This is Screen Time – a new series where artists share the digital spaces that inspire, inform, and distract them.

Since emerging in the late 2000s, the Lewisham-raised composer, producer and artist kwes. has produced a prolific and varied body of work, continually experimenting across his own releases as well as with collaborators including Mica Levi, Solange, Kelela and Damon Albarn. If there’s a common thread that runs throughout, it’s kwes.’s gift for creating immersive, emotionally resonant soundworlds that feel tactile, expansive and alive with atmosphere.

More recently, that sensibility found a natural home in his music for Raine Allen-Miller’s 2023 breakout Rye Lane, which featured in Crack’s new round-up of the 50 greatest film scores of the 21st century. kwes.’s 23-track score embodied both the tenderness of the story and the restless energy of south London, with neo-soul motifs, grime textures and contributions from Sampha and Tirzah.

This year, the artist returned to his solo project with Kinds, his first album in eight years. Born from a period of burnout, the record was inspired in part by a much-needed reset with his family at Center Parcs – specifically, watching his daughter patiently begin a new drawing after accidentally spilling a drink over the first. With nine tracks each named after a colour, it’s an intuitive, expansive project that drifts through minimalist ambient compositions, luminous shoegaze-inspired passages, and darker currents of drone and distortion.

As he enters a new creative chapter, for Screen Time, kwes. tracks the tabs, tools and internet rabbit holes he keeps coming back to.

A Bandcamp album, SoundCloud mix, or radio show you listen to on repeat:

At the moment, I’m loving Memory Be a Blade by waterbaby. It’s just gorgeous: the songs, Kendra [Egerbladh]’s voice, Marcus [White]’s production. 

A director’s lesser-known work you can watch in full online:

Raine Allen-Miller’s early short film, Jerk. It’s a beautiful depiction of the insidiousness of depression, in this case with Winston, a well-loved elder Jamaican man in his community. An early window into Raine’s unique brilliance.

A Google Drive, PDF or pirated text that’s become a resource:

Every Drum Machine. My guy Sachi DiSerafino initially put me onto this archive.  It’s a Google Drive full of one-shot drum machine samples that you can use however you want. Cheers Sachi.

A newsletter you look forward to each week:

I really enjoy Will Evans’ Wav Diver. He doesn’t post every week, but it’s always a joy when he does. His company Song Athletics makes some lovely, aesthetically pleasing and super useful music software and products.

A tool that changed how you work:

Audiomovers – one of the most useful and best plugins around, especially when working remotely. It generates a link to stream your session to whoever you want, so they can hear you work in real time. Also, when streaming without visual feedback, decisions can be made solely based on listening.

Topos – a super versatile saturation plugin. It can also double up as a crude sort of speaker emulator, which you could use as an effect, or for mimicking different speaker set-ups – like ones without low end. Really fun.

Metric AB – the best reference plugin when you’re being asked to reference another piece of music, especially from a mix standpoint.

A page you return to for comfort, not information or inspiration:

This video. It’s a cool house. The opening music is also nice.

A browser tab you’ve kept open for way too long:

eBay. Too much time lost there.

Your Screen Time last week:

75h 42m. Mainly spent on Logic Pro, YouTube and Reverb. Not accurate, as the computer is sometimes left on when I’m not in the room. Maybe I’m in denial…