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Kwesi Sey, professionally known as Kwes (; sometimes stylised as ''kwes'', ''kwes.'', ''Kwes.'' or '' =o'' ) is a British music producer, composer and artist from
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, 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 Damon Albarn (, ; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman, main vocalist, and lyricist of the rock band Blur (band), Blur and the co-creator and primary musical con ...
, Bobby Womack,
Solange Knowles Solange Piaget Knowles (; born June 24, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She expressed an interest in music from an early age and had temporary stints as a backup dancer for Destiny's Child, which featured her older sister ...
, Sampha, Loyle Carner, Black Coffee, Nubya Garcia, Mica Levi, Tirzah, Lucy Rose and numerous others. 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 in 2023 for Best Original Music.


Biography

Kwes began playing his grandparents' organ at the age of four and his
grandmother Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maxi ...
bought him his first small keyboard aged 5. For his tenth birthday, he received a radio/tape recorder with a built-in
microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic (), or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publi ...
, which launched his interest in sound recording. Kwes's younger brother is the musician Coby Sey. In an interview in 2021, Kwes said he has
synesthesia Synesthesia (American English) or synaesthesia (British English) is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People with sy ...
. 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.Dickins, Kieren (December 2008)
Kwes. – A Tribe Called Next
''A Tribe Called Next''. Retrieved 2011-06-15.
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."Wright, Scott (17 June 2010)
Dollars to Pounds: Kwes « The FADER
''
The FADER ''The Fader'' is a magazine established in 1999 as an outlet for Cornerstone Agency, a marketing and public relations firm established by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. History and work It is owned by T ...
''. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
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".Erkas, Sinem (December 2008
SINEM ERKAS illustrator & graphic designer – Kwes record sleeve series
. ''Sinem Erkas''. Retrieved 17 November 2011.


Discography


Artist discography


Albums


EPs


Remix EP


Singles

*"Hearts in Home" (16 February 2009) *"Get Up" (13 November 2011)Warp (13 November 2011)
Warp / Records / Kwes / Signs to Warp, download free MP3 of new track 'Get Up
. '' Warp''. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
*"Bashful" (7 March 2012)Dombal, Ryan (7 March 2012)
Rising: Kwes , Features , Pitchfork
''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
''. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
*" Rollerblades" (26 November 2012)Warp (26 November 2012)
Warp / Kwes / Warp / Kwes 'Rollerblades' available to download now, 7-inch out in January
. '' Warp''. Retrieved 26 November 2012.


Mixtapes


Live session duties

*'' Ebony Bones'' – GuitaristMercury Music Prize Recommends (November 2011)
Recommends
''
Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...
Recommends''. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
"ClintClinty" (9 July 2006)
Ebony Bones @ Anti-Social (Bar Music Hall) PT 2 – YouTube
YouTube. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
(2006–2007, 2008) *''Bono Must Die'' now O. Children – KeyboardistCafun, Evian (14 April 2007)
Kwes,Forty Fives,EvIaNnAivE,BONO MUST DIE@ULU Video by Evian Cafun – MySpace Video
''MySpace''. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
(2007) *'' Jack Peñate'' – Laptop and keyboardsmytaratata (18 May 2009
video Emission 318 2/4 – Jack PENATE – 318, jack penate – videos MYTARATATA.COM
''MYTARATATA.COM'' Retrieved on 15 June 2010.
(2009) *''Kwesachu'' (with Micachu) – co-production and co-selector (2009–?) *''Elan Tamara'' – BassistMottley, Elan Tamara (June 2009)
Elan Tamara – Organ EP – Out 6 June 2011
''Elan Tamara''. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
(2009–2011) *''
Leftfield Leftfield are a British electronic music group formed in London in 1989, a duo of Neil Barnes and Paul Daley (the latter formerly of The Rivals and A Man Called Adam). The duo was influential in the evolution of electronic music in the 1990s ...
'' – Keyboards and ComputersWilliams, Scott (13 May 2010)
Leftfield interview – Neil Barnes talks festivals
''eFestivals''. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
(2010) *'' Bobby Womack'' – Keyboards (2012–2013)


References


External links


Official websiteKwes. on WarpKwes. on Discogs
{{Authority control 1987 births British record producers British audio engineers English record producers English audio engineers English male songwriters English people of Ghanaian descent Living people Composers from London People from Lewisham Warp (record label) artists XL Recordings artists Young (record label) artists