In The Groove EP.12: Jose Gonzalez - Veneer

Thanks for joining us for another long form edition of In The Groove, brought to you by us here at Studio 1 Vintage Guitars and onvinyl.co.nz. A place where you can find a handpicked selection of fantastic vinyl all in pristine condition. Right now every record you purchase there puts you in the draw to win a Martin DX Johnny Cash guitar, so head over and get flicking! 

This week we are furthering our Indie Folk footing and taking a look at an intensely intimate record from the start of this century and we’ll also be joined by a fresh new guest player.

The time is 2003 and the clubs are pumping to the sounds of the burgeoning indie sleaze movement. Bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Strokes and The Hives are entering mass consciousness with their brash punk glamour and loud guitars. Somewhere amongst the clatter of skinny jeans and Marlboro reds, a biochemistry PhD student is singing hushed ruminations over nylon string guitar and building an international audience. Let’s check out Veneer by Jose Gonzalez. 

Jose Gonzalez was born in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1978 to Argentine parents who had fled their native country two years prior. Argentina was in the midst of a bitter political period that would last until the mid 80s. Adult Jose studied biochemistry and played in local hardcore groups which eventually gave way to writing solo material on classical guitar and in June 2003 a 7” single was released, followed swiftly by Veneer in October of the same year. 

Slow Moves opens the show with pedalling bass notes that move like 20 foot wooden wheels across a deep shag pile carpet, the carpet is possibly a deep red. Right from the outset he shows you his hand, intimately recorded hushed vocals which border on whispers, paired with warm rounded nylon string guitar work played in dropped tuning. The tuning that Gonzalez favours is D-A-D-F#-B-E and on Slow Moves it allows him to seamlessly lay down a syncopated bass pattern, adorn it with delicate chord work and coax a lead line all at the same time. Oh… and he sings over all of it too. Talented AF yes?

Today we are joined by Taygen Newton, a talented young player that has been visiting the store of late. As the au fait eye might see from Taygen’s pass through the song Crosses, it again employs the aforementioned drop D tuning and allows them to play multiple parts in tandem. Taygen is playing a 2002 José Ramirez 1A Tradicional, a handmade Spanish classical guitar of the highest grade. If you are looking for such an instrument, sing out and we can arrange a viewing, it is in fabulous condition. 

 In a live performance setting Gonzales has worked out just the right amount of gaffer tape to put over the sound hole of his guitar to work with the internal microphone. You need to be able to wind up the preamp but this often puts you in the harsh face of feedback. Has anyone out there tried this? How did it go for you? 

Remain picks up the tempo as Gonzales uses a rhythm more akin to his ancestral home. Think a hasty brooding Girl From Ipanema. Underneath the pseudo tango, mild bongos gallop along, almost mimicking the lyrics:

“We'll remain after everything's been washed away by the rain”

Gonzales repeats lyrical content often, and looking into his prose it often looks more like poetry on the page, rather than the classic lyricism of verse chorus etc. Part of his modus operandi seems to be meditative, a way to create intensity is through repetition and he succeeds here tremendously. He ruminates on a stanza as the guitar figure rolls around on itself and he becomes transfixed, drilling the simple imagery home. The halfway point is marked with the bongos dissipating as the song effortlessly moves into a rhythmically straighter instrumental bridge section. Gonzales quickly tugs on the reigns and the song ploughs back into the latin feel with more gusto than before. The detuned 6th string carelessly buzzes on the frets and he joins himself with an overdubbed vocal choir to see out the song. It is so intimately recorded that you can hear what sounds like a hand resting on the body of the guitar as the last note rings out. Apparently the album was recorded in his kitchen on modest equipment. 

Now, wouldn’t I be a total nitwit if I didn’t mention his wicked good rendition of Heartbeats by fellow Gothenburg outfit The Knife? Yes, that song used on the Sony TV ad with the bouncing balls is a cover!  Jose’s rendo is masterful, and if you haven’t heard the original, then do seek it out. With all its grimey analog synths and banshee cries, it’s pretty much the polar opposite to Mr. Gonzalez. 

On Veneer, Jose Gonzales out Jack Johnson’s Jack Johnson with his smooth, thoughtful, pensive post hardcore folk noir vignettes. His nylon riffs are soulful and for 30 mins it’s like a time machine journeyed back to 1976 and delivered a Tool album to Paco De Lucia. The man knows how to double track his voice, create tension and release through polyrhythms and he oozes touch on the guitar - just listen for the fingernails at the end of song #8 Stay In The Shade. 

Thanks for joining us today for another episode of In The Groove. Keep exploring records new and old and we’ll see you again next week for one more piece of Indie Folk brilliance.