INTERVIEW RYAN CROSSON & CESAR MERVEILLE
Interview by Leila Antakly · Antakly Projects × Beirut in the Mix
Two titans of the underground join forces. A genre-defying album, a conversation about pleasure, instinct, and why the best music always starts with fun.
We are thrilled to announce a new collaboration with Beirut in the Mix, a platform dedicated to spotlighting the most innovative voices in electronic music. Together we bring you exclusive interviews, event coverage, and behind-the-scenes insights with groundbreaking DJs and producers. Kicking off this partnership: a deep dive into the visionary minds of Ryan Crosson and Cesar Merveille, two artists who have joined forces to create something truly extraordinary.
The Collaboration
DRM
Crosson & Merveille · Visionquest
Genre-defying full-length album drawing from minimalist pioneers of the 1960s to the downtown NYC avant-garde of the 1980s. Mixed by Luke Solomon.
Visionquest · Detroit
Ryan
Crosson
One-fourth of the iconic Visionquest collective alongside Seth Troxler, Shaun Reeves, and Lee Curtiss, Crosson has solidified his status as one of dance music's most forward-thinking talents. Originally from Detroit, his sound carries the city's DNA — soulful, relentless, and rooted in something real.
His work with Merveille on the DRM project gave them both the freedom to explore textures and moods unconstrained by the dancefloor's demands.
Cadenza · Paris · Berlin
Cesar
Merveille
Paris-born, London-shaped, Berlin-based. Merveille's rise through Luciano's Cadenza crew cemented his reputation as a master of groove and texture. Residencies at Lo-Kee and the T-Bar gave way to a global platform and a signature sound — irrepressible joie de vivre, matched by an insatiable appetite to be challenged.
His label Roche Madame, inspired by a secret family location off the coast of Brittany, channels the creative energy of musical allies into new collaborative work.
Greatest inspirations and influences
What shapes your creative vision?
Cesar Merveille
The art of looking sideways (Allan Fletcher). Christian Marclay. Detroit. Jazz. Musique concrète and all kinds of experimental music. Steve Reich. Villalobos. Miles Davis. Ennio Morricone. The cosmos. Sciences — to name just a few.
Ryan Crosson
My hometown. My parents. Rich. Ricardo. Eno. Harold Budd. Jazz of all sorts, mainly Coltrane. Ethiopiques. Miles Davis. Arthur Russell. Nature. Food. Panama.
"Dance music was always about having fun. It's an ethos that has not escaped Cesar Merveille — irrepressible joie de vivre, matched only by a desire to be challenged by everything he does."
Biographie
Most memorable set so far
What performance stays with you?
Cesar Merveille
Bucharest, Sala Polivalenta — a stadium arranged for the event — with Mirko and Luciano. The biggest room I've played in, having a blast.
Ryan Crosson
A lot to try and recall. In recent memory — Time Warp 2012 with Shaun and Seth, or our recent 24-hour marathon at CDV.
Highlight of summer 2012
What stood out?
Cesar Merveille
Playing at DC10 with Ryan, and the after party at Ushuaia — b2b2b with Luciano and Mirko.
Ryan Crosson
DC with Ces for sure.
Favourite websites and blogs
Where do you find things?
Cesar Merveille
- stumbleupon.com — to discover new things
- discogs.com — to buy vinyl
- talkinsalad.wordpress.com — Bill Patrick's blog
- canalplus.fr — for entertainment
Ryan Crosson
Anything else?
Last words.
Cesar Merveille
I definitely recommend a good Côte Rôtie (red wine from the Rhône) if you haven't tried any yet.
Ryan Crosson
I'd pair that with any red meat you can get your hands on that's not overcooked.
About Beirut in the Mix
A Lebanese Institution
Originally a group of like-minded friends playing each other their favourite tunes, to hosting some of the world's biggest DJs, Beirut in the Mix has become a Lebanese institution. From modest 2006 beginnings in random venues scattered around Beirut's partially ravaged landscape, the events built a healthy following and spawned their own radio show — now well over 400 episodes, airing Saturdays 8pm (Beirut time) on Mix FM 104.4.