British producer and songwriter Kwes is used to being behind the scenes, having done production for a myriad of artists including The xx, Damon Albarn and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard. However, he’s also broken out as a solo artist in recent years, having released his first LP ilp in 2013. As demonstrated on the gorgeous track (“36”) from the LP, Kwes’s art form is a masterful convergence of subtlety and sonic complexity achieved through the use of repetition, layering, and divergent textures. Interestingly enough, Kwes — along with Pharrell, Dev Hynes, Billy Joel and even Stevie Wonder — all experience a phenomenon known as Chromesthesia (sound-to-color synesthesia), a neurological condition effectively allowing them to hear color, or see sound depending on how you look at it. Perhaps it is no coincidence then that these artists’ creative genius manifest themselves in stunning visual pathways as well. Stream “36” and “Bashful” (from the 2012 EP Meantime) below.
poetry in an empty coke can 