The Sub Ensemble is a 7 piece group exploring the music originating from acid-jazz and brokenbeat making live, improvised music with dance-floor grooves.  

Formerly Sugar Beats, the group was born through a desire to make quality music using real musicians  and emulate the funky, sounds that are played in the city's clubs. After putting on a series of club nights at Birmingham's Medicine Bar, with sets by live bands and DJs playing Sun Ra and Roy Ayers alongside Madlib and Bugz in the Attic, founders Chris Mapp and Leo Alterelli put a band together to combine these diverse influences into a single live unit.

3 years of refining and gigging later, Search for Peace was released. The band was awarded a Musicians Benevolent Fund development award and received much interest and support from star DJ Giles Peterson.

Sub Ensembles sound is now more raw and energetic, with more improvisational liberty and heavier grooves.

“I enjoyed watching Sugar Beats live, they were excellent.” Gilles Peterson

"… don't mourn the demise of Sugar Beats until you have sampled the Subs - I feel you will not be disappointed" - Peter Bacon (Birmingham Post)