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Kwes ( /kwɛs/;[1] sometimes stylised as kwes, kwes., Kwes. or [o=o]. ) is a British music producer, composer and artist from London, England. Kwes is also currently signed to Warp as a solo artist and released his debut album, ilp, in October 2013. He has since gone on to produce music for the likes of Damon Albarn, Bobby Womack, Solange Knowles, Sampha, Loyle Carner, Black Coffee, Nubya Garcia, Mica Levi, Tirzah, Lucy Rose and numerous others.[2] He also composed his debut feature length score for 2023 British rom-com film Rye Lane, directed by Raine Allen-Miller. It won a BIFA award in 2023 for Best Original Music.[3]
Kwes began playing his grandparents' organ at the age of four and his grandmother bought him his first small keyboard aged 5. For his tenth birthday, he received a radio/tape recorder with a built-in microphone, which launched his interest in sound recording.[4] Kwes's younger brother is the musician Coby Sey.[5]
Kwes has chromesthesia (sound-to-colour synaesthesia).[6]
His earliest synaesthetic experiences occurred around the age of 4 and he attempted to colour paper with the particular colours he was seeing when listening to music. These colours have been set since he first discovered his condition: "any form of a G-chord would have orange in it, and the other notes which are not G accompanying that G-chord would have an effect on the type of orange it is. Majors tend to be slightly brighter.[7] Same applies for D which is always – yellow/green, E which is Yellow/gold, F which is violet/blue, C – Blue, A – light blue, B – yellow/gold/green."[8]
Colour is not in my direct field of vision, it's more in my peripheral field of vision, so it's just something that's always going on; it doesn't annoy me, or it doesn't amuse me, or it doesn't make me feel good, it's a normal occurrence to me. But at the same time, that could be why I love music so much.
His synaesthetic impressions of his own music are translated in the artwork to his solo releases, including "Hearts in Home" and "No Need to Run".[10]
| Year | Artist | Title | Release | Label | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Nubya Garcia | All tracks | Odyssey (LP) | Concord | Co-production, mixing |
| 2024 | Lucy Rose | All tracks | This Ain't The Way You Go Out (LP) | Communion Music | Co-production |
| 2024 | Nubya Garcia | Fortify | Fortify (Single) | Concord | Co-production, mixing |
| 2023 | Rye Lane | Original Score | Rye Lane | Searchlight Pictures | Composition |
| 2023 | Valentina | All tracks | All Are Lost (EP) | Tocca Te | Additional production, mixing |
| 2023 | Nadiah | Draw The Line | Draw The Line (Single) | NNN Recordings | Co-production, co-write, mixing |
| 2023 | Sampha | Can't Go Back | Lahai (LP) | Young | Additional production |
| 2023 | Ragz Originale | Flashbacks Ft. Sampha, July ft. Tiana Major9 & Venna | Bare Sugar (LP) | Mini Kingz | Co-Production, mixing |
| 2023 | Brother May | All tracks | Pattern With Force (EP) | Self released | Mixing |
| 2022 | Loyle Carner | All tracks except "Georgetown" | hugo (LP) | EMI | Executive production, co-production, co-write |
| 2022 | Hudson Mohawke | Ingle Nook | Cry Sugar (LP) | Warp | co-write |
| 2022 | Lil Silva | Be Cool (ft. Little Dragon), Backwards (ft. Sampha), Colours, Still (ft. Sampha & Ghetts) | Yesterday Is Heavy (LP) | Nowhere / Platoon | Co-production, co-write |
| 2022 | Loyle Carner | Hate | Hate (single) | EMI | Co-production, co-write |
| 2022 | Auclair | All Tracks | Giramata (EP) | Amorphous Sounds | Mixing |
| 2022 | Selah Sue | Twice A Day, Full of Life | Persona (LP) | Because | Co-production, mixing |
| 2021 | Elan Tamara | All Tracks | We Can Fall (LP) | BOKKLE | Production, mixing |
| 2021 | Tirzah | Ribs | Ribs (single) | Domino | Mixing |
| 2021 | Zola | All music | Zola | A24 | Mixing |
| 2021 | Tirzah | All Tracks | Colourgrade (LP) | Domino | A&R (all tracks), mixing on "Sink In", "Recipe" |
| 2021 | Brodka | All Tracks | BRUT (LP) | Kayax/[PIAS] | Co-mixing |
