Drum & bass has always been a global movement, but certain artists have played pivotal roles in putting their local scenes on the map. Enter Chris.SU, a true pioneer of the Hungarian D&B landscape, whose influence has been felt far beyond the borders of his homeland. If you’ve been following the scene for a while, you’ll know Chris has been a force in the game for over two decades, consistently pushing sonic boundaries with his signature deep, rolling basslines and emotive melodies.
Last seen on 1 More Thing, chatting with Dave in sunny Sardinia during Sun And Bass, Chris is now back in the spotlight with a reinvigorated energy. After a brief hiatus, he’s reviving FATE Recordings, his imprint known for forward-thinking productions, and launching the label’s return with his new track, Precious, a deeply personal and emotive collaboration with MC Fedora.
We caught up with Chris to talk about his journey in the Hungarian scene, the evolution of drum & bass over the years, and what makes Precious such a special release. We also hear from Fedora, who shares the emotional story behind the track and how music has helped her process profound personal loss.
Hey Chris, how’s life treating you right now? What’s been keeping you busy inside and outside of music?
Life is treating me all right! I feel quite inspired and I’m working on lots of new music right now, aside from that I’m a guest teacher at a music school in Budapest, I’m also doing sound design, and I help with mixing and mastering for some friends. Outside of music, my loving family is keeping me busy.
Your involvement in the Hungarian DnB scene has been huge since the beginning! Looking back, how do you think it’s evolved since you first started out?
My first ever drum & bass record came out 25 years ago on vinyl on a Hungarian label called Subscope, which means I’ve been around for a quarter of a decade! Crazy!
We’ve already had a very healthy D&B scene back then, DJ Palotai (RIP) had regular nights since 1996 and Bladerunnaz started their event series in 1999. There also were a few producers already active, like Anorganik and Random Soundz, but they haven’t really managed to break through internationally, so when SKC and me got signed to DJ Trace’s DSCI4 Records in 2001, it was quite a big deal for us. Hungary was always a stalwart in the Eastern European drum & bass club scene and – with some ups and downs – we’re still going strong! I really hope I’ve inspired some of the younger producers who came through the ranks from our country a little bit, with showing them the way how to get recognized and respected on an international level.
FATE Recordings has taken a back seat for a little while, what’s made now the right time to bring it back?
During and after Covid it was a very difficult period for a lot of us. There were significantly less opportunities to test out dubs on the road and in front of a live audience, which became an essential part of my production routine over the years, before the clubs were shut down. I did not want to play half-finished tunes on those live streams we did during the lockdown, plus I really missed seeing the reaction of the crowd, getting instant feedback. Then, when we slowly returned playing in clubs, unfortunately an auto-immune illness prevented me from being able to fully focus on making new music and stay inspired; but since I got some new and more modern medication, I feel fine again, so – after the 10 years of FATE anniversary remix compilation in 2023 – I thought it’s the right time for a comeback. I released a couple of tracks on other labels, i.e. Eatbrain in the meantime, but my focus is fully back with FATE right now.
Let’s talk about Precious, what was it about this tune that made you want to bring it out as Fate’s first release in a while?
I wrote the initial sketch of the song in 2023, then we wrote the lyrics and added the vocals with Fedora later. After thoroughly testing many versions of Precious on the road, I thought the track is finally done and is ready for release. In my opinion the message of the song – Life is precious, make the most of it – was perfect for a fresh start of the label.
The track definitely has a deep personal story behind it, did that change the way you approached producing it?
In both of our personal lives with Fedora there were lots of negative things happening to us in the last few years, with her losing one of her best friends and me being ill, so we wanted to make sure to send out some positive vibes with the track as we both believe that music has healing powers.
You’re known for blending deep, rolling basslines with melodic elements, did you approach this track differently because of its theme?
In my opinion, it’s easier to produce a ‘banger’ – those type of tracks work well in the club but are often forgotten after a while. It’s a lot harder to write a tune which works both in the club and in a home environment as well. I tried to build the elements of the track around the vocals, but I wanted to make sure the drums, the bassline and the other different atmospheric layers also work well either in a party or on a BBQ on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
How did you and MC Fedora link up for this track? Had you worked together before, or was this a fresh collaboration?
