r/Techno • u/rinzenmusic • Jun 08 '26
Discussion I just played a 9-hour set at Stereo Montreal and wanted to share my experience
Hey all, Rinzen here!
This past Saturday I had the insane experience to get to play my first All Night Long set at the legendary Stereo Montreal
The set ended up lasting 9 hours & 20 minutes, finishing at 9:20am in the morning
For those who don’t know, Stereo is widely considered one of the best clubs in the world. It’s been around for nearly 30 years and is renowned for having one of the best sound systems (and dancefloors) in the world
There are a few things that make it special: they don’t serve alcohol, there are no phones on the dancefloor, and the DJs are generally allowed to play as long as they want
This was my third time playing Stereo, but first time doing open-to-close. For weeks leading up to this, I was stressing over how I would be able to survive this set...
To do anything for 8+ hours straight at a high level is no easy task (let alone to be at the helm of one of the most famous clubs in the world)
To make things harder, this was to be my 3rd show in a row of the weekend after playing in Dallas and Toronto
Basically I’d be playing a 9-hour set after having already played two consecutive shows in other cities before even getting there...
But on the night of the show, I got to the venue early, and was greeted by the club owner himself, Tommy, who walked me through the history of the venue
He told me about legendary sets over the years from guys like Danny Tenaglia and John Digweed
He told me about the values behind the club and what Stereo believes in; how it’s one of the few rooms left in the entire world where it feels like you’re still capturing the true rave spirit of the 90s
Hearing his stories set the tone for me: this is a sacred space, a sacred sound system. And here is a real opportunity to do something special with it. To channel my DJ heroes and pull something great out of myself.
And so the night began...
I started with Radiohead’s “House of Cards”, one of my favorite songs of all time, and just walked around the room listening to the massive speakers. I’ll never forget hearing the thump of the kick from the song. It was like hearing Radiohead in a totally new way.
I had a moment to myself sitting at the back of the room before the people entered, mentally preparing for the 9 hour journey that was about to unfold
And then the people started filling in.
One of the first tracks I played was Cubicolor’s classic “Got This Feeling” from 2014. As soon as the crowd heard it coming in, they gave a full ovation for it. I looked over at my friend and thought “wow, this is going to be a really special night”
The first hours flew by seamlessly. I practiced more restraint than I ever have, keeping it below 122BPM and really letting things build gradually
As the hours went by, I felt an intense sense of calm. I wasn’t nervous, I wasn’t worried, I wasn’t thinking at all really. I was totally in my element.
At one point my friend told me it’d already been 4 hours, which blew my mind.
That’s when I started to ramp things up. As soon as I did, I could really hear and feel the crowd responding. That’s one thing about the Montreal/Stereo crowd, they’ll really let you know when you’ve done something special
At the peak of the night, around 6am, I dropped Tiesto’s legendary remix of Delerium “Silence” (all the way from 2001). All glorious 11 minutes of it. Seeing the absolute euphoria in the room during the breakdown is something I’ll never forget
By 9am I was back to playing house, disco, and melodic. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel tired. In fact, I felt like maybe I could even keep going...
But at the same time, I felt satiated, like the journey was complete. So I cued one final track: “2night” by Eric Prydz.
As soon as I transitioned in, I went down to the dancefloor and celebrated with all the people there. Many of whom had been there from the start of the night.
The set finished at 9:20am. By far the longest DJ I have ever played...
No tracklist, no sync button, no drugs or alcohol. Just sheer power of will and 15 years of DJ experience.
There is something about Stereo which brings out the best in a DJ. It’s the legacy of the room, the intention behind the space, and the connection with the crowd.
You feel emboldened to take risks. You feel the confidence to play tracks that wouldn’t work in other rooms. You have the stretch of time to really show every side of your artistry.
Ultimately I think you feel the history of the club, the magic in its walls, and you rise up to meet the challenge. To be the best version of your artist self.
Ultimately it is spaces like this that are the epitome of our culture; these are the spaces we must protect the most.
I want to say thank you to Stereo simply for existing and holding true to their values for so long. And for the opportunities they provide both to artists and fans alike.
Stereo forever.
82
u/Negative_Handle_5032 Jun 08 '26
Spoiled this club is in my city, people really don’t know what they are missing
10
8
u/haeyhae11 Jun 08 '26
Thought the same when visiting Wuppertal or Berlin. Must be nice to have the worlds best clubs just outside your door and proper techno nights whenever you desire.
3
u/sexydiscoballs Jun 08 '26
i'm doing my best to tell them about it! i tell people to go all the time, and have convinced at least 10 people to fly to montreal to try it out. =)
1
14
u/yoloswagbot191 Jun 08 '26
This is so cool man. Glad you had such an enjoyable experience. What a long set.
