Kwes

Kwesi Sey, professionally known as Kwes (; 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. 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 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. Kwes's younger brother is the musician Coby Sey.

In an interview in 2012, Kwes said he has synesthesia. 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. 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." 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".

Discography

Year Artist Title Release Label Credit 2024 Nubya Garcia All tracks Odyssey (LP) Concord Co-production, mixing Lucy Rose All tracks This Ain't The Way You Go Out (LP) Communion Music Co-production Nubya Garcia "Fortify" "Fortify" (Single) Concord Co-production, mixing 2023 Kwes Original Score Rye Lane Searchlight Pictures Composition Valentina All tracks All Are Lost (EP) Tocca Te Additional production, mixing Nadiah "Draw The Line" "Draw The Line" (Single) NNN Recordings Co-production, co-write, mixing Sampha "Can't Go Back" Lahai (LP) Young Additional production Ragz Originale "Flashbacks" Ft. Sampha, July ft. Tiana Major9 & Venna Bare Sugar (LP) Mini Kingz Co-Production, mixing 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 Hudson Mohawke "Ingle Nook" Cry Sugar (LP) Warp co-write 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 Loyle Carner "Hate" Hate (single) EMI Co-production, co-write Auclair All Tracks Giramata (EP) Amorphous Sounds Mixing 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 Tirzah "Ribs" Ribs (single) Domino Mixing Zola All music Zola A24 Mixing Tirzah All Tracks Colourgrade (LP) Domino A&R (all tracks), mixing on "Sink In", "Recipe" Brodka All Tracks BRUT (LP) Kayax/[PIAS] Co-mixing Black Coffee "Never Gonna Forget" with Diplo ft. Elderbrook Never Gonna Forget (single)Ultra Records Co-production, co-write Virgil Abloh "Delicate Limbs" ft. serpentwithfeet Delicate Limbs (single)Columbia Co-production, co-write 2020 Landshapes All tracks Contact (LP) Bella Union Production, mixing Loyle Carner "Yesterday" Yesterday (single) EMI Vocal engineer Duval Timothy "Fall Again" Help (LP) Carrying Colour OP-1 Nubya Garcia All tracks Source (LP) Concord Co-production, mixing otta All tracks Songbook (EP) BOKKLE/[PIAS] Add prod, mixing, a&r Elan Tamara "My Eyes" My Eyes (single) BOKKLE/[PIAS] prod, mixing, a&r Denai Moore "Hail" Modern Dread (LP) Because Co-production, co-write Daniel Merriweather "Paradise" Paradise (single) Self released Add prod, mixing Nubya Garcia "Pace" Pace (single) Concord Co-production, mixing Selah Sue All tracks Bedroom EP (EP) Because Co-production, mixingottaAll tracksafter it all blew over (EP)BOKKLE/[PIAS]Add prod, mixing, a&r 2019 LA Timpa All tracks Equal Amounts Afraid (LP) O___O Mixing Daniel Merriweather "Everything I Need" Everything I Need (single) Self released Mixing Camelia All tracks Everytime / Sometimes (single) Self released Mixing Little Miss Sumo All tracks Little Miss Sumo (OST) Walks of Life Films, Netflix Composition, mixing Nérija All tracks Blume (LP) Domino Production, mixing, a&r, artwork 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" Arlo Day All tracks Bad Timing (EP) Domino Mixing, a&r Nérija All tracks NÉRIJA EP (EP) Domino Mixing, a&r 2018 Ragz Originale All tracks Nature (LP) Mini Kingz Executive Production Hilang Child All tracks Years (LP) Bella Union Mixing Tirzah All tracks Devotion (LP) Domino A&R, co-mixing Kwes. All tracks songs for Midi (EP) Warp Production, write, mixing, primary artist 2017 Kelela All tracks Take Me Apart (LP) Warp Mixing "Waitin", "Take Me Apart", "Enough", "Better", "LMK", "Truth or Dare", "Turn To Dust", "Altadena" Take Me Apart (LP) Warp Additional production w/ various All We Are All tracks Sunny Hills (LP) Domino Co-production, mixing, a&r ELIZA "Wide Eyed Fool" "Wide Eyed Fool" (single) ELIZA Mixing 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") Coby Sey "Petals Have Fallen" Petals Have Fallen (single) self-release Add. production; mixing BILA "Didn't Lose" Didn't Lose (single) self-release Production, co-write Coby Sey All tracks Whities 010: Transport for Lewisham (EP) AD 93 (Whities) Co-mixing w/ Coby Sey 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 PAULi All tracks The Idea of Tomorrow (EP) PAULi Co-production Kano "My Sound" Made in the Manor (LP) BPM, Parlophone Additional production, co-write w/ Blue May and Jodi Milliner Hudson Mohawke "Indian Steps" Lantern (LP) Warp Additional production w/ Hudson Mohawke Samuel All tracks Luv Cry (EP) Big Dada Production, co-production Nao "It's You" 15 February (EP) Little Tokyo, Sony Production, co-write Rosie Lowe "Right Thing" Control (LP) Wolf Tone, Polydor Production, co-write w/ Dave Okumu and Rosie Lowe 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 Kwes. All tracks ilpix (EP) Warp Production, write, primary artist Moko "Missing Love" Gold (EP) MTA, Virgin EMI Production, co-write Shivum Sharma All tracks Flicker/Only You (single) National Anthem Production Rosie Lowe All tracks Right Thing (EP) 37 Adventures Production, co-write w/ Dave Okumu and Rosie Lowe Pusha T "Who I Am" ft. 2 Chainz and Big Sean My Name Is My Name (LP) GOOD, Def Jam Sampled Eliza Doolittle "Don't Call It Love" In Your Hands (LP) Parlophone Production, co-write 2013 Kwes. All tracks ilp (LP) Warp Production, write, primary artist Valentina All tracks Wolves (EP) Greco Roman Production w/ various 2012 Bobby Womack "Whatever Happened to the Times" The Bravest Man in the Universe (LP) XL Production w/ Damon Albarn and Richard Russell Kwesachu (Kwes & Micachu) All tracks Kwesachu Mixtape Vol.2 (mixtape) self-release Production w/ Micachu Kwes. All tracks Meantime Warp Production, write, mixing, primary artist Speech Debelle All tracks Freedom of Speech Big Dada Production, co-write Sunless '97 All tracks Making Waves (EP) Abeano/XL Production Valentina All tracks Weights (EP) Little Chaos Production w/ Blue May 2011 Elan Tamara All tracks Organ (EP) Big Dada Production 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 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 Elan Tamara All tracks Shadows (EP) self-release Production 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 Kwesachu (Kwes. & Micachu) All tracks Kwesachu Mixtape Vol.1 (mixtape) self-release Production w/ Micachu Kwes. All tracks Hearts in Home/Tissues (single) Salvia/XL Production, write, primary artist Micachu "Outro" Filthy Friends: Volume 1 (mixtape) self-release Production 2007 Jack Peñate "A Good Weapon" Second, Minute or Hour (single) XL Keyboards "Run For Your Life" Matinée (LP) XL Keyboards