We linked up in 2013 through a common friend and the first track we did together (Guardian Angel) was released on DJ Teebee’s Subtitles Music. Since then, we’ve worked on several projects together in the studio with Dóri, we also performed on many DJ sets at clubs and festivals together both in Hungary and abroad, so it’s safe to say MC Fedora is one of my favourite vocalists to work with – not to mention she’s an amazing person.
When people hear Precious, what do you hope they take away from it?
There are many things happening in the world right now and that can easily push you into a negative thinking spiral, so we wanted to contradict that with Precious with sending out a positive message, and hoping, that if people look into themselves and try to be a better person each day, the world will be a better place one day. Losing a friend or being ill made us realise that we all should value our lives more, and try to make the most of it each, and every day.
So, with FATE Recordings back in action, what’s next? Can we expect more regular releases, or are you taking it one step at a time?
I’m planning more regular releases this year for sure! We’ve got a collab with a talented Hungarian producer Ninive coming out soon, and I also have a fair bit of solo tracks ready for release soon. We’re planning a new track with MC Kryptomedic, as well, and I really want to take the label to the next level this year, especially since it’s been 25 years since my first ever release came out. Running my own label is a dream come true and my younger self would’ve never thought this was possible.
And outside of music—what’s something surprising you’ve been into lately? Any unexpected hobbies or obsessions?
My wife and daughter love Star Wars and they do cosplay as a hobby, so maybe I’ll dress up as Han Solo and go with them to their next troop! Jokes aside I’m a ‘normal’ person who likes to do ‘normal’ things like ride the bike with my daughter, play some FIFA or watch a movie or TV show with my wife in my downtime. But I really hope from now on I can just entirely focus on my biggest obsession: music.
MC Fedora
Precious was inspired by personal loss. We are so sorry to hear that, What can you tell us about the track and what it means to you?
The inspiration for this track was my best friend, Gábor, who sadly committed suicide. He was such a beautiful soul, always stood by my side even if I was a mess in my personal life, he always saw the ‘Goddess’ in me and wasn’t afraid to remind me of that when I was down. He was also one of the best psychologists, which shows how dark the universe’s sense of humour can be. I like the dark side, but when this happened, I was completely lost.
The hardest part was the sad reality that I was never able to say goodbye to him… So this became my way of doing that and preserving his memory. He also inspired me a lot, especially during the pandemic, we spent a lot of time together and he also showed be the way to be a therapist, for this I’ll be always grateful to him. Nowadays I’m not just an MC/singer and a yoga teacher, but also a psychotherapist who can help people – and he was the one who showed me that I have the light, the intuition and the talent within me to do that.
How did you and Chris.SU connect for this collaboration, and what was the whole process like?
First time when I heard the cello and the melody of the sketch that Chris created, I just felt absolute happiness. It was so powerful that I started to sing something the moment I heard it. This feeling is like being in a ceremony with a ‘music master’ shaman.
I came from the classical music world- same as Chris– so we don’t need to sit for hours and try to figure it out what our new release is going to be, or how we should finish a track. Sharing this very special connection always makes creating music together very natural, and I think we’ve got our recognizable ’style’ in Drum and Bass – I truly believe that.
Music can be a powerful way to process emotions—has writing this track helped you in any way?
Absolutely, I believe that music is the most powerful way to release sadness or any kind of stress in your daily life. Being on the stage and singing this song in Germany last time was amazing, it helped me a lot in processing my emotions. I’m a strong person, but I realised that I must experience this sadness in my soul and crying can be a big medicine for me, so when I’m alone I’m not afraid to cry if I need to. Chris is not just an amazing musician to make cheeky soulful melodies with, but also a very good friend of mine who perfectly understood me and my loss from the first moment when I mentioned it to him. Making this music was very healing for me, I’m happy, cause every time when I hear this track my friend is with me until eternity. I think this also contributes to Precious being such a beautiful track, and I very much hope you guys love it as much as I do.