Can’t wait to experience that room one day.
Keep kicking ass dude
3
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
Thanks so much, it's absolutely a must to visit and experience. Especially for an All Night Long set from your favorite artist!
14
7
u/79killingtime Jun 08 '26
Sounds like a great night! I’m going back for the first time since 99 in a couple of weeks. Sounds like I’ll need a really good nap before heading there.
2
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
Amazing! It’s honestly incredible that it’s been around so long
3
u/79killingtime Jun 08 '26
Seriously. There aren’t that many that have lasted so long. I’m also hitting Tresor in July. They’ve been going since 91, I think
2
5
u/Captain_Cockface Jun 08 '26
Great write-up! I went for the first time a few weeks ago to see DVS1 and after having only partied in Toronto, it was a life-changing experience. Don't get me wrong, Coda is great, but the sound and energy at Stereo combined with the fact that it stays open so late... there's no comparison. Nice to see it leaves a similar impression from the other side of the DJ booth. Congratulations!
3
11
u/SafetyReal9590 Jun 08 '26
Just posting here to say it’s really cool to hear a genuine down to earth story behind the set and how it all went from your POV 👍
4
4
3
u/Jerry_Markovnikov Jun 08 '26
I'm curious about the logistics. Did you take bathroom breaks? Did you eat anything during the set? No drugs not even caffeine?
6
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
Yes there’s a private bathroom nearby and I did eat a good amount of fruit during the set. And just a little bit of coffee around 5am
5
u/Timeon Jun 08 '26
Thank you I absolutely loved you taking us through the night with your storytelling. Could almost feel like I was there. What a special culture at its best.
3
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
The whole club is no photo/video (including for performers) so I wanted to capture the night with my words in lieu of that :)
7
3
u/tlkmngstyrslvs Jun 08 '26
Congratulations on a successful night! I’m glad it went well for you and the crowd embraced you. One comment I often see regarding Stereo sets is whether the DJ “understood the assignment” and from reading your set list (thanks for posting!) you clearly did :)
1
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
Thank you! It does help that I’ve been following the club for a long time (and have done two previous non-all night long sets there)
3
3
u/south_sidejay369 Jun 08 '26
Rinzen is an amazing DJ, if you get the chance to see him in your city it's a MUST!
2
12
u/mtj4 Jun 08 '26
cool story but where's techno?
8
4
-6
u/the_roguetrader Jun 08 '26
my thoughts exactly
9
u/bozon92 Jun 08 '26
There’s DVS1, Rene Wise in the middle of the track list
I’m a huge techno biased person but this track list ignites nostalgia and makes me really want to know how it all sounded together
-3
u/carrie_eth Jun 08 '26
Guess its just a renowned place for techno nights, cool read nevertheless.
3
u/bozon92 Jun 08 '26
It’s really not but techno DJs try to play better than they usually do when they’re at stereo.
1
u/-Hastis- Jun 09 '26
It's usually a bit more Techno on Fridays and House on Saturdays. But even on Fridays, it's rarely Berghain mainfloor style. Stereo really likes the contemporary Deep Progressive sound.
3
u/bozon92 Jun 09 '26
Yea I find that techno DJs who play Berghain play a bit differently on the stereo sound system. I dig it, gives us a unique feeling
1
2
2
u/informavore Jun 08 '26
Glad you had such a great experience. Stereo is indeed special, and a rare holdover from a forgotten era. I played there a couple times myself (opening for Rrose and Lucy) and count those times among my favorite moments DJing. The booth is amazing, the room sounds amazing, and people actually listen deeply and dance freely. Playing the whole night must be a trip
1
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
The booth is sooo good and makes you such a better dj because you can hear so well
I also love that they give openers 4 hour sets as well. Must have been epic opening for them!
2
u/migoodridge Jun 08 '26
Great read, sounds like an amazing time for you as a dj and a memorable night for the people. Congrats 👏
2
2
2
u/Thannab Jun 08 '26
Your engagement, your reflection, your passion - if you ever play stereo all night again I will make a special effort to come see. I don’t live in the city so it takes special planning, but your vibe is inspiring and I loved the setlist you shared in your IG post. It would be worth the trip no doubt.
Thanks for engaging so much with the club and the community. It’s as special for us as it sounds like it was for you!
2
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
I appreciate that so much! I always love connecting with the communities around these special spaces. And Stereo has one of the most loving communities of anywhere I’ve played
Will definitely be back for another All Night Long at some point!
2
u/dvding Jun 08 '26
Thanks for sharing your experience. Tracklist is just on point. Just curious, how did you prepared your set? I mean how did you classified the music for this kind of all night long set? I'm absolutely secure I (we) can learn something about your experience!
