December 28, 2008 by Dels
As 2009 is just around the corner, I’d like to re-introduce KWES, the future of British music. KWES is a young writer/producer/visionary who already possesses an impressive discography – this includes reworks for the likes of Beck, Hot Chip, Damon Albarn and Mr. Hudson & The Library. This kid is set to blow up in a BIG way! It’s hard to describe KWES’ sound… I just know that whenever I do listen to his music, it seems to transport me to some sort of alternate world.
This week I caught up with KWES for a chat about his next single ‘Hearts In Home’, how he deals with Synesthesia and whether he rated FIFA more than Pro Evolution Soccer this year. Has to be Pro Evolution Soccer surely?
Interview with KWES
Where does the name KWES come from? What does it mean?
It’s just a mildly shortened version of Kwesi. Ghanaian name meaning “born on Sunday”.
Originally, ‘Coyote Wolf’ was supposed to be your debut single. What made you choose ‘Hearts In Home’ instead?
Hearts in Home is just one of my later tracks really. Coyote Wolf was done quite a while ago, and I am going to re-record it. It may be on the next release or the 3rd release.
‘Hearts In Home’ and B-Side ‘Tissues’ are not your typical love songs. They are very abstract… what inspired you to make these songs? Are you writing from experience?
Yeah, these are definitely tracks from experience 
. Was thinking about loved ones, plus the weather was such a huge inspiration, I even recorded it into the song Hearts in Home. Tissues, I did when I had the flu.
What other projects are you working on? What artists have you worked with/are you working with at the moment? Who should we look out for in 2009?
At the moment:
Just finishing producing the EP of a very talented artist who goes by the name of Elan. Trust me, in the long term, she will be a force to be reckoned with. Also, been working on quite a few reworks. Just finished some for Damon Albarn’s Monkey Journey To The West, Marina & The Diamonds, your own track Shape/Shift. About to do a follow up to Micachu’s first mixtape with Micachu featuring loads of talented people, should be sweet. Apart from all that, I have production/writing work for yourself and Joe Hot Chip coming up, along with Ghostpoet, Rahel and a new artist called Bella Vaughn.
Definitely look out for:
Apart from the people I’ve mentioned earlier, lookout for The Invisible. Primary 1. Rox. Elviin. Post War Years. The Carps. Noisettes (hopefully Mercury will push their 2nd album harder). Thecocknbullkid. Tommy Sparks. Dimlite. Hudson Mohawke. There are loads of people.
I read somewhere a while back that you are a synesthete. Please explain to the lovely Tribe readers out there what this ‘condition’ is and how it affects your creative process?
Hello lovely Tribe readers/voyeurs. Synaesthesia is a condition where two or more of your senses work in conjunction with each other which in turn cause involuntary experiences. I have the music-colour form of it and it’s something I’ve had for as long as I can remember (in terms of earliest experiences with music). It involves musical notes corresponding with particular colours appearing in my peripheral field of vision, when being heard. The corresponding notes and colours have never ever changed.
For example: 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. 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.
I don’t think it really has an effect on my creative process thinking about it, I would say it’s more a by-product.
Interesting. I noticed that this is a theme you decided to carry through for the visual branding of your single release. I love the fact that your single cover is a representation of the colours that you see when you make music. Who did the artwork?
Stills from the forthcoming KWES website:
I know this is a question that artists hate being asked… but who are your musical heroes? Who has had an influence on your sound?
Off the top of my head other musical people/heroes and heroines who have had an influence on me are: Captain Beefheart, Robert Wyatt, Todd Rundgren, Alice Coltrane, Cat Power. Tom Vek, Harry Partch, Raymond Scott. Being a producer, I have my producer heroes too and some of these include Lee Scratch Perry, Dave Newfeld, Madlib, Martin Hannett, Phil Spector, Brian Eno. Joe Meek. Roger Troutman and more. People who just do things in their own way influence me to attempt to do things my own way.
How would you describe your sound? Can you?
Kwespop, freepop, unquantipop (as I never quantize whenever I program), just pop music I try to do in my own way.
Is there a KWES live show in the pipeline? I saw that you toured with Ebony Bones this year as her Keyboardist. How was this experience?
At the moment, I’m still thinking about it definitely possible. Yeah touring with Ebony was sweet, got to stay in some lovely places. Crowds/audiences were lovely. Lovely group of people I was touring with. Loveliness in general. Awesome Chinese Takeaway.
Whats your plan for 2009? Any new years resolutions?
Just to carry on recording, get loads of album credits, sort publishing, sort new place, create a new facility from new place, get a greenhouse, cultivate some tea .
Right, now I am going to put you in the hot seat. I want you to answer the following questions with the first thing that comes to mind. Ready?
Ok.
Tea or Coffee?
Tea UNDOUBTEDLY
Nike or Adidas?
Adidas
Tom Ford or Martin Margiela?
Tom Ford
Curvy girls or skinny malnutritioned model chicks?
Definitely Curvy girls
Kanye or Jay-Z?
Tough one, but would probably be Kanye West
Bum or Breasts?
Of the two, Bum, but the whole package is way more important.
SNES or Commodore 64?
Mega Drive
Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 or Fifa ‘09?
Fifa 09
Chelsea or Arsenal?
Arsenal
Listen to ‘Hearts In Home’:
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Listen to ‘Coyote Wolf’:
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Listen to ‘Tissues’:
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‘Hearts In Home’ w/ B-Side ‘Tissues’ is out on January 14th 2009 via Salvia/XL.
manaman
December 28, 2008 at 2:11 pm
coyote wolf is nuts.
SWIM!
Anonymous
December 28, 2008 at 2:47 pm
big post dels!!!!!!!
Josephine
December 28, 2008 at 4:28 pm
mate, if you’re gonna battle SNES with something, it HAS to be mega drive!
EboHero
December 28, 2008 at 5:21 pm
this guy knows his stuff
Mega Drive
Arsenal
Fifa
gets my vote
No-Bizzi
December 28, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Really like Coyote wolf…
nice interview dels,
without doubt one to keep on the radar for 09′
Steve
December 28, 2008 at 9:50 pm
FIFA ?! Eeeee
pip squeak
December 28, 2008 at 9:53 pm
ATCN needs more of this!
Good interview. This kid Is something else.
Well done dels mate.
I like tissues!
X
ANON
December 28, 2008 at 12:31 am
Megadrive… ugh and it was going so well
Wow!
December 28, 2008 at 10:46 am
so talented. Good luck kwesi.
I’m going to be watching you in 09!
I love ur style it’s fresh.
Kwame
December 28, 2008 at 1:50 am
proud that kwes is getting greater recognition and hope that ‘09 is a successful yr for my ghanaian brother!
coby sey.
December 28, 2008 at 10:27 am
Big.
Bangles
December 28, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Big post delboy. ATCN is on it!
dels x Kwes? Should be a big tune?!
Anonymous
December 28, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Insanely sick.
Big up for real for real.
Thanks for the post…
ANON
December 28, 2008 at 9:31 pm
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE!
SWIMS! IM A NEW FAN! Thanks for the introduction to such a gifted individual.
venus
December 28, 2008 at 5:37 pm
absoloutely amazing talent, he is such a a gifted being. He has the midas touch cant wait to hear the artists that come through him