You know Lit City Trax from their eclectic roster of artists, from Portugal's DJ Marfox to South Africa's DJ Spoko and New Jersey's UNiiQU3. Helmed by J-CUSH, Lit City continually puts out the music of the future, and here they are doing it again with a forthcoming release from London-based, grime-influenced producer Saga, who released his debut EP on Visionist's Lost Codes label last year.
Listen to "Grains," a highlight from Saga's Flight Risk EP, which is out October 21 on Lit City Trax, plus a Q&A with him below.
How did you connect with Lit City Trax for this release, and what made it a good fit?
I met J-Cush in New York back in 2012 and then saw him again back in London a few months later. Cush was actually there when I played Visionist some of the demos for my Lost Codes release. He liked what he heard, so we stayed in touch. I sent him bits that I was doing, and things kind of moved from there.
What was your ultimate goal with creating the Flight Risk EP, as a whole?
The tracks got made and worked together. I suppose I was just taking the sound from my earlier release and building on those foundations.
Whose production, grime or otherwise, has influenced you the most?
I try not to listen to too much other music when I'm making music. I might listen to something to grasp a mood or atmosphere from and work from there. This music is energetic, so if something moves me I'll try to capture that and incorporate that into my approach to a track.
Who do you feel has most transformed or expanded grime production?
There are only a few artists really trying different things in my opinion. I'd say Sd Laika, Visionist, and Boothroyd. They're three that I think have brought something completely original to the table.
Do you feel like grime is having a resurgence in 2014 going into 2015?
I don't know about a resurgence, but there's been a lot more interest from areas where there wouldn't have usually been interest in this music. I've never trusted trends in music. I've always liked what I like regardless of who's saying it's cool. Having light shed on things is a good thing, but things can get watered down and lose their edge. That edge is what I was always drawn to. Also a real resurgence would involve a fresh wave of MCs coming with a new angle on things. I don't really see that happening.
Which grime MCs would you want to emcee over your music?
Ice Kid—lyrically light years ahead.
