sugar hill

LP, Black vinyl with Printed Inner Territory: Sales Only to: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France Veneer made an indelible mark in its understated, expressive brilliance and cemented José González as a meticulous sonic craftsman and songwriter of singular talent. It’s hard to believe an album recorded with the most basic equipment in a cramped Gothenburg flat could end up going platinum, not only in Sweden but also the UK, selling well over 1 million copies worldwide. It’s harder still when one acknowledges that, aside from one brief trumpet solo and the slightest hint of percussion, the record features just one hushed voice and the dexterous picking of an acoustic guitar’s nylon strings. But 2003’s Veneer was such an album, charting in several countries in the world, and eventually making Top 10 in the UK thanks in part to its delicate, evocative cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats”. Praise for José González: Magical... a supreme talent, reminiscent of the late Arthur Russell The Guardian Veneer draws you in, it’s easy to believe that the young Swede could begin his own cult The Times Spine-tingling The Sunday Times Jose Gonzalez really is a rare find The Times (live review) Gorgeous, in a word Observer Music Monthly A fresh and intriguing talent The Independent Affecting soulful poignancy, a quietly impressive debut The Daily Telegraph Enormous talent The Sunday Telegraph An intense talent Time Out In a world of musical clones, the Argentinian Swede is a thrillingly original new talent The Sun It's an exquisite, almost solemn privilege to be invited into Gonzalez's world Metro Extraordinary Uncut The most intimate music you’ll hear all year Q Dark, still, yet oddly powerful Mojo Wonderfully accomplished... a serious talent to watch out for, this year and beyond Clash Jawdroppingly special, a rare talent Fact TRACKLISTING: Slow Moves Remain Lovestain Heartbeats Crosses Deadweight On Velveteen All You Deliver Stay In The Shade Hints Save Your Day Broken Arrows Save Your Day

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.net

LP Territory: Sales Only to: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France Sweden’s José González is just such a voice. He first charmed his way into the UK’s earshot via the murmurous and elegant, classically finger-picked folk pop of his 2005 album, Veneer, which has since sold over a staggering 430, 000 copies in UK alone. Two years later came In Our Nature, a further exploration of José’s influences (Argentinian Folklore, the ’60s US folk tradition and the British pastoral folk-pop style of the same era), on which he resisted the temptation to beef up his alluringly introvert aesthetic. The albums made the UK Top 10 and Top 20 respectively. It may be seven years since he released a solo record, but José has been anything but idle in that time. He’s delivered two albums with the band Junip, his more fulsome, electronic-edged, pop project and has toured with both the Berlin/Göteborg String Theory orchestra (in 2011), co-performing 11 reworking’s of his songs, Sidi Touré and played with Malian desert blues troupe Tinariwen (both in 2012). In 2013, Hollywood came calling when Ben Stiller commissioned José to work with Theodore Shapiro on the soundtrack to his remake of ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ and most recently, he’s contributed his version of ‘This is How We Walk On the Moon’ to the Red Hot charity compilation honouring Arthur Russell. Community and collaboration are obviously satisfying in their own ways, but now José is again stepping centre stage solo, with Vestiges & Claws. Conceived as the natural third part in an acoustic trilogy, Vestiges & Claws is a(nother) hushed and delicate solo set that forefronts the artist and guitarist’s compellingly intimate vocal style and intricate playing technique, but it’s often strikingly rhythmic in nature and cohere’s perfectly, with hand claps and taps on the body of his instrument underlining the songs’ mantric rise-and-fall pattern, while elsewhere, over-dubbed guitar parts and multi-tracked vocal harmonies entwine to sweetly immersive effect. The title refers to both cultural practices and biological features that survive despite having lost their original function, and to currently useful tools, ie the “claws” of modern life. Vestiges & Claws was recorded almost entirely by José and self-produced, mostly in his Gothenburg home, using computer plug-ins to achieve a warm, analogue sound. He prefers working alone, mainly for artistic reasons. “There were a couple of things that enabled me to complete this record: one was curiosity, to be able to play percussion and do a lot of harmonies and also to produce and mix the album; the other was aesthetics. I love to listen to Arthur Russell and Shuggie Otis, to music that has been done mostly by one person in their solitary state.” As José sees it, the record is his personal, “zoomed-out eye on humanity on a small, pale blue dot in a cold, sparse and unfriendly space. The amazing fact that we are all here, an attempt at encouraging us to understand ourselves and to make the best of the one life we know we have – after birth and before death." TRACKLISTING: With The Ink Of A Ghost Let It Carry You Stories We Build, Stories We Tell The Forest Leaf Off / The Cave Every Age What Will Vissel Afterglow Open Book

