When you’ve experienced the high-impact rush of Ce$ar’s DJ sets, it’s no surprise to learn he’s also a professional athlete. His instinct for constant momentum is central to his style as a DJ, giving the mind and body a workout whether you’re in the club or not. Prior to embarking on his DJ career, Brussels-based Ce$ar was devoting his life to his studies and a professional basketball career, but music has been a constant since learning about the art of mixing from his uncle early on and hearing his godmother singing in a jazz trio. Growing up, Ce$ar’s own taste was rooted in hip-hop amongst a community which felt hostile towards electronic music. But Ce$ar’s ears were always open beyond the limits of his peers, sensing the foundational connection between these different strands of Black music culture tracking back through the decades. It was while DJing on the hip-hop stage at a festival Ce$ar had a lightbulb moment, hearing the mesmerising sound coming from a neighbouring arena and trusting his curious instincts to go and check it out. Hearing the sound of electro and techno being projected at top volume on a festival stage was a revelation - Ce$ar immediately cancelled his hip-hop bookings and re-focused his creative energy towards electronic music. Applying the drive and ambition from his sports career to music, Ce$ar soon attained radio slots and residencies which gave him the platform to explore the direction of his sound. He found himself drawn to the thrust of hard groove and the techno sound of Detroit and Berlin, connecting to the machine soul roots of the sound while prizing the high-energy momentum crucial to keeping a dancefloor locked in. Throwing raves under bridges and spotlighting in clubs around Belgium, the foundations were laid for Ce$ar’s progressive rise in stature as an essential new techno artist. Fundamental to his creative mission is breaking down the barrier which exists between modern hip-hop communities and the techno world. After all, the genres come from the same lineage of innovation amongst Black communities in the US. As he states, “there’s so much to discover if you open your mind and your ears.” That sentiment tracks for Ce$ar himself, always open to new inspirations and inputs as he follows his passion with a constantly curious, relentless energy. That’s precisely what makes his mixes leap out and grab you, tapping into the infectious thrill of musical discovery and the joy of sound on a fundamental level.