Interview with Cristoph

You’re playing Creamfields today, South West More tonight – no rest for the wicked! What are your plans after that?

Tomorrow I’ll jump on a train maybe mid-afternoon and travel back home. And then I’ll be tied down in the studio ‘til Thursday night. I’ll be looking to get between two and four tracks done this week. Get them ready to send out to a few labels who have been in touch. And then on Friday I fly across to America for my first time playing in the US. Playing Houston, then flying-out to play Nocturnal Wonderland for KDIS. The line-up is crazy for that! And after I’ve played there I gotta drive straight through to L.A. to play the Mixmag Lab. And then after that I basically in-and-around Europe: Ibiza, Germany. Back to America for a longer stay in December. Then I launch my own party on Boxing Day in Newcastle. It’s gonna be called Providence. A theme which is to do with fate. Like, “it’s my time” kind of thing. It’s a concept that I came up with alongside my management. I think I finish there and then fly straight to Brazil to play Warung with Sasha which will be a crazy, crazy gig!

You mention Ibiza. What have you got left before the end of the season?

I’ve basically just got one show left, which is VIVa Warriors Closing party on 25^th September. It’ll be a really cool party. I mean it’s great to play for Steve (Lawler). I mean, Warriors speaks for itself. It’s been a mega party on the island. Sankeys is a great, great venue for it. It’s very well suited there. I’ll be there – I dunno whether to stay there a couple more days, and maybe get to DC10? It’s one of those ones where you just go west! And end up being there a week! I’ll just see what I’ve got on my schedule. And then that’s it for the season. I’ll go back to the drawing board, and see what we can get planning for next year.

The North East is currently a hotbed of talent. Is there anybody else who might not be on the public’s radar yet we should be keeping an ear out for?

Yeah – can’t complain about that! The North East, there’s some great talent coming out of there. There’s a young guy: Deeper Than L. He’s putting some really cool music together. There’s another guy called Addison – Adam Christie – he another one who has just started to produce; he’s coming through producing some nice tech stuff. A lot of the North East crop coming through is predominantly tech house. It’s quite a tough sound. Obviously Patrick’s flying. Richy’s flying. And then there’s Jacky. Elliot Adamson -he’s in with Eats Everything now. So it is really hot! There’s someone who releases on Sudbeat – Lonya. It’s really cool. I dunno how long they’ve been about, but I really do like it. I get some wicked music from a guy over in Australia too, who’s just starting to learn the ropes. Dave Samuel.

I suppose Newcastle has a reputation as being a beacon for stag and hen weekends, which is unfair as it has so much more to offer.

I totally agree. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t great parties there. There’s a great weekly event called Loop. Patrick’s night Motion. But the main night for me up there is Shindig. It’s amazing! Been going for over twenty-four years now. I think I’ve been going since I was fifteen or so, sneaking in with my brother and sister. The DJs that I’ve seen there have completely shaped my vision, and my roots in this industry. But, you’re right, it is predominantly stag & hens – and a lot of students – and I think the whole Geordie Shore shitstorm has stung us on that one. It kills ya!

We have a similar stigma down south with the Towie-effect. But we’re firm believers that there’s an underground scene everywhere. You’ve just got to know where to look. And be prepared to look for it!

Yeah. You do. Newcastle’s not a big city. I think a lot of people think it is. But it’s not. The bars and the clubs are within such a short radius of each other. If you know where to go, and on what nights, you can see some of the world’s best DJs. Some nights even escape my eye, and I live in the city.

Right. You don’t necessarily want the nights that are top ranked on Resident Advisor…

No, you want something that gets about by word of mouth. They’re the best ones!

One final question: how important do you think it is for DJs to get on the dancefloor and experience nights from the other side of the decks? See what other DJs are doing. What other club nights are doing.

Opportunity wise, it doesn’t come around that often at this point in time. But it’s not something I’m going whinge about, dya know what I mean. I’ve chose this job. And I feel very, very lucky to chase my dream and being given that opportunity. For me, I do enjoy socialising. I do enjoy going out and meeting the clubbers. I’m a raver at heart. So that’s where I’ve grown up. Any chance I can get to stay and watch a DJ I’ll stay. I don’t think it’s imperative that DJs do that. I understand that some DJs out there travel a hell of a lot. So when they get the chance to kick back in the hotel room I completely get it. I’ve always believed that if someone’s supporting your track and you get an opportunity to meet them, it’s always good to put a face to a name. They’ll end up following you back on Twitter, or whatever. They’ll inbox ya. It’s happened with Joseph Capriati. It’s happened with Hot Since 82. We all follow each other on social media. Skream, Steve Lawler. And every now and then one of them will message me: “have you got any new music?” And that’s how you get music supported before it’s even released. It just helps build hype around your next release, and your name. It’s great to get the support of your biggest peers in the industry. That’s my take on it.

8-track gets a full UK release on Knee Deep In Sound 21/10.

Catch Cristoph at Space Closing Fiesta on Sunday 2^nd October.