kwes. - rollerblades.

What this video is

Released in January 2014 on Warp Records, 'rollerblades' arrived as the lead single from Kwes.'s debut album 'ilp.' and represents the commercial and critical flowering of a South London art-electronic scene that also included Sampha, Tirzah, and Ghostpoet. The song has been described as an intimate, lovelorn ode, and the video amplifies this with a surrealist theatrical staging — a near-empty warehouse,…

Why it matters

Sits at the intersection of post-dubstep, art-pop, and UK electronic soul, representing Warp Records' early-2010s expansion into introspective, song-based music from British artists. The video reinforces the genre's tendency toward concept-driven, director-auteur visuals over performance…

The director

Ian Pons Jewell is a London-based commercial and music video director of English-Spanish heritage, born in Menorca. His work has been recognised at the UKMVAs, MOBO Awards, Camerimage Festival, and BRIT Awards. He has directed music videos for artists…