Szab: Linus Dancing.

Szab launches The Linus Collection at Fever on Friday.

An ex-pat from Hungary now residing on the Gold Coast, local dance producer Szab is starting to make waves for himself with his new release The Linus Collection. He’s involved in the start up a new record label to boot, trying to activate the Gold Coast into producing more music. Chairman Records is set to be the Gold Coasts first dance specialist label, bring the energised sounds of the region to the rest of Australia and the world.

Szab’s debut CD is a thumping excursion into the world of up-front dance, with the sounds ranging from hard to nuNRG, and obvious hard house influences to boot. It’s unrelenting, starting at around 150 and just getting faster. I had a bit of the chat with the lovely fella, who’s a little excited about his new album and record label.

“I’m originally from Hungary, so I just use the first part of my name so people can pronounce it. I’ve been here on the Gold Coast for about 14 to 15 years now, and it’s great. My parents migrated here and took me with them.”

How long have you been making music?

“I’ve been doing electronic stuff for about four or five years, starting with light dance music and thru the years I’ve found my way to harder sounds. When I first started off I played piano, with a classical and jazz leaning, and through that I got into the con at South Bank. I did two years there, and I wanted to do composition. But it’s all really classically related, and they really have no room for progressive ideas or sounds. It just wasn’t my thing, I won’t to write electronic sounds and they didn’t like that. I did learn a lot of things, but I really wanted to just do my own thing, not to write what the teachers wanted to hear.”

So what’s in the home studio?

“Ahh, the important questions. A G4 Mac, running Pro-Tools TDM with 16 channels, lots of plug-in synths, A Yamaha A-3000 sampler and a few old synths. I’m based mainly with the virtual sounds, they’re far more up to date than outboard synths.”

What’s the deal with Chairman Records?

“Myself and a friend Mal, we have started a label to release this CD. It’s very exciting for us, we are going to tour it down to Sydney and Melbourne, as well as up to Brisbane, hopefully at Family. For the launch I’ll be playing live, which I’m just getting the hang of. I don’t want to get up there and just press play, that’s a bit of a cop out really. So I’m working out how to do it properly, which should be great fun.”

What about the style of music you write grabs you?

“Just the high NRG and happy feel about it. I don’t like slow trancy music, just upfront sounds and rhythms. Music to dance to.”

Influences?

“Yomanda, Highgate and that kinda far out sound”

How would you describe your music?

“I’d have to say it’s high NRG hard house.”

And the next few years?

“I’ll start working on a new album, which will be far more vocal, ‘cause people relate to vocals a lot better. Hopefully I’ll start doing some remixes and it’ll all be good.”