UK DJ and producer Cristoph has long been a staple in the progressive and melodic house scene, known for his emotive productions and deep, driving club sets. Over the years, he’s earned support from the likes of Eric Prydz, played everywhere from Ibiza to EDC Vegas, and built a loyal following through his extended open-to-close sets. Now, he’s just released a new conceptual project – one that mirrors the emotional arc of those marathon club nights in a compact, 90-minute format.
We caught up with Cristoph to talk about the groovier direction of the record, how he approaches crafting a set, building his own label from the ground up, and the surreal experience of being championed by one of his musical heroes.
Your new album just came out, the project feels a lot more groovy than your other records – what was the focused sound in this LP?
Yeah, it’s definitely groovier. Everyone calls it an album, but I’m trying to steer them away from that. It’s more of a conceptual project meant to supplement the open-to-close tour. It essentially showcases an open-to-close set in about an hour and a half. It starts off deeper, then gets groovy, throws in some big vocals, dips into darker territory, then lifts again, ending on a proper moment. It’s built like a set—like a journey.
Speaking of, do you usually plan your sets of go in blind?
Not really. I’ve never planned a set. For open-to-close, I just have folders on my USB. About 10–15 minutes before doors open, I’ll pick the first four tracks and go from there. The crowd dictates a lot. If something isn’t working, you’ve got to switch it up. Every city is different, which is why I love doing them; it’s a challenge.
So something like Revolver (in Melbourne, Aus) is surely a different vibe to somewhere like Miami?
Absolutely. Not just city to city, but country to country. Revs [Revolver] is just mad. I’ve played there a bunch of times. I played a gig a while back, it was not in the room with the cage, the other room and it was abostely crazy. I have it on canvas, the crowd went nuts when I played Cirez D – On Off. Revs is just chaos in the best way. But yeah, a six-hour set there is a whole different thing to doing one in Miami.
You’ve got your own label now. Do you feel more pressure releasing music on your own platform?
Yeah, definitely more pressure. You don’t have the support or infrastructure that bigger labels offer. But that’s also been the goal from day one—to have that independence. Nothing good comes without taking risks. I wanted to build something from the ground up. I’ve been releasing my own stuff on it, and now I’m starting to sign proper EPs from other artists too. I want the label to be a platform for others, somewhere to help them kick off their careers.
You recently released a compilation album featuring other artists on Consequence of Sound – will you explore releasing more from other acts? Was this the first compilation?
Yeah, first one. The idea is to do that maybe once a year, bring through up-and-coming artists whose sound I like and help them develop. Like building a bit of a family around the label. You see labels like Drumcode or Afterlife do that. It builds a community and gives the brand a consistent identity. That’s the aim.
How does it feel to be advocated by Eric Prydz when he is very much in his own lane, rarely working and championing others?
Very surreal. Even now, when I get a text from him—whether it’s about music or just chatting—it’s crazy. He’s one of my biggest heroes, if not the biggest. I still remember the first time he brought me back to his house in LA and asked me to be part of Pryda. I called my mum the next day, and she couldn’t believe it. She was like, “This is what you’ve been working for.” He’s a great guy and helps me a lot, especially in the studio.
With your progressive club music, do you prefer intimate long club shows or bigger festivals?
Depends on the day. Festivals come with crazy nerves. Before EDC Vegas last year, I was sick in the toilet before going on. The stage was massive—probably 50,000 people or more. I don’t deal well with those nerves. I feel more comfortable finding a groove in a smaller club. But festivals are great too, especially for delivering an hour of straight bangers. They’re just very different experiences.
How do you start productions, with the melody or other elements?
It depends, really. Often I start with basslines—just trying to create something different. Lately, I’ve been sampling a lot too. I’ve always loved that. Right now, I’m digging into old disco tracks and finding good samples there. It changes track to track.
How do you decide whether or not a track needs a vocal?
Yeah, if there’s space in the track and it feels like it needs something to carry it—sometimes the melody might not be super strong on its own, so a vocal can elevate it. It’s usually something I realise as I go. Unless someone sends me something they want to work on, then I build around that if I’m into it.
Your productions have a cinematic feel. Do you draw inspiration from film scores or non-dance music sources?
Definitely. Scoring movies or series has always been a dream. I’ve spoken to Dirty South a few times—he’s done a few films. We’ve talked about collaborating before, just haven’t followed through yet. But yeah, I’d love to do it. I get a lot of inspiration from watching shows. Stranger Things in particular, has had a big influence, Chernobyl too – the dark eerie sounds. Some of those sounds can really work well on the dancefloor too. I want to work on sounds that make people think “what the f**k is that”, you know?
Listen to Cristoph’s Life Through A Different Lens LP below.
