Joshua Yon AKA Saje Mode

This interview with Joshua Yon, also known as Saje Mode, explores his musical background, creative influences and role in supporting Milton Keynes’ emerging hip-hop and neo-soul scene. Born in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1997, he moved to Milton Keynes as a child and has lived there consistently since his mid-teens. Music was a central part of his upbringing; his mother was a piano and choir teacher, and his family regularly performed together. Early exposure to blues, rock, gospel and jazz shaped his foundation, while hip-hop artists such as Tupac, Biggie and DMX later inspired him to begin writing rap lyrics as a teenager.

Yon is a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, bass and keyboards, skills developed through church performance, lessons and self-teaching. His interest in producing music began out of necessity when searching for beats to write over. He started experimenting with FL Studio as a teenager and later studied music production at BIMM in London, which helped refine his technical skills. He now records, produces and mixes his own work from a home setup.

Alongside his solo work, he helped create SLQY (Soliloquy), a collective and event platform for local musicians, poets and creatives. Originally started as a SoundCloud channel to share others’ music, it later evolved into a collaborative project run with friends Aaron and James, combining performance, production and promotion. Their events aim to provide a space for artists in Milton Keynes to meet, perform and build community, inspired partly by the more frequent creative events he experienced while studying in London.

He has performed at venues including The Stables, Midsummer Tap and Milton Keynes International Festival, both as a solo artist and as part of other musicians’ bands. Earlier in life, access to a free youth studio at The Point was an important creative outlet that allowed him and his peers to record music and develop skills. He sees such spaces as vital for young people and believes more accessible platforms are still needed in the city.

His single Calling My Name reflects his personal approach to songwriting, often starting from a beat or sample and building from emotional ideas and lived experiences. The track received support from BBC Introducing and led to further performance opportunities.

Yon describes Milton Keynes as a diverse and creatively rich environment, with strong potential for collaboration across genres including hip-hop, R&B and jazz. However, he feels the city lacks centralised venues and consistent platforms, making it harder for artists to connect. Despite this, he believes the local scene is growing, driven by grassroots events and younger artists beginning to get involved. For him, hip-hop culture unites people through shared expression and creativity, offering a space where different backgrounds and influences can come together to create something new.