Sold Out!!!
CONTEMPORALE
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
Curated by Split Works
Presents: José González
“José González has been writing consistently brilliant, honest and moving music for a long time now and I can’t see that changing any time soon.”
– The 405
“Intoxicating and vital.” – BBC
We’re delighted to welcome back the spacious, warm folk of Swedish songwriter José González for this season of Contemporale. It’ll be his first China tour since 2009, and he’s back with a new album – 2016’s Vestiges and Claws, his first in seven years.
The crystalline miniatures of Gonzalez’s songs are arresting and endlessly captivating. There’s that unique timbre of his voice, supported usually by intricate, gentle fingerpicked acoustic guitar and a soothing pulse backbeat. Like watching raindrops on windowpanes.
Although subtle, José González is a live artist who captures your entire attention. It’s sensual. Evocative. His abstract lyrics often painting vivid images. “Dawn is coming open your eyes / Look into the sun as a new days rise.”
Thursday 24 November at the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Chamber Hall. Expect a meditative, magnetic quietly transporting journey.
José González’s story is rare in modern pop – a heartening case of the artist resisting the vicissitudes of musical fashion to carve out a unique, intimate style, and defiantly following his muse all the way to the top of the charts. His masterfully eloquent guitar-playing and introspective songs have earned him a widespread cult following, not to mention critical accolades and awards.
He has made waves with covers of songs like Kylie Minogue’s “Hand on your Heart” and “Teardrop” by Massive Attack, but José’s sound is all his own – rich, emotive vocal melodies that cut to the core, backed by delicate classical guitar.
After the untrammeled Scandinavian success of his 2003 debut album, Veneer, González signed to London-based indie label Peacefrog, releasing his UK debut, the Crosses EP, in February ’05. Press hosannas and some jaw-dropping, heartstring-tugging UK shows set off the proverbial buzz, and by the time the Veneer was released globally in ‘05, word had spread like wildfire.
José’s second album In our Nature was released in September 2007. He’s since toured extensively, both solo and with his kraut-rock inspired band Junip, who released their debut full-length in 2010.
In 2012, he contributed to the soundtrack of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, starring Ben Stiller. Those songs – darker, fuller, more eccentric – would seep through into Vestiges & Claws, his first collection of solo songs in seven years.
Musically gorgeous, lyrically profound. José González is in a class by himself – a deep, artful thinker with a singular, painterly approach to song writing and sonics.
November 24 at the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall. A long overdue return.
CONTEMPORALE Presents: Jose Gonzalez
[Shanghai]
Date: November 24, 2016 Thursday
Time：19:45pm*
*Performance will start promptly at 7:45pm. Please arrive 45 minutes prior to show time.
Price: 180/120/80 RMB (Sold Out!!!)
Tickets: Sold Out!
Location: Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Hall
Address: 1380 Middle Fuxing Road, Xuhui District, near Baoqing Road (徐汇区复兴中路1380号，近宝庆路)
Links
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra official website：www.sh-symphony.com
Split Works official website：www.spli-t.com
About Contemporale
The Contemporale series began in the autumn of 2014 as a collaboration between the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Split Works and hosts exciting contemporary musical acts in a classical music environment, at the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra’s new home in downtown Shanghai.
The 2014-15 season saw piano, guitar and strings from the Ukraine (Lubomyr Melnyk), Canada (Moonface) and the US (Bill Callahan). With fully sold out Chamber Halls across the season, Contemporale has expanded its programme for the 2015-16 season, taking in twice the number of artists and including performances in the 1,200 seat Concert Hall.
About Split Works:
Split Works is a Beijing and Shanghai based concert promotion agency. Since 2006, we’ve been putting on killer parties and shows throughout Asia, working with brilliant artists from across the globe. In 2009, we launched JUE | Music + Art and also produce branded campaigns through our sister company, communications agency Splatter. We love China, we love music, we love you.