Cesar Merveille (FR)

Dance music was always meant to be about having fun. It’s an ethos that has not escaped Cesar Merveille, the Paris-born enchanter whose ascent through the ranks of European house and techno has been powered by an irrepressible joie de vivre matched only by a desire to be challenged by everything that he does. His formative years were spent working with labels such as Circus Company and Safari Electronique, laying the groundwork for the artist as we know him today. Encouraged by the creative freedom of these labels Cesar learnt to listen to his instincts and keep a healthy dose of soul in everything he turns his hand to. Years spent immersed in the London underground found Cesar holding down residencies for such fabled parties as Lo-Kee and the T-Bar, but it was his partnership with Cadenza that eventually propelled Cesar to the world stage, providing a platform for his musical creations to reach a broad audience. As an integral part of the Cadenza DJ roster, Cesar has commanded dancefloors big and small the world over, while his productions have added to the illustrious legacy of the label. Such exposure has also given rise to new artistic ventures, most notably working with long-time friend Ryan Crosson on the “DRM” project. The full-length album from the pair came to light on Visionquest, providing ample space for them to explore textures and moods not constrained by the demands of the dancefloor. From his current base in Berlin Cesar has since embraced the natural workflow of hardware production, immersing himself in a studio powered by machines and intuition. His new label Roche Madame is a product of this situation, channeling the creative energy of a city teeming with musical allies to give rise to new collaborations and the freedom to explore his own ideas. Inspired by a secret family location off the coast of Brittany, the label is both a tribute to his roots and a celebration of the here and now, a moment that Cesar is forever living in as he charges forwards onto new pastures. Constantly feeding off his environment for inspiration, “food for the mind” as he calls it, Cesar’s unbridled energy finds him operating both as a world-class DJ performing to thousands and as a boutique artist embracing invention whilst forever committed to his grounding principle of music as pleasure.