Simon Price

Simon Price

Simon Price is a music journalist from the United Kingdom who is also known as the singer and guitarist of The Heads and as the solo project Kandodo. He is raised in Zambia and Malawi, and that background shapes the project’s titles, artwork and name. The project takes its name from a Malawian supermarket where he shops in the late 1980s.

Kandodo

Kandodo is Price’s solo instrumental project. He describes the music as “fuzzy lullabies”: pieces built from tones, chords and textures that create a feeling of yearning. The tracks use elongated, elegant song structures and aim for an immersive effect, intended to work either loudly or through headphones. Although the music is instrumental, Price says that if lyrics were present they would deal with animist religions, hyenas, sharks and dusty drives.

The debut self-titled album is made up of small sonic soundscapes that begin with a grounded feel before moving into more expansive, space-like territory. Its sound draws on a wide range of influences, including Kraftwerk, Neu!, Eno, Morricone, the Stooges, Loop and Spacemen 3.

Recording approach

Price plays, records and mixes all of the tracks himself. He works over a long period at home on an old second-hand MacBook. As one of his first solo recordings, the process gives him room to explore a wide set of possibilities. The album uses relatively few tools: guitars, including a 1965 Magnatone Typhoon, a couple of keyboards, tambourine, a drum pedal and a slowly failing Walkman recorder used for field recordings.

Style and context

The project’s sound is described through its contrast between detailed textures and open-ended movement, with layered parts added and removed to create a drifting, melodic flow. The music reflects Price’s interest in instrumental atmosphere and structure, and the project forms part of his wider body of work as a guitarist.