Some DJs are born to be artists, natural boundary-pushers who refuse to let their sound be dictated by passing trends. Over the last decade, Newcastle’s Chris Costigan, universally known as Cristoph, has firmly established himself as one of the most genuine, passionate, and unwavering forces in the electronic music landscape. As the boss of his own imprint, Consequence of Society (COS), and the driving force behind the acclaimed COS Radio Show launched in 2022, Cristoph is shifting the paradigm of artist autonomy. “You create your own platform; that way, you don't have to rely on other labels. They'll have a release schedule, and you have to fit into that. I've always wanted my own label. I really enjoy nurturing people / bringing them through, and seeing them succeed. I want COS to be that platform to allow artists to express themselves through their music”.
“You create your own platform, and then you don't have other labels. They'll have a release schedule, and you have to fit into that. I've always wanted my own label. Then I really enjoy nurturing people through. I like seeing people succeed. I want to have that platform to give to others to express themselves through their music that way.” - Cristoph
Cristoph’s deep affinity for the progressive and house scenes runs deep. Hailing from Newcastle, England, he has a signature atmospheric style that has captured global attention while consistently elevating the underground community. For many fans, and myself included, the journey began with his introduction to the progressive mainstream by an iconic guest mix on Eric Prydz’s Epic Radio. Since then, I’ve hunted down every underground mix, club set, and festival lineup he’s been a part of, particularly tracking his evolutionary footprint across New York City. Finding a signature sonic identity in a crowded market is no small feat, but Cristoph cracked the code early on.
“I've always tried to create a sound or have elements running through certain tracks which people can then identify as my own. I think you need your own identity for people to really pick up on what you do. I started off doing kind of more of the progressive sound when I first started breaking out, and then I wrote some more house-y stuff, but it still had like maybe a corded stab in there or rolling vocals. Eric's got like the ‘pryda of snare,’ and everyone recognizes that straight away. I've always had like certain elements running through tracks. I just think Eric kind of started supporting my music because he’s liked that.” - Cristoph
The Origin: Open-to-close (O2C)
Beyond his studio sessions, Cristoph’s live sets are a masterclass in long-form storytelling, moving seamlessly from soaring, emotional peaks to dark, intimate grooves. He thrives in the traditional, marathon Open-to-Close (O2C) format, a skill forged in his early days. Recently, in May, Teksupport launched its highly anticipated summer rooftop series at Brooklyn's Sunset Park Rooftop, tapping Cristoph to launch the opening night with an epic open-to-close set.
As the chilly, clear night descended on the packed, sold-out venue, Cristoph took the crowd on an immaculate journey. He began with deep, groovy house cuts before seamlessly unfolding into powerhouse progressive records. Blending his massive catalog with select Eric Prydz weapons, he kept the dancefloor locked in for hours.
“When I first used to DJ back in Newcastle, some of the nights were six, seven, eight hours long, and I would play in the back room, and I was one of the only DJs playing house music around Newcastle at the time. I could probably go on for another 10 hours or something. I just enjoy going on the journey. There are some great records out there, and I just enjoy listening to the music.” - Cristoph
The atmosphere backstage and on the floor was the kind of pure vibe DJs dream of building. Phones were away, eyes were locked forward, and people were dancing side-by-side, even pouring shots for Cristoph behind the decks. By the time the sun began to rise over the iconic Manhattan skyline, the music hit a magical crescendo. Having followed his career from the beginning, I can confidently say this was the most powerful, unified set I have ever witnessed from him. For Cristoph, the love affair with New York is entirely mutual.
“I find New York like a home away from home. To be honest, I've got some really close friends. Yes, it's always amazing to come and spend some time with them, but I think it was after I played Electric Zoo, and then I went and played the Mirage after really stood out for me,” Cristoph replies after I asked him what his favorite part about performing in New York City. I got so excited when he mentioned EZOO 2022, because it was a mesmerizing set I saw with my best rave friend, and we were up front to get the full effect. “I love standing in Brooklyn and looking at the Manhattan skyline.” - Cristoph
What started as the Consequence of Society mix series has blossomed into a full-fledged movement. From its inception, Cristoph’s mission was to build a safe, ego-free community where underground talent like Layer J, Olling, and Frank Bono could shine. The momentum behind the brand was on full display during Miami Music Week, where the COS closing party completely sold out within days, leaving an indelible mark on everyone who attended.
“I think the last Miami Music Week party we had at the end of the week showed just the community that there is,” Cristoph notes proudly. “Everybody was like, 'That was the best party that we went to this week.' Everyone was just hugging on the dance floor. Leave your egos at the door. Leave any sort of problems that you've got at the door and come and be safe at our event.
