Balance Selections 226: Simply City

Chilean-born DJ/Producer SIMPLY CITY began his music career embedded in clubs and raves in his native city of Santiago under the alias Cesar “Bass” Romero. After developing a reputation as one of the most in-demand DJ’s in his home country, Cesar left Chile to begin touring across Latin America, Asia, Europe, and North America in the pursuit of launching his DJ career.

Cesar then spent many years traveling and touring the world internationally as a DJ. It was Montreal, however, where he decided to root himself after much time abroad. Here, he gained a coveted spot as a resident at Montreal’s world famous Stereo Afterhours, where he’s been engaging crowds and developing his sound for over 10 years.

Outside of DJ’ing, Cesar has released several tracks on some of the most well-renowned labels; ultimately putting himself on the map as one Montreal’s most recognised progressive house producers. SIMPLY CITY continues to play his music beyond Canada’s borders, and consistently delivers his infectious Stereo flare to audiences across the world.

Balance Selections 226: Simply City

Tracklisting:

1. Fede Pals – Bendigo (Original Mix)
2. Faithless – Come one (Day By Day Rework)
3. B-Vision – Red Room (Original Mix)
4. Vite – Love Me Too (Original Mix)
5. Sasha – Wavy Gravy (Larrosa & Gardoqui Rework)
6. Hyunji A – Find Your Truth (Original Mix)
7. Larrosa & Gardoqui – If you love me (Simply City Stereo Interpretation)
8. Scippo – Bottom (Original Mix)
9. M.A.N.D.Y – Supertitious (Chaim Bells Remix – Paul Deep Edit)
10. Moderat – Eating Hooks (John Cosani Edit)
11. Sebastian Busto – Chaos Theory (Dmitry Molosh Remix)
12. Ruben Karapetyan – ID (Hernan Cattaneo & Soundexile Remix)
13. EarthLife – Senza Fine (Simply City Balance Special Edit)
14. Santi Cebrero – ID (Sebastian Sellares Remix)
15. Cream – Entropia (Original Mix) – Strange Town Recordings
16. Vangelis – End Titles (Simply City Rework)
17. Eichenbaum, Fede Pals – ID (Original Mix)
18. Dowden – Contiga (Original Mix)
19. Emi CA, Joaco Salerno – ID (Original Mix)
20. Howling – Phases (John Cosani Remix)
21. Daniel Testas – ID (Original Mix)
22. Joan Retamero – Amithaba (Original Mix)
23. Guy J – Lamur (Am – Paul Deep Remix)
24. Spencer Brown & Ezequiel Arias – Slow Burn (Original Mix)
25. Will DeKeizer – ID
26. Sacha Rener – Red Lessons (Break Mix)

Balance Selections Q+A

Name: Cesar Romero
Location: Montreal – Canada
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Alias/Producer name: SIMPLY CITY
Labels affiliated with: Sudbeat, Hope, Plaisirs Sonores, OneDotSixTwo, GU, Renaissance, Proton

My last 3 releases:

Larrosa & Gardoqui – If you Love me (Simply City’s (((Stereo))) Interpretation)

Kamilo Sanclemente, Carol Brown – Spiral Inflections (Simply City Remix)

Simply City – Full Circle

What music did you listen to as a child?

My earliest memories of music were 60’s music as Elvis Presley, Beatles, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, and from the 70’s, Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bee Gees, Queen, Kiss, Jackson 5, Earth Wind and Fire, Doors, Deep Purple, Supertramp, KC and the Sunshine Band, Sylvester, Donna Summer, Chic, Boney M, among many others. My mother used to play a lot of music at home, clean the house and dance whilst she was at it. I remember her being so happy whilst listening to music, like it was a vehicle for freedom and happiness. Then I had a neighbour that was a DJ and had tons of rock and disco vinyls so I used to go to his house and he would let me play them for hours.

When was the first time that you realised that you liked electronic music?

This neighbour, one day, while I was in his studio room listening music, he was into psychedelia and some progressive rock, etc. (I just had discovered breakdance and I wanted to DJ), he sat down and told me “You need to hear this” he handed me the below 6 albums that changed my life forever:

Vangelis – Blade Runner Original Soundtrack

Gershon Kingsley- Music to Moog by

Kraftwerk – Autobahn

Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the moon

Art of Noise – Who’s Afraid of the Art of Noise?

Breaking Soundtrack

After listening to all of them I was sold and I started investigating about all music made with machines.

When was the first time you saw a DJ in a club?

For me the first clubbing experience was not in a club, it was in a place called Teatro Esmeralda in Santiago, an old theatre that served as place to do the very first underground parties in the beginning of the 90’s. The parties were called SPANDEX that was a mix of music, live theatrical and dance performance, people dancing in cubes, fashion, and a mix of almost everything from punk, gothic, new wave, breakers, from gay to straight. This was a whole revolution in Chilean nightlife that until the year 87 was forbidden because of the dictature’s curfew. This parties became a magnet for a diverse public that grew up in the rigidity of Pinochet’s military regime that wanted to get immersed in diversity both musically and visually in one night. The DJ was Marcos Pizarro that to me is the ultimate and most iconic thoroughbred Chilean DJ. Of course, it was one of the most amazing experiences getting myself inside this event.

