I arrived at Revival with Matt Brennen (my photographer) around 11pm. I wanted to be early in order to catch the opening DJ and to interview The Martinez Brothers. This was my first time to Revival—located at 783 College St. Presented with a modest entrance to a two-level hall, I was very impressed at the sexy and classy décor of the place hidden inside. It seemed to fit right in spirit with the Deep House tunes I was expecting that night. Downstairs: A low-ceiling, field-stone-walls and hard wood floor lounge area with a bar.

Accompanying this was a DJ spinning on a modest sound system and a very energetic fellow on a pair of Djembre (No, not bongos. Jeepers people. Learn your hand drums!). Some Deep House/martini lounge style music was filling the air as a few dancers grooved it up. I socialized with some of the people near me and watched the bartender pull “Cocktail”-style moves for her patrons; flipping near-full liquor bottles deftly off of her palm and splashing alcoholic libations together into a tumbler with a final ‘sloosh’ of liquid into a neatly crafted glass of ice. Cheers! Nice.

Brennen and I headed upstairs which reminded me of a church hall with a stage at the front and no pews. A granite-clad bar adorned the left side of the hall, while VIP booths dotted the right hand side. The dancing crowd milled and socialized in the middle as the opening DJ laid down some groovy beats that had a few people swaying their hips, even this early in the night. The music had a feeling of Disco intertwined with some slower but still heavy beats. The crowd was distinguished, dressed in heels and dress shoes--not the jeans and runner apparel of an underground ‘gonna-dance-all-night’ club—but rather a classy dressy mode suited for a date night. The energy, however, was no less vibrant. The music was the nexus of all these people meeting together, and the excitement to hear The Martinez Brothers—and embodiment of this soul and appreciation—was palpable.

The hall filled out quickly, and I noticed a VIP area overlooking the hall from the back. We made our way up the stairs and found another bar and more intimate lounge areas with a perfect view of the dance area and stage. It was nice to have so many places to sit and socialize. Candles adorned little tables and set the ambiance.

We made our way back down to the main floor to grab another drink from the impossibly-long-granite-bar-of-joy and we felt the energy in the crowd go up a notch.

Looking around, we saw two tall guys making their way to the decks with security around them, greeting people as they go. Everyone in the building was there to hear them. I briefly wondered what it would be like to be a star at such a young age…and doing something I loved so much and had so much deep respect for.

The first tune they belted out was the same I had heard them spin in the opening moments of the original YouTube video I had seen of them so many months ago. Brennen and I were hyped--and then stupefied. We still haven’t got a track ID for that tune *hangs head in shame*. The energy they presented behind the decks was phenomenal. These guys had the crowd going with every beat, dancing behind the decks, singing along with the lyrics and truly enjoying the music.

I’ve heard traditionally Deep House isn’t mixed a lot. A lot of track to track mixing, but generally mixing with two decks, three or even four decks isn’t really heard of when dealing with Deep House. Apparently these kids are the exception—constantly mixing, producing a high energy sound with lots of layers in a genre that traditionally stays medium to low energy with tracks standing on their own.

Brennen announced himself from Scenester Magazine and was allowed up on stage to shoot some pictures of The Martinez Brothers and of the crowd. I was surprised by his love for Deep House, but glad to have the extra ear to compare notes with as the night progressed. The place was absolutely rammed and I started to feel a little claustrophobic at the front. Retreating to the back, I found some space to dance it up to a soulful tune I had come to love through The PQM Project - Babe I’m Gonna Leave You – The PQM Project [Abducted Recordings]. It seemed to me everyone there knew all the tracks, singing along with all the tunes. Brennen told me many of the tracks were remixes of the classics, and the crowd was one who truly knew their classic Deep House tunes.

The hour was growing late and I haltingly admitted to myself I had to keep another appointment. I finished my last moves on the dance floor with the party still going strong all around me. I took a final jaunt around the club, noting even the downstairs lounge was completely packed and bumping to the tunes the DJ was belting out down below. This was party that wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon. Fliers dotted the tables and floors advertising an after-party hosted by Boogie Inc.

It was refreshing to see and hear these two guys spin. Breaking completely away from the Tech-House or Minimal Tech-House so prevalent in Toronto’s EMS right now, the Deep House tunes being spun that night completely satiated the need I had for something different. Those tunes, being brought by such a young and talented duo spoke to the souls of all who attended and offered fresh energy to me through my burgeoning love for Deep House. I encourage everyone who gets a chance to check out The Martinez Brothers and their productions.

If you want to broaden your Deep House perspectives, check out The PQM project, Victor Calderone, Roger Sanchez and Dennis Ferrer among many more...