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French progressive house producer is ready to come alive with his newest release.

Arno Cost has been on the progressive house radars for more than 10 years now, turning bedroom-based experiments of then-teenage Arno into a proper worldwide-hitting career. March saw Arno releasing his Coming Alive EP on Nicky Romero-owned label Protocol Recordings, and in April he made crowds go loco at Tomorrowland Brasil festival. And that’s just two of the 10 things you should know about the French producing guru.

He’s French

When you’re born in a city as musically driven as Paris, you’re pretty much destined to follow the footsteps of your talented neighbors and see if you can craft some groovy tunes yourself. That’s what happened to the Parisian DJ/producer Arno Cost, who began producing at quite a young age. “I was about 14 when I started producing in my bedroom. My influences were all the French and Dutch 2000s producers like Bob Sinclar, Daft Punk, Alan Braxe, Fred Falke, Phoenix. When I listened to their music I was feeling something special and I wanted to do the same with my music. I released my first track when I was 18 on Serial Records as The Freshmakers with my friend Norman Doray. Since then I’ve been releasing tracks and touring the world.”

 

His Stage Name Is Semi-Real

“My first name is Vadim, but my middle name is Arnaud which turned into Arno.”

 

He Just Played Tomorrowland Brasil

“I’ve played in Brazil quite a few times already. And this one was one of the best gigs in Brazil I’ve ever had for sure. It was totally sick. I played on the Protocol stage. The crowd was crazy: people in Brazil really know how to party,” he proclaims. Does he have any more favorite destinations? “I love Japan. I was really amazed every time I played in Tokyo—by the people there, by the city itself. It's magical and completely different from what we know here in Europe."


His Own Festival Would Be Underground

When asked if he ever thought about setting up his own music festival, Arno shares a surprisingly detailed plan. “It would look and feel more underground as opposed to the commercial festivals. Think more techno and progressive sound. I would book guys like deadmau5, Eric Prydz, Dubfire, Sebastien Leger, Norman Doray and other friends of mine. It would be a completely different line-up from EDC or Tomorrowland. It’s very easy to choose the artists, ‘cause I’m in love with these guys,” he gushes. Would he set it up in Paris? “South of France during the summer. It will look amazing.” We're sure it will. Just don’t forget to send us an invitation, Arno!

 

His New EP Is Called 'Coming Alive'

In March, Arno released a 2-song EP called Coming Alive on Nicky Romero’s Protocol Recordings with the titular track featuring vocals from River. “I came up with this string melody in the studio and sent it to Protocol and they loved it. We needed to find nice vocals for it, and then River sent us her version. It was very obvious it was the one. It was just wow.” The second track on the EP is “1000 Suns.” “It’s more progressive, so when I play it in the clubs, people end up going crazy.”

When was the last time he did go crazy himself and felt like he was “coming alive”? “When you play a festival like Tomorrowland, you feel really weird because of the adrenaline. You have the next hour of the lives of everyone in front of you in your hands. You do whatever you want. And they will follow you. This feeling is amazing.”


He Met Nicky Romero On Twitter

“I basically met Nicky on Twitter. We were supporting each other’s tracks back in 2011. We’d exchange music and e-mails and one day he said, 'I’m launching my management company, would you like to join us?' I agreed. We met a few times in Amsterdam and then a few days later I was a part of the Protocol family."

 

He Plays Progressive House

“When you say 'house music,' you mean music that’s around 120-130 bpm," he explains. "But these days people get confused. The difference between EDM and house is that house is way groovier. It’s got vocals and beats. As for progressive, it’s got more synths, big calls and pads. I would say I play more progressive than house music. It’s the same for Nicky Romero.”

 

He's Got His Own Podcast/Brand

Considering his love for music and networking, it makes sense Arno would want to go beyond studio sessions and club gigs and would set up his own music-related brand. It’s called When In Paris, and it combines a podcast show every two weeks and music events. “The concept is basically about my Parisian roots and local electronic music," he explains. "I did a big party under When In Paris brand last September with great line-up. As for the podcast, I play a mix of classic and new tracks.”

How does Arno keep his hands on the music pulse? “I receive a lot of promos. I often go to Spotify, Soundcloud, YouTube. People send me stuff, too. We discuss music with my friends every day. I’m always looking for cool new music basically.”


He Likes Having Lots of Tools

“I’m using FL Studio 11 on PC, because it doesn’t run on Mac now," he says. "I’ve heard they’re releasing a new version soon for Mac, which I am happy about. And I’m using a lot of VST plugins: Nexus, Sylenth, Komplete, Spider, Massive. The more you have, the more possibilities you have. It’s important for the producer to have several tools in his hands to be able to find some new fresh sounds.”

 

He’s Good at Chess

When asked what a perfect Friday means for him, Arno says it’s “partying at home with my friends with some good wine.” No wonder his secret talent is playing chess. “People probably don’t know that I’m a good chess player. I play it online almost every day,” he admits. Now that’s a good way to pump your brain muscles before hitting the studio.

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