My first real club experience was Pacha Buenos Aires back also in the early 90’s with Hernan Cattaneo on the decks, that was out of this world.

Which producers/artists/acts inspire you?

One of my biggest influences was vale Evanghelos Odyssey Papathanassiou aka Vangelis by far. Why? Simply because, over his lifetime (R.I.P.) he released 29 studio recordings, 28 compilation albums, 12 soundtrack albums and 42 singles. And yet, most of his film score works were never released, and he often said he had much more unreleased music “in the vault”. His music was incredible, his range was astonishing, and he was a real storyteller. I can listen all his music one after another and I can get transported to beautiful places, his music was sexy, futuristic, deep, melancholic, romantic, melodic you name it! His music reflected from a to z the growing progressive-rock movement. One of the things that admire the most of him is that his music making is his penchant for improvisation. As early as 1971 shows most of the time he was performing and creating things on the spot and spontaneously. Also, another remarkable thing was his use of various tape delays where he was getting many textures from the organ that sound like string ensembles and synthesizer pads, years before those instruments existed. Something I can tell you for example that is also remarkable was his love affair with the Yamaha CS-80 that was legendary: he owned eight of them over his lifetime! There’s a rare film clip of him demonstrating what the CS-80 is capable of.

Something else that admire of him was the fascination with space and space travel which for sure was part of his inspiration.

As you see I can talk hour and hours about my admiration for this man of why is my favourite musician.

What else inspire me is all kinds of Ambient, Electronica, and Breaks.

What was the last album that you downloaded/bought?

Sofie Birch – Holotropica I loved it, I listen to it at least twice a week since I bought it, I found it digging for Ambient and let me tell you it’s beautiful. Just enough New Age and gentle Ambient to make it totally serene and just enough progressive/electronica elements to keep it interesting and surprising just like watching pristine waters on a clear day while a gently arousing cool breeze blows. This music inspires me, when I listen to it I hear beats in my head.

What is your current production and DJ set up like?

Over the years I realized that the most important of a studio is your room so I worked very hard to finally buy a house and build my dream great sounding room in my basement, still a work in progress but already I can feel the difference. Then, I use a combination of hardware and software, my favorite synth is the Prophet REV2 with it I can achieve a lot.

To DJ, I use CD players, normally pioneers and all my music on USB’s sticks. All my life I used to play with vinyl but I lost a HUGE record collection in a hurricane when I was living in Cancun (Mexico), ever since I never came back to vinyl, technology happened at the same time and now USB’s I think is the best way to carry your music, especially when you travel.

What releases do you have on the horizon?

Currently I’m working on a remix for a beautiful original track by Tamir Regev – Common Ground with this beautiful male vocal that will be out on Plaisirs Sonores.

Also finishing a remix for Alfheim on Colombian record label Clubsonica

Lately, I have been doing a lot of remixes and my plan is now to dedicate during this coming winter to produce original solo material, also plans to collaborate with artist & friends that also admire like Paul Deep, Dimuth K, Will DeKeizer and also conversations to do something with my all-time hero.

Also, I’m planning a future album where I can also show my love for ambient music.

Where can we hear you perform?

You can find me regularly at my (((home))), one of the most amazing venues in this world, known by one of the best sound system ever and one of the few places that keeps it as real as it can get “all the about music”, which is Stereo Montreal where I hold a steady and strong 10 year residency. There I am lucky enough play for a crowd that “gets it”. In this place I can freely be able to cultivate the almost lost art of warm up and for the biggest names in the industry gaining a lot of respect for it. Also, from time to time I have my own local night where they let me invite up and coming local talent. Also, once a year a have a night with Hernan Cattaneo, we’ve been doing it since 2014 where I mostly open for him and sometimes close. This night turned into a Stereo classic and tradition, last September he invited me to do an impromptu B2B so who knows what the future holds, but it looks very promising.

Outside Stereo, I travel regularly to do national and international shows.

I was also recently added to the roster of one of the best Argentinian booking agencies called Estamos Felices located in Buenos Aires. We are preparing a tour for 2023 in South America, which I have been waiting for years to reconnect with my Latino roots. The plan is to do as many cities as we can in the best clubs within Chile, Argentina + more and shows keep adding. One of the shows already confirmed is called WALUNG and is done in the Patagonia in Argentina during the full moon, which very close to the Cordillera de los Andes, exciting!!!

Tell us more about the podcast you made for Balance?

I wanted to tell a story, working at Stereo and because of my DJ background is hard for me to do short sets, thank you for letting me go longer. I wanted to play music from close artists friends that I also admire, also provide visibility to up and coming DJs producers so a few weeks ago I did a post on my social networks for people to send me their music and I selected the best of those. I think is important to support each other to keep a healthier growing scene and I’m using this amazing opportunity you are giving me to also use this impulse to support others.

Standouts tracks for me in the mix are:

• B-Vision – Red Room
• Scippo – Bottom
• M.A.N.D.Y – Supertitious (Chaim Bells Remix – Paul Deep Edit)
• Ruben Karapetyan – ID (Hernan Cattaneo & Soundexile Remix)
• Howling – Phases (John Cosani Remix)
• Will DeKeizer – ID

My Recommendations

The top track in my DJ wallet currently is:

Marcan Liav – Oucha (RIGOONI Remix)