Ronald Christoph is a Berlin-based techno and house producer, actively working as a professional musician since the early nineties. We caught up with him for an update on his latest news.
Hi Ronald, first of all, thanks for this interview. Its a pleasure. Where are you from and how did you get into music?
Originally, I come from a small village in Saxony in Eastern Germany. I had piano lessons as a child and sometimes went to the rehearsals of a band in the garage of a neighboring house as a listener. That immediately triggered something in me and never let me go. But I’ve had a close relationship with Berlin since 1993 and have lived here since 1998. So, if you ask me now where I come from, I would say. I am 100 percent Berliner into his typical Berlin bubble. But there was a nice and productive life before that. Smile!
Can you tell us a little about your experience as an artist during these years?
I went into it naively. I had zero knowledge of the business part. It was also a mixture of East German Freedom euphoria and West Berlin punk attitude, which also formed the charm of Berlin in the 90s. Even today it is still noticeable. All this business pressure is just annoying. We all want to live. And a good life also includes being able to function according to one’s own rules. Isn’t that what makes a good artist? So that’s my main experience: How do you find a meaningful complement to business and artistic aspects. And how do I stay honest to myself and independent without losing the connection to the scene.
Who have been your main inspirations (both musical and in “life”)? And how have they affected your sound?
For me, the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s fight for musical supremacy. But the evolving technical possibilities have brought a lot of inspiring influences, especially in the later years up to now. And last but not least, we all have a limit for certain contemporary electronic music, and when it’s reached after a few years, we want something else again. I feel the same way as every music lover and night dancer.
How would you define your sound and musical output?
A crunchy salad with delicious ingredients.
Is it more of a curse or a blessing that the electronic music scene has become commercialized in many areas over the years?
The creative substance of the music is only milked by commerce. It doesn’t really bring anything new. Techno can also work as a so-called «salon culture». Commerce needs the higher, further, faster. In a club like the «Wilde Renate» in Berlin such a nonsense can’t be organized. And it will remain that way.
What can you tell us about your upcoming work More Reaction on EvamoreMusic? What inspired you in the studio?
I wish for something and I have to accept the reality. I prepare something and hope that it will be useful. I reveal myself on social media but use Photoshop to hide my true face again.
Which is currently your favorite in the studio and why?
There is only one winner at the moment. The Prophet 10 from Sequential Ciruits. It’s easy to program, but still offers a wide range of extremely useful sounds. It is always at least as strong as the kick drum, so you don’t have to make it loud in the mix. It is polyphonic. That’s important to me, because I’m a player, not a tweaker.
What projects are you working on right now?
House legend Elbee Bad passed away at the beginning of June last year. Shortly before DJ Phillip Frueh and I invited him for a featuring. It is to be released on the anniversary of his death, June 2. In April, the track “Lost Soul” with British DJ Ben Spalding will be released on his label Puzzles Project.
More about Ronald Christoph
https://soundcloud.com/ronaldchristoph
https://www.facebook.com/RonaldChristoph
https://www.instagram.com/ronaldchristoph/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/694Mu9TpePnihtyxVNHBW2?si=JGEaHgvwR3S1aWkBdv3SiQ
