Kwake Bass

Giles King Kwakeulati Ashong, known as Kwake Bass, is from Lewisham, South London. A keen drummer since the age of 5 years old, his passion has led him to become musical director for both Sampha and Kate Tempest’s latest tours. He has played with the likes of Lianne La Havas, Mica Levi, Joey Bada$$, MF Doom, Roots Manuva, Shabaka Huthcings, Novelist and his own four piece - Speakers Corner Quartet and duo =CoN+KwAkE=. His role as a producer has grown through his exploration of live electronic improvisations and the studio experimentation of what lives between the cracks of structured programming. In addition to music, he also holds a working relationship with production company Lemonade Money, having presented his own segment in ‘Oh My Gosh’, a production made for Red Bull TV.

November 2017 saw the release of Kwake’s first solo collection: DEM1NS. Pronounced “Dem Ones”, the capsule collection is comprised of both music and clothing, of which a collaboration with fellow South London creatives DONE London has yielded the apparel. DEM1NS is the product of Kwake’s journey experimenting with his own street culture. Essentially a diary entry of progress both musically and culturally drawn from the knowledge of broken language, or slanguage.

The metamorphosis of language at street level in the UK is influenced by the diversity of our communities living together, which in turn, becomes an influencer and a source of inspiration for many a spectacle within the arts and media that draw focus from the people who live in these communities. Hailing from Lewisham, Kwake Bass is from such a community and DEM1NS is his mark on his journey so far. “Dem ones” as a phrase itself is a common term to acknowledge a situation with an air of fluidity and demonstrating flexibility with an ability to adapt to change. A close equivalent to compare would be the term “shit happens” that became popular in the United States during the 80s.

The ability to adapt to anything is a strength of Kwake Bass in both musical and cultural situations. Through this performance Kwake reveals how such flexibility can become an asset when carving a path for yourself.

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