Cristoph interview: Work hard, play hard

Newcastle producer Cristoph has had a momentous year. As well as making his Pacha debut in August, he also hit the United States for the first time at Nocturnal Wonderland while releases have come thick and fast. Check out the title track from the Divvina EP below.

Blurring the lines between genres, Cristoph's focus is on the mood and the groove with raw beats and textures giving his four to the floor tracks an increasingly distinctive stamp.

Hook ups with Suara, Noir and Knee Deep In Sound have given the young producer a platform to further demonstrate his talents - the latter of which featured Cristoph on the inaugural edition of '8-track', the label's conceptual album series.

It's under the banner of Hot Since 82's imprint that Cristoph will be performing when he comes to Mint Festival in Leeds on Saturday 24th September, featuring on a Knee Deep line up that also includes Steve Lawler and Kerri Chandler.

We caught up with Cristoph ahead of his upcoming gigs to find out more about his beginnings in Newcastle and his upward trajectory as a producer.

Newcastle doesn’t sit as prominently on the UK’s clubbing map as other major cities, how do you view the city’s underground scene at the moment?

Yeah I do agree with that. However, it doesn't mean that there isn't a scene here. There's some great nights up here, such as Loop and Motion, who book amazing DJs from around the world.

The main one for me is Shindig. The night has been running for 24 years now and still it puts on some of the greatest events I have ever attended. It's where I started my raving days and continue to attend each party they put on when possible. 

What were your early clubbing experiences like?

Like I said my first clubbing experiences were at Shindig. My brother and sister used to sneak me in with them when I was under age and it was here which really started to shape and influence my love for underground dance music.

I was lucky to see some of the world's greatest DJs and it cemented in my mind that a career within the music industry is what I wanted. From here I started to branch out to places like To The Manor Born and Southport Weekender once again being entertained by the best DJs from around the globe.

For someone who’s unfamiliar with your backstory, how did you first get into DJing? What were the key early milestones when you started your career?

Both my dad and brother were DJs so I guess I just followed in their footsteps really. I was exposed to underground house and techno at a very young age and I was hooked on it instantly.

My dad bought me some belt drive decks when I was a kid to keep me off the streets and stop me from getting in to trouble basically. Once I had learned how to mix and shown that my interest in a career within the music industry was serious I was allowed to buy some Technics. From here I got my first residency in Newcastle around when I was 16 and the DJing side of things grew from there.

You’re a pretty prolific producer and it’s something that’s been reiterated this year with some key releases. You were the first artist to deliver the 8 track series on Knee Deep In Sound, tell us a bit more about the difference between putting together something like that rather than an EP...

Thank you for the kind words. It was an absolute honour to be offered the chance to create the first 8-track. When I first got asked, an idea of how I would deliver the project instantly popped into my head. I ran this by the Knee Deep In Sound crew telling them I wanted it to go on a journey and that I would write it the way I would play a set and they really liked it. It was very enjoyable to do but quite different to just writing an EP.

I had to plan how the mix would evolve and what style tracks would go where, then go and write tracks to fill those areas. With an EP you simply write individual records and tie a few together. Or you have a theme across two or three tracks. There was a lot more thought went into 8-track and I guess that's why in the end it became a very personal project for me.

How many of the tracks had you been sitting on for a while and how many were created for the release?

I had already sent Daley both 'Closer' (listen above) and 'Alone' and he digged both tracks wanting them for the label and also expressed his interest in remixing one of them. On top of that I had already made 'Catsy' and played it out at a few gigs and the response it was getting was amazing.

I remember playing it in Leeds at Mint Warehouse and the place went crazy. I just didn't know where to send it or what to do with it as it’s quite a euphoric record so I decided to sit on it until the right thing came along. The rest were all purposely written for 8-track.

Your involvement with Knee Deep has become more and more frequent, what makes you so compatible with the brand? We’re guessing you have a great relationship with Daley (Hot Since 82)?

I really don't know what makes me compatible; I'm just very grateful that they dig my music and have given me such a great platform to release it on.

I get on very well with Daley and class him as a very good friend. The guy has been great for me. He's given me advice when I’ve needed it and helped nurture me through on top of supporting quite a few of my tracks which has been a massive help.

You also released your Divvina EP on VIVa recently, what was it like releasing on the label for the first time? Has it been on your agenda for a while?

I'm a huge fan of Steve Lawler so for him to sign my records to his label was quite surreal. I love VIVa Warriors parties so I wanted to try be a part of them by getting a release on the label. Also it's had some amazing releases from some of the best producers in the world so of course it was a target at some point to have my name in amongst them.

You’re set to play Mint Festival next month, are you looking forward to it? 

I literally cannot wait. I love Leeds and really enjoy playing there. The crowd is always quality and they create such a great atmosphere. Some of my best gigs have been in Leeds so I’m hoping Mint Festival will be the same. 

It’s on Hot Since 82’s home turf as well, do you think he’ll be showing you how to party like a true Yorkshire raver?

[laughs] I hope so yeah. Knowing Daley I think that will come pretty naturally to him. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about his set last year, some saying it was one of the best they have ever seen, so I'm really looking forward to catching him play in front of his hometown crowd.

What else have you got coming up later this year that you’d like to tell us about?

I have my first two stints across in North America which I'm really excited for. I have my 8-track tour and also the launch of my own party. On top of that I also play Warung in December. Music wise I have an exclusive track on the forthcoming All Gone Pete Tong compilation and currently writing some new records for a few different labels.

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Cristoph comes to Mint Festival on Saturday 24th September, get the remaining VIP tickets from the box below.

Tickets are no longer available for this event