dyer’s vocal style and the theme remind me a lot of “I Have The Touch,” from Peter Gabriel’s 1i83 album Security.
“Never Quite” reveals Dyer’s reflective state of mind as he surveys the world’s inherent imperfections, demonstrating the power of acceptance and cultivating a patient mindset. “Garden City” presents a concept of a globe filled with lush, verdant cities, “funded by gentlemen.” Those would be British gentlemen, no doubt, awakened from dreams of an Empire reborn? “Home” is a sentimental number, the most whimsical on Organic, with strange glitch elements and a circus-like outro.
By taking a microscopic look at daily life and our internal reflections against a background of precise, clever electronica, with his mature lyrical perspectives, Dyer has created something profoundly of our time, something that’s uniquely British yet also for the rest of the world.
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