‘IT'S ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE REALLY LIKE WHAT I DO'
Natural mystic
His haunting music made him a huge star, yet Jose Gonzalez is unlikely to shout about it. He whispers a word or two in Jonathan Wingate’s ear
e's responsihle l'or one ol' the higgest alhums ol'
last )ear. _\et nohod} seems to reeognise .lose
(ion/ale/ as he sits sipping his heer in the eorner ol a hip l.ondon hotel har. In laet. the Suedish singersonguriter is so solt|_\ spoken that it is almost impossihle to aetuall} hear \\ hat he‘s s;l)lllg o\er the harmanK eoektail shaker.
‘l’eople ot‘ten e\peet me to he \er} serious. hut it‘s not like in} record eompan} told me not to smile in photographs. heeause I \\as like that an} \xasf (ion/ale/ giggles. 'I guess I am aetualls quite sit}. and l‘\e ahsass l'elt \er} sell‘eonseious during interx iexssf
Alter earning rax e resiexss l'or his striking!) original dehut in 2005. (ion/alef musie reeeised mass e\posure through the Son} Bra\ia TV ad leaturing his \ersion ol' ‘lleartlwats' ta song written h} Suedish eleelro—pop duo. 'l'he Klillel and 35(Hlill) multieoloured halls houneing through the streets ol' San l‘raneiseo.
'l “as \er_\ eoneerned ahout ehearwning m} inusie h_\ allossing it to he used in a eommereial. so it tell like a hig eomproinise.‘ he admits. looking haek. I don't leel had ahout it it's not like the} 're selling machine guns to kitls_ Although [he e\postll'e “as good. I \souldn‘t do it again as long as lean pa} the rent."
lla\ing sold millions of alhums \sorldxxide. .lose (ion/ale/ is unlikel} to he \xorrsing ahout keeping a root to er his head e\ er again: '()riginall} \\ e \\ ere aiming at selling letltl alhutns. l \\as astonished that people liked it in almost e\er} eountr} that I \sent to. hut it‘s enough to knoxs that some people reall} like \\ hat l do. It's not ahout the numhers for me.’
His second alhum. In (Mr Nature. is a haunting
eolleetion that hrings to mind exeryhing l’rom Niek l)rake lo the ltosszl no\a reeords (ion/lile/ Argentinean lather p|a_\ed when he \s as grim ing up in (iothenhurg.
‘:\ lot ol‘ the lirst alhutn \sas ahout |o\ e and personal struggles. hut these songs are mainI} ahout the unixersal primiti\ e aspeets ol‘ human heingsf (ion/ale/ explains. ‘l‘\e a|\\a_\s thought ahout these things. hut reeenth l heeame more interested alter I read a hook ealled The (im/ Delusion h) Riehard l)a\\ kins. \shieh is \er} mueh a critique on religion in general.
‘ll‘ _\ou‘re not eritieal ahout _\our histor}. that ean he a prohlem heeause there are religions leaders. politieians and all kinds ol potserliul people \\ ho can take ad\antage ol a population that isn't reall} thinking. l)a\\ kins is an e\olutionar_\ hiologist. hut the l_\l'les are liar l‘rom hiologieal. I like p|a_\ ing \‘l ith ssmholism.‘
.-\lthough it ma} sound strange to hear a pop star
talking ahout sueh lot‘t} topies. it all makes perteet sense \shen _\ou diseo\er that (ion/ale/ \\ as stud}ng
tor a PhD in hioehemistr} at the l'nisersit} ol‘
(iothenhurg months helore his lirst alhum \\ as released. "In a \sa} l‘m just putting do“ n \xords that sound good. and although the songs are inl‘lueneed h} these suhieets. it’s not esaetl} like uriting a paper. Before this I planned to heeome a hioehemist; I ean still read hooks and get inspired h} that stul't'. hut this \sa} I get to trasel the \sorld and pla} milsie. But irist heeatise He read a ten hooks. it doesn’t make me an expertf (ion/ale/ grins. ‘I just knou hon to pla} guitar.‘
ABC, Glasgow, Sun 28 Oct. In Our Nature is out now on Peacefrog.
LCD Soundsystem James Murphy (pictured) is no stranger to these parts and this welcome return visit comes hot on the heels of their Statesrde tour supporting Arcade Fire . . . Barrow/and, Glasgow, Mon 22 Oct. (Rock 8 Pop)
" Arcade Fire . . . who, luck would have it are in town too. preaching the Neon Bible. SECC. Glasgow, Fri 26 Oct.
Boredoms and Michael Gira The Japanese masters of the extreme share a bill with the one-time Swans supremo for an evening of diverse musical intensity. Arches, Glasgow, Tue 23 Oct. (Flock 8 Pop)
Davey Graham The veteran guitar hero whose broadminded playing in the 605 influenced generations of guitar musos from Jimmy Page through to Bernard Butler. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sat 27 Oct. (Folk)
Crystal Castles, These New Puritans and The Teenagers Three spanking new bands for free courtesy of spanking new phone network Blyck. Visit www.unitaur.com for more ticket into. ABC, Glasgow, Tue 30 Oct. (Rock 8 Pop)
‘ Hafter Medboe Group with Eva Mailling Danish bass virtuoso Milling teams up with Medboe‘s team to celebrate the launch of his new album of deep, heavy grooves and arching, aching melodies. Jazz Centre at The Lot, Edinburgh, Wed 37 Oct. (Jazz)
' Found On the eve of the release of their second album. This Mess We Keep Reshaping. this shambling, sonically audacious quintet get dolled up for the Fence Collective's club night. Turn up and get a free 7in for good measure. See preview, page 59. The Caves, Edinburgh, Thu 7 Nov. (Rock 8 Pop)
7": Oct— ‘ its: 27M THE LIST 57