Artist discography Albums Year Album details2013 ilp. Released: 14 / 15 October 2013 Label: Warp Released: 27 February 2026 Label: Warp Formats: LP, CD, Digital download

EPs Year EP details2010 No Need To Run Released: 28 June 2010 Label: Young Formats: 12" EP, Digital download2012 Meantime Released: 30 April / 1 May 2012 Label: Warp Formats: 12" EP, CD, Digital download2018 Songs for Midi Released: 5 April 2018 Label: Warp Formats: 12" EP, Digital download

Remix EP Year Remix EP details2014 ilpix Released: 15 September 2014 Label: Warp Formats: Digital download

Singles "Hearts in Home" (16 February 2009) "Get Up" (13 November 2011) "Bashful" (7 March 2012) "Rollerblades" (26 November 2012)

Mixtapes Year Mixtape details2010 Kwesachu Mixtape Vol.1 with Micachu Released: 5 June 2009 Label: Self-released Formats: Cassette tape, Digital download2012 Kwesachu Mixtape Vol.2 with Micachu Released: 30 April 2012 Label: Self-released Formats: Cassette tape, Digital download

Live session duties Ebony Bones – Guitarist (2006–2007, 2008) Bono Must Die now O. Children – Keyboardist (2007) Jack Peñate – Laptop and keyboards (2009) Kwesachu (with Micachu) – co-production and co-selector (2009–?) Elan Tamara – Bassist (2009–2011) Leftfield – Keyboards and Computers (2010) Bobby Womack – Keyboards (2012–2013)