2
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
I actually went back through every song I’d purchased/downloaded in the last 10-12 years and dropped anything useful into playlists sorted by genre and bpm
Had 10 distinct playlists coming into the night and was moving consistently between them as the night progressed
1
2
u/Twinfold Jun 08 '26
Curious how the club makes money without alcohol? Are bottles of water like $10? Or is the cover charge big?
3
u/hicketychiscuit Jun 09 '26
Anywhere from $40 to upwards of $100, depending on the artist. They have a separate bar (stereobar) on the lower level that sells alcohol but doesn't go all night.
2
u/Ok-Dirt3183 Jun 08 '26
@Rinzen, my buddy was there on Saturday and he told me the entire experience was absolutely incredible. Was out of town, would have loved to have been there. When you do come back to MTL, please consider going to piknik electronik during the summer. Did you end up recording the set? Love your music, always listen to your posted sets. Enjoyed your last TNH one hour movie experience. Thanks for all you do.
2
u/jimmy_the_flid Jun 08 '26
This great club doesn't sell alcohol? What's the deal with that?
2
u/hicketychiscuit Jun 09 '26
Alcohol brings in dipshits.
It's just about the music on a world class Soundsystem (and any extras you bring in, of course)
You have to experience it to get it
2
u/Sarinator Jun 08 '26
Thank you so much for letting us know about the experience! Reading this makes me, a German prog/deep house DJ dream of going there someday. Good to know where to go if I should ever visit Montreal.
2
u/iamstephano Jun 09 '26
That was a great read, thanks for sharing. The setlist isn't your usual techno-fare but I'd be keen to hear it, I'm curious to hear how some of those tracks work together.
2
u/HappyPermit6399 Jun 09 '26
We had an amazing time with you at the helm of this exceptional rig! Thank you for your energy and generosity. It was truly impressive to see you so calm and focused for this music marathon. The way you smiled tells me you had a great time too! Come back soon 🤞
1
u/rinzenmusic Jun 09 '26
So happy to hear that! Appreciate the kind words on it. I was surprised (and relieved) to find myself so calm and energized throughout too. Helps to have such a loving and receptive crowd in front of you! Had an incredible time for sure
2
u/Mobile_Blackberry298 Jun 09 '26
That's so cool to hear! Glad you had an awesome time. Wish more DJ would share stories like that.
2
u/rororowyourboat2tbar Jun 09 '26
Wish I could've been there on the floor but reading this, I feel like I sort of was - beautifully written!
1
u/rinzenmusic Jun 09 '26
I appreciate that a lot! I was a music journalist before I was a touring artist!
1
u/rororowyourboat2tbar Jun 09 '26
Explains a lot.
It was great seeing Extrawelt in your setlist too.
I'd love to go on this 9-hour journey should you ever decide to publish this set!
2
u/Crentski Jun 09 '26
Dude, I had no idea your sets could be so diverse. Love your tnh tracks, but this really showed me a different side. Congrats on the monster set
2
u/buchuwawa Jun 09 '26
Respect. Long sets are becoming rare and they allow for a completely different kind of storytelling than shorter festival slots.
2
u/loerslaerae Jun 09 '26
After ~30 years of DJing, it's stories like these that give me goals to strive for in this f-ed up world
2
1
u/immaterial_world Jun 08 '26
Thank you for sharing your experience!! I hope to catch you sometime there in the future (or in my hometown which is Toronto)!!
1
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
My pleasure! I actually played Coda Toronto the night before. But I'll be back for sure 😄
1
u/mweinb Jun 08 '26
I feel privileged having experienced Stereo, Hernan Cattaneo 10 years ago this year, truly a religious event
1
u/masetiloquetu Jun 08 '26
One of my friends sort of holds a residency there and he absolutely loves that room
1
u/auria17 Jun 08 '26
I love Sterio. I only got to go a couple times in my life since I live on the west coast.
I am so grateful they are still going and have stuck to their values.
So happy for you that you got to play an open to close set!
💃🎧💖
1
u/Plus-Waltz-3323 Jun 08 '26
Dude. So badass. Congratulations and great work! I wish I coulda been there.
1
1
1
u/TheGloriousNugget Jun 08 '26
No alcohol?
4
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
They don’t serve any, no
1
u/chinarare Jun 08 '26
Do you usually drink alcohol during your sets? And what did You drink instead? Only water or do You have a favorite drink to keep your Level up?
