SUBCULTURE SAGE

Subculture Sage have been grafting away underground for quite a while now. It’s ben two years since the London duo, made up of Subculture Sounds and Hypeman Sage, let loose their self-released debut single and since then have tried to keep innovating, not content with standing still, with the likes of the reggae-fuelled ‘Childhood’ and the ominously choppy ‘Stories & Tales’.

The title track from their upcoming EP, Big Smoke Autumn Blues, complete with low-slung Roots Manuva-esque vocals, is a moody exploration of city living.

‘Big Smoke Autumn Blues’ is a track that really gets under your skin. With sparse beats and guitars that bring to mind the nighttime lamentations of The xx, it feels like you’re walking through the streets with them as they point out the hidden stories you might otherwise stroll right past.

Like Roots Manuva and his somewhat spiritual successor Ghostpoet, this is clever and real; pointing the microscope at a world often ignored by those making the big decisions.

Words by Chris Taylor

Tipped by Kier from The Monitors