| 2021 | Black Coffee | Never Gonna Forget with Diplo ft. Elderbrook | Never Gonna Forget (single) | Ultra Records | Co-production, co-write |
| 2021 | Virgil Abloh | Delicate Limbs ft. serpentwithfeet | Delicate Limbs (single) | Columbia | Co-production, co-write |
| 2020 | Landshapes | All tracks | Contact (LP) | Bella Union | Production, mixing |
| 2020 | Loyle Carner | Yesterday | Yesterday (single) | EMI | Vocal engineer |
| 2020 | Duval Timothy | Fall Again | Help (LP) | Carrying Colour | OP-1 |
| 2020 | Nubya Garcia | All tracks | Source (LP) | Concord | Co-production, mixing |
| 2020 | otta | All tracks | Songbook (EP) | BOKKLE/[PIAS] | Add prod, mixing, a&r |
| 2020 | Elan Tamara | My Eyes | My Eyes (single) | BOKKLE/[PIAS] | prod, mixing, a&r |
| 2020 | Denai Moore | Hail | Modern Dread (LP) | Because | Co-production, co-write |
| 2020 | Daniel Merriweather | Paradise | Paradise (single) | Self released | Add prod, mixing |
| 2020 | Nubya Garcia | Pace | Pace (single) | Concord | Co-production, mixing |
| 2020 | Selah Sue | All tracks | Bedroom EP (EP) | Because | Co-production, mixing |
| 2019 | LA Timpa | All tracks | Equal Amounts Afraid (LP) | O___O | Mixing |
| 2020 | otta | All tracks | after it all blew over (EP) | BOKKLE/[PIAS] | Add prod, mixing, a&r |
| 2019 | Daniel Merriweather | Everything I Need | Everything I Need (single) | Self released | Mixing |
| 2019 | Camelia | All tracks | Everytime / Sometimes (single) | Self released | Mixing |
| 2019 | Little Miss Sumo | All tracks | Little Miss Sumo (OST) | Walks of Life Films, Netflix | Composition, mixing |
| 2019 | Nérija | All tracks | Blume (LP) | Domino | Production, mixing, a&r, artwork |
| 2019 | Loyle Carner | "Still", "Desoleil", "Krispy", "Carluccio", "Ice Water" | Not Waving, But Drowning (LP) | AMF, Virgin EMI | Production, co-write on "Still", "Desoleil", "Krispy", "Carluccio". Additional production on "Ice Water" |
| 2019 | Arlo Day | All tracks | Bad Timing (EP) | Domino | Mixing, a&r |
| 2019 | Nérija | All tracks | NÉRIJA EP (EP) | Domino | Mixing, a&r |
| 2018 | Ragz Originale | All tracks | Nature (LP) | Mini Kingz | Executive Production |
| 2018 | Hilang Child | All tracks | Years (LP) | Bella Union | Mixing |
| 2018 | Tirzah | All tracks | Devotion (LP) | Domino | A&R, co-mixing |
| 2018 | Kwes. | All tracks | songs for Midi (EP) | Warp | Production, write, mixing, primary artist |
| 2017 | Kelela | All tracks | Take Me Apart (LP) | Warp | Mixing |
| 2017 | Kelela | "Waitin", "Take Me Apart", "Enough", "Better", "LMK", "Truth or Dare", "Turn To Dust", "Altadena" | Take Me Apart (LP) | Warp | Additional production w/ various |
| 2017 | All We Are | All tracks | Sunny Hills (LP) | Domino | Co-production, mixing, a&r |
| 2017 | ELIZA | "Wide Eyed Fool" | "Wide Eyed Fool" (single) | ELIZA | Mixing |
| 2017 | Loyle Carner | "Florence", "Mrs C" and "Sun of Jean" | Yesterday's Gone (LP) | AMF, Virgin EMI | Production, co-write (on all tracks); Production, co-write and mixing (on "Florence") |
| 2017 | Coby Sey | "Petals Have Fallen" | Petals Have Fallen (single) | self-release | Add. production; mixing |
| 2017 | BILA | "Didn't Lose" | Didn't Lose (single) | self-release | Production, co-write |
| 2017 | Coby Sey | All tracks | Whities 010: Transport for Lewisham (EP) | AD 93 (Whities) | Co-mixing w/ Coby Sey |
| 2017 | Elan Tamara | "Long Walks" | "Long Walks" (single) | self-release | Production |
| 2016 | Solange | "Don't You Wait", "Where Do We Go", "Don't Wish Me Well", "Scales" | A Seat at the Table (LP) | Saint, Columbia | Co-production, co-write w/ various |
| 2016 | PAULi | All tracks | The Idea of Tomorrow (EP) | PAULi | Co-production |
| 2016 | Kano | "My Sound" | Made in the Manor (LP) | BPM, Parlophone | Additional production, co-write w/ Blue May and Jodi Milliner |
| 2016 | Hudson Mohawke | "Indian Steps" | Lantern (LP) | Warp | Additional production w/ Hudson Mohawke |
| 2016 | Samuel | All tracks | Luv Cry (EP) | Big Dada | Production, co-production |
| 2016 | Nao | "It's You" | 15 February (EP) | Little Tokyo, Sony | Production, co-write |