It's just to continue to build. I want to expand into having my own branded nights, and I'm hoping to start attracting friends in the industry to come do some remixes, get some bigger names, and get more attention on the label. It's just a small independent thing at the minute, but once it gets bigger, it will start getting the attention that these artists deserve.”
The Dream: Management
The dance music industry and any music industry is a business. Even if you are a public relations professional, a manager, or a DJ, everyone plays their own part in contributing to the ‘business’. The artist will change their style of sound just to stay current in the music industry. However, from the beginning Cristoph never changed his sound and always stayed true to it. His main genres are progressive and house music, with a strong roster of artists who constantly keep him inspired to create more bangers.
“Be honest with you, Mike's stuff is really, really good. (Michael Anthony) I'm really into that. He's got a great, great sound, great groove in it. I've always got to say Eric Prydz, because he is just the best that I think I'll ever see in my lifetime. These new DJs coming through from the UK are doing really well, and they know exactly how to work the industry. I mean, I always go down melodic stuff, I am trying to get roped back into the house sound again, and that always leads me back to the very start of my music life. Where it goes back into the pianos, like from all the MK early stuff. I'm really enjoying Nick Curley's stuff again, just a really cool rolling sound that just keeps everybody's toes tapping and shoulders moving.” - Cristoph
Beyond sell-out shows and headlining festivals, there’s another passion that Cristoph is trying to conquer, and that’s starting an artist management company. This music industry is extremely saturated, and it’s easy for DJs to lose sight and sound in their careers. From the beginning of his DJ career, Cristoph had gained tons of support from legendary DJs like Sasha, John Digweed, Hot Since 82, and Eric Prydz, and solidified his style of sound. “It's kind of like that experience of being able to give them some advice and help them evolve through the industry, and to give back is what I'm really interested in doing, and it motivates me to do better.” From all the advice and wisdom he has gained in his past experiences as a DJ, Cristoph just wants to give back to the same community that made him a household name in the industry.
“I'm really looking into opening up management for the future. I want to nurture new talent in the same way as the label does. So you've kind of got a whole 360 around of what you're doing. You've got the experience from DJing and touring yourself, so you can actually come down on the DJ's side. I feel sometimes your management may not understand the touring side of things because they don't do it a lot themselves." - Cristoph
Conclusion: Final Thoughts & Advice
It was a true honor and privilege interviewing Cristoph, from being a longtime fan and supporter, and seeing how he works the decks and prepares for an open-to-close set. Though Cristoph’s narrative remains open-ended, He is commanding global stages like never before; his productions are dominating dancefloors worldwide. As our conversation wrapped up, Cristoph left some invaluable advice for aspiring producers navigating a heavily saturated market.
“Music is an art, so there's no right or wrong as such; it's just someone's opinion. So take what they tell you as constructive criticism. Don't take it to heart. Just because you're not getting music signed to a label or anything like that doesn't mean it's bad; it just doesn't fit for them. And take on as much advice as you can get. Don't sit there and use someone's time where they're giving you advice and then just ignore it.”
“Like my dad used to always say to us, this isn't a dress rehearsal, and it is a model that everyone should listen to for life. Go and chase your dreams. My mom's little saying is never regret the things you've done, regret the things you never did. Those two things always stick with me. Go chase your dreams, and my family has always encouraged me to go and do this. I kind of express that enough to people out there.” - Cristoph
Cristoph has a prolific release schedule of originals and curated remixes, such as ‘Disco Juice’ and his upcoming collaboration with Michael Anthony, ‘Spacer,’ securing his footprint in the electronic landscape for years to come. Cristoph’s finest moments lie just beyond the horizon, with a new episode of COS Mix featuring Austin Pettit returning to Consequence of Society. The label continues to become a platform for underground DJs and producers, and a community for progressive selectors.
Hï Ibiza, because I know the people who work there.
Hot Since 82 or Camelphat?
Are you joking? That's unfair, they are both my friends. HotPhat.
Sasha or John Digweed?
Oh man, I'll say Sasha because I've spoken to him more than John.
Eric Prydz or Carl Cox?
Eric Prydz, of course.
New York City or LA?
New York City
Play at a Club or play at a festival?
You know what, a lot of DJs will say the same, it depends on the one, but I'd probably say club because the nerves that I experienced before a festival are just too much. The number of times I'm sick before I go on stage and stuff like that, I just can't stand it.
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