I got to Montreal, Canada, on a cold Wednesday night. My flight from Zurich was delayed by three hours due to technical issues; gotta love it. I knew I had two nights to adjust my sleep schedule for Friday night. I was going to Stereo, an after-hours club in the heart of the gay village (yes, that’s the actual name). The club is legendary. Open for more than two decades, it’s a temple for underground house and techno. Everyone has played there, from Solomon, and Pan-Pot, to old-school legends like Kerri Chandler, DJ Vibe or Danny Tenaglia. The first time I went, I was clueless about what to expect. It was in October 2021, and I went to see NYC legend Victor Calderone, who I didn’t know back then. This night turned out to be the most critical night of my musical life. For the first time, I truly understood what underground dance music is all about. I felt the magic of the dance floor, and the energy got me addicted instantly. Don’t get me wrong; I wasn’t a novice in partying and going to clubs back then. I’ve been to places most people went, and I think that’s the issue. However, I had never been to a place like Stereo, a club where it’s all about the music and the sound quality.
Stereo was nominated the best club in North America by DJ Mag in 2017, and I firmly believe that today still, it holds up to its reputation. Stereo after-hours is unique, primarily because of the sound system. The custom sound system was built to emulate the sound of a famous PA system of the 80s. Not only that, the room is perfectly acoustically treated. It’s like listening to music on studio monitors, only that they are 3 meters tall, and you’re surrounded by four of them. The result is a warm and rich analogue sound that will give goosebumps to any audiophile out there — the best side-effect; no ringing in the ears on the way home. While there are some tourists, the crowd is mostly well-educated and therefore, the music is tailored to an experienced crowd. Consequently, DJ’s know that they can take the crowd on a musical journey without scaring people off when more experimental tracks are played.
On Friday, I went to see Maceo Plex, a well-known DJ who mostly plays festivals, big rooms, and Ibiza. He’s a true veteran of the scene and incredibly talented. He takes his crowd on a musical journey, and even though his music is not 100% my vibe, I felt ecstatic about seeing him play live. However, my Jetlag was killing me. I realised early enough on Friday that I would never make it through the night without rest beforehand. So I decided to take a nap from 9 pm to midnight. Waking up was brutal, but I felt a rush of anticipation going through my body. I got to the door at 1 am.
No line. I expected Stereo to be at full capacity with such a high-tier DJ playing. After getting every inch of my body searched by security, I was finally walking up the stairs. The layout of Stereo is very minimalistic. The first “floor” consists of a chill-out area with a massive couch and a unisex bathroom. In the centre of the room, a second staircase leads to the dance floor. The walk up that staircase always feels special. You start to hear the sounds at full volume, but you can’t see the dance floor yet since it’s hidden behind a wall. While I was walking up the staircase, I was full of anticipation. Feeling the low end was all I could think about. Weed is legal in Canada, and I smoked some of my favourite strain right before entering. Just enough to allow me to blur out everything but the music without nuking my body and mind into another sphere. I typically go for a strong Sativa without any CBD.
When I first stepped foot on the dance floor, I was disappointed. Organic’ish / deep house? Today? Not at all what I expected. Maceo Plex is known for heavy house and Techno grooves, so I expected Tom Cardeli to play darker stuff. His real name is Tommy Piscardeli, and he’s the owner / CEO of Stereo, and I’ve seen him play before. Additionally, the crowd seemed off. Most seemed uneducated, and you could tell it was their first time in an environment like that. In short, a lot of tourists. Over the last couple of years, I started to understand how exclusive rave culture has become. In a way, Stereo fights against that since their door is as inclusive as it gets. However, the downside is that you sacrifice having an educated crowd that understands the music and is familiar with the etiquette of establishments like Stereo.
Around 3 am, the vibe changed entirely. Tom Cardeli started to play bangers, and the music was getting loud. Probably around 100-103 dB. How that feels when you’re in Stereo is hard to put into words. The bass is almost overwhelming but so clear at the same time. The highs start to get really intense without sounding harsh. I always carry a pair of earplugs with me when I go clubbing, and I end up using them most of the times. They take a couple of dB of high frequencies away, and since I already struggle with my tinnitus, I am cautious regarding harsh frequencies.
It’s easy to find the centre of the room because that’s where the wooden floor looks the most beaten down. It’s where you get the perfect surround sound and where the bass feels the strongest. I didn’t turn around for quite some time but when I did I saw the room almost at max capacity. At 4 am Maceo Plex started to play, and the music got louder again. We were around 105-110 dB at that point. It’s the loudest I’ve experienced in there. You feel the low hitting your body with such force that your mind goes blank. The only thing that exists is the music and you. We reached the techno phase of the night. The kicks got harder, and the bpm was faster. He played a mix between melodic techno and some more alternative but heavy grooves. The kicks felt so powerful that after a more prolonged breakdown, I almost jumped because I didn’t expect such a force to come back. I enjoyed every second between 3-5 am, but at some point, my jetlagged body had enough. I left around 5 am, and it hurt to see the line still about 50-100m long. Also, the people in line started to look more like the type of crowd you wanted to be surrounded with. Heavy-hearted, I dragged myself to the bus stop and drove home. On the bus, I listened to the songs I shazamed and realised again that it’s not the same. The songs that hit the hardest in a club often sound nothing but average on headphones or entertainment speakers. Often it’s the LoFi character that results in a lack of energy on small speakers.
Nights like these give me so much. You’re surrounded by hundreds of people but still enjoy privacy and anonymity. You are connected to everyone and no one at the same time. I feel at peace, which is something that’s hard to come by. One day I’ll own a place like Stereo, where people go to enjoy music and forget their sorrows.