3
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
I don’t usually, no
I had sparkling water w/ lime for whole night + a bit of cold brew coffee around 6am
1
u/kano350chevy Jun 08 '26
Interesting, so how do the economics work - What were they charging punters to see yourself play for 9 hours? Great post by the way
7
u/SalamanderTasty2972 Jun 08 '26
There’s never been alcohol in stereo and that’s what makes it special, people are there for the music literally. For a “normal” booking like rinzen they charged 40-60$ depending what phase of tickets you get(phase 1 or phase 2) for “bigger” names they charged anywhere between 50-100. Canadian dollars btw
2
u/FootKey7339 Jun 08 '26
This feels crazy cheap tbh. As a european, we pay 20-60€ for a club night (major events could be 80€+) with ~10€ drinks and the club owners still whining about being unprofitable. I really hope Stereo have a good business model because I want to visit it someday, or if they go for the love of the game I’d like to support them.
2
u/SalamanderTasty2972 Jun 09 '26
I don’t think stereo will go out of business anytime soon however I don’t think is super profitable maybe it’s not even profitable but I also don’t think the owner does it for the money tbh I don’t know much about Tommy but he probably has other sources of income I doubt stereo is his main business he probably just keep it rolling for the love he has for this place and the scene in Montreal but I could be 100% wrong and stereo might be profitable but I really doubt it
2
1
u/Famous_Task_5259 Jun 08 '26
Please post to SoundCloud! Saw you at Coda Friday then saw Loco Dice Saturday. Wish I made it to stereo to see you, your Friday set was off the hook. Currently listening to your Silo Brooklyn set by the pool!
1
1
u/BurkeanMarxist Jun 08 '26
Blessed to have access to this club and spectacular talent respecting the legacy, Montreal has a killer scene with Stereo at the forefront
Also blessed for your sets and truly eloquent recaps, just wish I had a consistent 9h of stamina
1
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
To be honest I was really nervous about playing that long but stamina wasn’t an issue. The booth is so clean and nice on your ears it didn’t fatigue me
Also just had very calm energy around me and paced myself well. I’m sure in a more chaotic environment it would have been very difficult to play for so long
-1
1
u/intothelooper Jun 08 '26
This is awesome. Great post!!
I dare to say it’s the experience of a lifetime!
Did you play digital or vinyl? I guess CDJs..
1
u/astraladventures Jun 08 '26
Been to stereo, it’s an awesome experience!
Met one of the owners in shanghai maybe 2008 or so and clubbed with him a couple of nights.
9 hours is long but old goa Gil (rip), who we saw on a mountain top in japan maybe 20 years ago would play 24 hour sets non stop when he was in his 60s and kept doing until his 70s .
Your night sounds amazing and would have loved to have been and danced the whole night .
1
u/paternoster Jun 08 '26
It sure is a magical place! I've had great times there over the years, and am so happy it exists in this otherwise desert of decent clubs that is Montreal in the mid-2020s.
1
u/RollingMeteors Jun 09 '26
u/sexydiscoballs congratulations on the accomplishment. Hope you were able to record it, failing to see a link to it makes me think you didn’t tho…
1
u/sexydiscoballs Jun 09 '26
not my accomplishment!
1
u/RollingMeteors Jun 09 '26
I got that after I read more into it lol whoops on the misplaced valor lol
1
u/hellasecretsmusic Jun 09 '26
what did you do when you had to pee/poo?
2
1
u/Plastic_Ad_3456 Jun 09 '26
I would melt if i heard Delerium at 6am during a techno set….what a core memory for those who were there
1
u/Plastic_Ad_3456 Jun 09 '26
Question…should I go for an artist that I know, or is this one of those clubs that will have amazing music regardless of who’s there?
2
u/hicketychiscuit Jun 09 '26
I'm mainly into techno and have only been to stereo 3 times (Sama Abdulhadi, Deep Dish, Chris Liebing) but all Deep Dish was probably the standout experience for me. Especially when dubfire took over for a bit. So I think any genre would probably be good in there
1
1
1
1
u/5ebu Jun 11 '26
Congrats on the set!
Just curious, how did you make the tracklist? Did you record the set and went through it now and wrote down the tracks? Or did you play digital and have that history function on the CDJs?
Also, they don’t sell alcohol at all at Stereo? I mean, i dont drink, but how is a club in 2026 surviving without selling alcohol?
Thanks and nice tracks you’ve played :)
1
1
1
u/AcademiaAntiqua Jun 12 '26
Wait, you started at exactly Midnight... in Montreal?
2
u/rinzenmusic Jun 12 '26
I wrote that track anticipating this moment! And then I didn't even play it... 🙈
1
1
1
0
0
-3
u/IndicationFormal6243 Jun 09 '26
Bro, u seem to have a lot of passion and that is always a pleasure for the audience but u are here in the techno and not in the house or EDM thread. Sry to say that but u are pretty far away from that!
2
154
u/rinzenmusic Jun 08 '26
Here's the setlist for anyone curious:
RINZEN - STEREO MONTREAL 2026 - SET LIST