Taquwami
Tokyo-based producer/DJ Takumi Kuwahara garnered a cult following when his hazy, hip-hop influenced productions went viral on Soundcloud in 2011, and his debut three-track EP, Lucky, followed shortly after. Notoriously mysterious, little is known about the Japanese producer, but he cites “love” as the theme for his 2012 EP, Blurrywonder, a five-track release that layers romantic dreampop atop his glitchy hip-hop sound.
Taquwami’s exclusive SSENSE mix opens with the bubbling, underwater sounds of Temporary Suicide’s Dubai Siren, then fades into looped vocals from Shlohmo’s post-dubstep remix of LOL Boys’ Changes, and Balam Acab’s reworking of Twin Sister’s dream pop number Kimmi in a Rice Field. Favouring ambient soundscapes throughout, the mix’s experimental electronic undertones - courtesy of artists like Chrome Sparks and Oneohtrix Point Never - are elevated with fluid, downtempo offerings from the likes of Arca, Dntel and Taquwami himself; he closes the mix with his own unreleased chillwave demo, Hate Winter.