The hypnotic practice Phil Collins adopted when writing ‘In The Air Tonight’
Phil Collins is truly one of the most ambitious and impactful musicians of recent decades. His work with Genesis, as a solo artist, and with the variety of artists he has collaborated with, has meant that it’s hard to dig into any style of music without coming across something that Phil Collins has influenced.
As a percussionist, very few can match Phil Collins, and there are several reasons for that. Firstly, there is his technical ability. When it comes to drumming, few can create complex rhythms in the way that Collins can. His work is mesmerising and is one of the pivotal aspects that contribute to the music he is so renowned for.
He can also step back from one instrument and view a track as a whole. He knows when a song needs less and when it needs more, which allows him to create an atmosphere unlike any other song. Songs by Genesis and those that make up his solo career come with such a cinematic energy packed into them that they’re borderline impossible to turn away from.
Finally, there is his innovation. Before Collins, the drum machine wasn’t something artists tended to use as it wasn’t seen as a very cool instrument. He saw past the stigma attached to it and realised its potential, seeing it as something that could elevate the atmosphere that his tracks were already famous for. His forward-thinking approach to utilising effects just made him a better songwriter, which is reflected in his hit, which he credits to his drum machine.
“Drum machines free you from filling in all the gaps when you’re writing…and for me, I used drum machines to give you an atmosphere. So I’ll set up an atmosphere that I will then respond to on the keyboards,” he said before going into more detail about his writing process. “I mean, ‘In The Air’ is a good example of that. I set up a drum machine pattern that was kind of hypnotic and left it going for a little while and started thinking about it, and then you brought that chord in, and suddenly you’re in place, you know?”
While Collins may be responsible for a barrage of good music, there is no escaping that one of his most famous songs has to be the classic ‘In The Air Tonight’. After having such experience with atmosphere and different pieces of technology, he could lay the foundation to build the hit and recognise where the song needed to go.
The track truly stands as a testament to Collins’s songwriting ability, as all of what sets him apart from other drummers is present in it. This is seen in the technology used in the writing process, the ability to build an atmosphere, and the technical ability on display for his drum solo and the song’s rhythm throughout.