| 2016 | Rosie Lowe | "Right Thing" | Control (LP) | Wolf Tone, Polydor | Production, co-write w/ Dave Okumu and Rosie Lowe |
| 2016 | Samuel | "These Days" | These Days (single) | Big Dada | Production |
| 2015 | George Maple | "Gripp" ft. Kilo Kish | Vacant Space | Future Classic Pty, Virgin EMI | Production, co-write |
| 2014 | DELS | All tracks | Petals Have Fallen (LP) | Big Dada | Production, co-write w/ various |
| 2014 | Kwes. | All tracks | ilpix (EP) | Warp | Production, write, primary artist |
| 2014 | Moko | "Missing Love" | Gold (EP) | MTA, Virgin EMI | Production, co-write |
| 2014 | Shivum Sharma | All tracks | Flicker/Only You (single) | National Anthem | Production[11] |
| 2014 | Rosie Lowe | All tracks | Right Thing (EP) | 37 Adventures | Production, co-write w/ Dave Okumu and Rosie Lowe[12] |
| 2014 | Pusha T | "Who I Am" ft. 2 Chainz and Big Sean | My Name Is My Name (LP) | GOOD, Def Jam | Sampled |
| 2014 | Eliza Doolittle | Don't Call It Love | In Your Hands (LP) | Parlophone | Production, co-write[13] |
| 2013 | Kwes. | All tracks | ilp (LP) | Warp | Production, write, primary artist |
| 2013 | Valentina | All tracks | Wolves (EP) | Greco Roman | Production w/ various[14] |
| 2012 | Bobby Womack | "Whatever Happened to the Times" | The Bravest Man in the Universe (LP) | XL | Production w/ Damon Albarn and Richard Russell[15] |
| 2012 | Kwesachu (Kwes & Micachu) | All tracks | Kwesachu Mixtape Vol.2 (mixtape) | self-release | Production w/ Micachu |
| 2012 | Kwes. | All tracks | Meantime | Warp | Production, write, mixing, primary artist |
| 2012 | Speech Debelle | All tracks | Freedom of Speech | Big Dada | Production, co-write[16] |
| 2012 | Sunless '97 | All tracks | Making Waves (EP) | Abeano/XL | Production[17] |
| 2012 | Valentina | All tracks | Weights (EP) | Little Chaos | Production w/ Blue May[18] |
| 2011 | Elan Tamara | All tracks | Organ (EP) | Big Dada | Production |
| 2011 | DRC Music | "Customs", "Three Piece Sweet Part 1 & 2", "If You Wish to Stay Awake", "Departure", "Three Piece Sweet Part 3 (bonus track)" | Kinshasa One Two (LP) | Warp | Production, co-write w/ various[19] |
| 2011 | DELS | "Hydronenberg", "Moonshing", "Eating Clouds", "Violina/Bread Before Bed", "DLR", "Droogs", "GOB" | GOB (LP) | Big Dada | Production, co-write |
| 2010 | Dog Bite | All tracks | Machino Machino/Take Your Time (single) | Young Turks | Production[20] |
| 2010 | Elan Tamara | All tracks | Shadows (EP) | self-release | Production[21] |
| 2010 | Kwes. | All tracks | No Need To Run (EP) | Young Turks | Production, mixing, write, primary artist |
| 2009 | Elan Tamara | All tracks | Gold Fishes (EP) | self-release | Production |
| 2009 | Kwesachu (Kwes. & Micachu) | All tracks | Kwesachu Mixtape Vol.1 (mixtape) | self-release | Production w/ Micachu |
| 2009 | Kwes. | All tracks | Hearts in Home/Tissues (single) | Salvia/XL | Production, write, primary artist |
| 2009 | Micachu | "Outro" | Filthy Friends: Volume 1 (mixtape) | self-release | Production |
| 2007 | Jack Peñate | "A Good Weapon" | Second, Minute or Hour (single) | XL | Keyboards |
| 2007 | Jack Peñate | "Run For Your Life" | Matinée (LP) | XL | Keyboards |
Albums
EPs
| Year | EP details |
|---|---|
| 2010 | No Need To Run[22][23] |
| 2012 | Meantime
|
| 2018 | songs for Midi[24]
|
Remix EP
| Year | Remix EP details |
|---|---|
| 2014 | ilpix
|
Singles
- "Hearts in Home" (16 February 2009)
- "Get Up" (13 November 2011)[25]
- "Bashful" (7 March 2012)[26]
- "Rollerblades" (26 November 2012)[27]
Mixtapes
| Year | Mixtape details |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Kwesachu Mixtape Vol.1 with Micachu
|
| 2012 | Kwesachu Mixtape Vol.2 with Micachu
|
- Ebony Bones – Guitarist[28][29] (2006–2007, 2008)
- Bono Must Die now O. Children – Keyboardist[30] (2007)
- Jack Peñate – Laptop and keyboards[31] (2009)
- Kwesachu (with Micachu) – co-production and co-selector (2009–?)
- Elan Tamara – Bassist[32] (2009–2011)
- Leftfield – Keyboards and Computers[33] (2010)
- Bobby Womack – Keyboards (2012–2013)
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