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.net

LP, Black vinyl with Printed Inner Territory: Sales Only to: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France On his sophomore album, the Swedish singer and guitarist takes the basic elements of an acoustic troubadour's craft and explores their possibilities, not only as ingredients of songs, but as sounds to be enjoyed in their own right. A stray breath, the buzzing of guitar strings, a hand scraping across the frets: these are all shades in González's palette. The biggest embellishment you're likely to hear is a metronomic foot-tap, subtle hand percussion, or a backing vocal by Little Dragon's Yukimi Nagamo. Where the Knife's "haunted house" sound is informed by minimal techno, González's lo-fi acoustic guitar music could be dubbed "minimal folk." TRACKLISTING: How Low Down The Line Killing For Love In Our Nature Teardrop Abram Time To Send Someone Away The Nest Fold Cycling Trivialities

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.net

Limited Hand Numbered 2LP Blue Vinyl with 24 page book Territory: Sales Only to: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France ”Twenty years ago, something magical happened. In the space between technology and ideology, two terms that have been fighting each other to define the days that have come since, an album appeared. A collection of songs that seemed defiantly out of place. Yet somehow these songs knew themselves. Which, thinking back on it now, better explains why their creator, a young Swedish musician called José González, felt so familiar to us so quickly.” Zane Lowe on José González’ Veneer. Today visionary singer-songwriter and guitarist José González has announced the release of a 20th Anniversary Deluxe version of his uncompromising, candid, game-changing debut album (2003) Veneer. It features newly remastered audio of the seminal album as well as a bonus disc, comprising 13 intimate recordings from his historic 2003 performance at Gothenburg Concert Hall. The 20th Anniversary Deluxe Version of Veneer will see release on limited edition double blue vinyl and digitally on October 27th, 2023 via Peacefrog Records. It features a hand-numbered gatefold and a 24-page booklet filled with archival photos, essays, a song-by-song guide from José and more. Veneer made an indelible mark in its understated, expressive brilliance and cemented José González as a meticulous sonic craftsman and songwriter of singular talent. It’s hard to believe an album recorded with the most basic equipment in a cramped Gothenburg flat could end up going platinum, not only in Sweden but also the UK, selling well over 1 million copies worldwide. It’s harder still when one acknowledges that, aside from one brief trumpet solo and the slightest hint of percussion, the record features just one hushed voice and the dexterous picking of an acoustic guitar’s nylon strings. But 2003’s Veneer was such an album, charting in several countries in the world, and eventually making Top 10 in the UK, thanks in part to its delicate, evocative cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats”. Praise for Veneer: Magical... a supreme talent, reminiscent of the late Arthur Russell The Guardian Veneer draws you in, it’s easy to believe that the young Swede could begin his own cult The Times Spine-tingling The Sunday Times Jose Gonzalez really is a rare find The Times (live review) Gorgeous, in a word Observer Music Monthly A fresh and intriguing talent The Independent Affecting soulful poignancy, a quietly impressive debut The Daily Telegraph Enormous talent The Sunday Telegraph An intense talent Time Out In a world of musical clones, the Argentinian Swede is a thrillingly original new talent The Sun It's an exquisite, almost solemn privilege to be invited into Gonzalez's world Metro Extraordinary Uncut The most intimate music you’ll hear all year Q Dark, still, yet oddly powerful Mojo Wonderfully accomplished... a serious talent to watch out for, this year and beyond Clash Jawdroppingly special, a rare talent Fact Tracklisting: DISC 1: Veneer Remastered: 1. Slow Moves 2. Remain 3. Lovestain 4. Heartbeats 5. Crosses 6. Deadweight On Velveteen 7. All You Deliver 8. Stay In The Shade 9. Hints 10. Save Your Day 11. Broken Arrows DISC 2: Live In Gothenburg 2003 1. Deadweight On Velveteen 2. Save Your Day 3. Storm 4. Crosses 5. Hints 6. Suggestions 7. Heartbeats 8. Love Will Tear Us Apart 9. All You Deliver 10. Stay In The Shade 11. Remain 12. Hand On Your Heart 13. Cello Song

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.net