kandodo: kandodo (2012)

GLENN ASTARITA,

Glenn Astarita

Senior Contributor since 1997

Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.

Recent articles (1,629 total)

Published: July 8, 2012

Track review of "Lord Hyena, 3am"

Multi-instrumentalist Simon Price offers shades of vintage Brian Eno ambient-electronica, with psychedelic hooks and minimalist terrestrial planes, via his one-man solo effort, bearing the group moniker kandodo. He also intersperses an off-center new age vibe into the grand mix via oscillating guitar parts, thought-provoking textural components and tasteful themes sprinkled throughout.

"Lord Hyena, 3am" closes out the album and boasts a '70s-inspired, spaced-out groove. With gradually climactic crescendos and psycho guitar overlays, Price summons a Berkeley flower-power mindset with an interstellar electronica impetus. From a lyrical standpoint, he elongates matters into a sweeping horizontal plane and merges the guitar fireworks with hauntingly melodic choruses. He interconnects dainty pastoral settings with a multifaceted framework, while often imparting a big sound.

The album features a divergent mix of daintily fabricated ideas, coupled with various levels of intensity. Price crafts an idyllic sound that borrows from the past yet isn't bogged down with clichés. His sharp focus and broad imaginative powers yield bountiful fruit.

Track Listing: Track #1; Track #2; Track #3.

Personnel: Simon Price: guitars, keyboards, tambourine, drum pedal, and slowly breaking Walkman recorder.

Record Label: Thrill Jockey