For an artist who’s been collaborating with the greats (The XX and Micachu), it’s nice to see Kwes, and his disjointed brand of electronica induced Rn’B, finally getting the attention it deserves. With his debut show at the Shacklewell Arms coming up on the 28th November and a record due out on Warp, it seems this particular multi-instrumentalist is on the rise. That’s not say his earlier releases received no attention, because they very much did, it’s just exciting that there’s so much buzz surrounding this particular one.
What’s perhaps so enchanting about Kwes’ music is the Skiffle like approach the man has to music. At times it’s soulful and delicate, at others one would be forgiven for thinking you were listening to things falling of shelves. But that’s the thing, his music has this wonderful tactile quality, it’s hardly surprising Kwes plays so many instruments, simply because you can really feel each pluck of a string and every bash of a drum.
The first single to drop from his new release on warp is ‘Get Up’. It’s perhaps the most accessible of all his work so far; it balances on a central hook and the sound seems to be reined it slightly. This is by no means a bad thing, the avant-garde attitude to recording and production is still evidently there and in all honesty the whole thing seems to have a much-needed clear conceptual message. In short, the track really is a treat.
Stream and D/L below.