Renowned Berlin-based Ronald Christoph is a highly educated musician, prolific music producer, and live performer. An impressive career spanning nearly three decades has seen Ronald release his music and co-productions on vinyl and digital format with fellow international artists including Miyagi, DJ Good Groove, Tyree Cooper, Elbee Bad, Coyu, Steve Cole, Danny Russell, René Bourgeois, accruing tens of millions of streams and downloads in the process. Over the past two decades, Ronald has released his music on world-class record labels including Cocoon, Mixmag, Evamore, PuzzleProjectsMusic, Kater Mukke, Midnight Riot, Third Ear, Exploited, Acker Records, Paper Disco, International DJ Gigolo Records & many more. As a Live act, Ronald has performed potent shows at some of the best clubs across Europe including Space Club in Ibiza, Tresor, Wilde Renate & Suicide Circus (Residency) in Berlin, Supermarket in Basel, Switzerland, U 60311, Waagenbau & Docks in Germany, Sala Be Cool in Madrid & Jubilee in Italy.
EG sat down with the seasoned producer and performer Ronald Christoph to learn more about the drop of his ‘Lost Soul’ single, upcoming collaborations with Philipp Früh and house legend Elbee Bad, inspirations, and more.
EG: Hello Ronald! It’s a true pleasure to have you here with us today. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Ronald Christoph: Hello, it’s an extremely great pleasure to be invited to answer a few questions for you. I feel very sad about the war in Ukraine. And I’m also sorry that I haven’t noticed a war that’s further away, namely the one in Yemen, where even more people are dying of hunger, in the same way as a war here almost on Berlin’s doorstep.
EG: Congratulations on the release of your latest single, ‘Lost Soul’! What has the initial reception been like?
Ronald Christoph: Very, very good! There is good feedback from DJs and radio hosts. Some blogs have written good reviews and on Spotify, we are happy about the placement in one of the big playlists, ‘Electronic Rising’, and numerous plays.
EG: So, what’s ‘Lost Soul’ all about? What’s the inspiration behind this one?
Ronald Christoph: It’s about the unfulfillable desires of our lives. The key consolation then is that people often long for nonsensical things. A very ambivalent example: partners who don’t suit you.
EG: Next up are two productions with Philipp Früh and the deceased house legend Elbee Bad – what was your intention for the tracks?
Ronald Christoph: I’ve known Elbee since the early 2000s. We had also worked together before. When we were thinking about how we could refine our NY house track, Elbee immediately came to mind. He is a genuine New Yorker and had exactly the voice we were looking for.
“I try to make my live set as functional as possible. In principle, almost anything is possible”
EG: What is the meaning of house music for you, especially the Chicago and New York-influenced styles?
Ronald Christoph: This music has had a significant influence on my musical development. I can remember when I played the first piano riff and the corresponding bass in my parents’ house on my old piano and almost got tendinitis. A much earlier time, anyway, when I bought my first synthesizer.
EG: Also, you are behind your own label, Evamore Music. How has the label developed since its conception?
Ronald Christoph: Evamore Music has existed for quite a while. It’s been a mirror of my studio work from the beginning. Now the output is higher than ever before. This development is great and I hope it continues for a long time.
EG: What does your studio look like at the moment? And your live set? What instrument would you deem absolutely crucial to your set?
Ronald Christoph: I work a lot with analog hardware in the studio. Polyphonic and monophonic synthesizers, like the Prophet 10, Moog Voyager, Rogue, Roland SH 101, Jomox 999, and the Miami 808 are currently my favorite instruments.
I try to make my live set as functional as possible. In principle, almost anything is possible. Starting from the use of analog devices to the simple controller – Mac setup, everything is scalable. The essential thing is that it rocks!
EG: You’ve got almost three decades in the dance music industry. What would you say is the most important aspect to achieve such longevity?
Ronald Christoph: It is the pure joy of music. It is, even in times of less success, the everyday “Yes!” in response to the question if I have done everything right.
“When we were thinking about how we could refine our NY house track, Elbee immediately came to mind. He is a genuine New Yorker and had exactly the voice we were looking for”
EG: What’s next for Ronald Christoph in the next few months? What new milestones are you looking to celebrate?
Ronald Christoph: There will be some more NY House productions with Philipp Frueh. On June 3rd, Elbee Bad’s death anniversary, the second track will be released. Furthermore, our first vinyl maxi of the project Coco Berlin & Ronald Christoph just came out of the mastering. The release date here is only determined by the pressing plant’s lead time. With Steve Cole, there will also be a vinyl record release on Puzzle Projects Music very soon, and in autumn a new track on Gottart.
EG: Thank you for your time, Ronald! We wish you all the best for the future!
Ronald Christoph: Thank you for your inspiring blog. And also only the best for you!
Ronald Christoph & Ben Spalding’s ‘Lost Soul’ is out now via Puzzle Projects Music. Purchase your copy here.
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