Son Of A Biscuit EP by Kuwahara

Kuwahara blends dubbed-out beats, twisted samples, and jazzy keys on their eclectic new EP for Paella Hair Sex Records.

Photo by Laura Marks

An ode to the Roxanne Wars of the 80s, a series of hip-hop rivalries that yielded the highest amount of answer records in the genre's history, the "Anne Rox Hip-Hop" mix of the EP's opener "Ginger Cut" is a captivatingly trippy track. Hard-hitting 808 drums are layered with afrobeat grooves, jazzy sax, and hard-to-decipher vocals to great effect. "Ginger Cut" also comes with a bonus Balearic mix and a "RichTea House Edit"; the latter version keeps the track submerged in distorted chatter, transmitting its vocals across squeaky synth lines and a straight house groove.

Kuwahara effortlessly merges timeless afrobeat and afro-latin references in a gorgeous homage to the pioneers of the sound on the B-Side. "Jaffa Quake" introduces a mysterious monologue, brass elements, and hazy stabs sprinkled over slow, dusty breakbeats. "Kustard Kream" continues with more mind-bending melodies while its distinctive low-end meanders through skittering percussion.

Legendary producer and former Parks & Wilson/Tilt member Mick Wilson and Melon Bomb's Scott Gray make up Kuwahara, a project born out of a shared love for exploring non-conventional dancefloor sounds. The two have a keen sense of finding common threads between a multitude of genres and use cultural references and cues to successfully bridge the gap between genres such as soul, funk, reggae, hip-hop, and more.

Kuwahara's "Son Of A Biscuit" is a beautiful, hard-to-pinpoint amalgamation of influences inspired by the records from their youths.

Kuwahara - Son Of A Biscuit EP
Release Date October 2022
Label Paella Hair Sex

Tracklist
A1. Ginger Cut (Anne Rox Hip-Hop Mix)
A2. Ginger Cut (RichTea House Edit)
B1. Jaffa Quake
B2. Kustard Cream
B3. Ginger Cut (Balearic Bonus Mix)