The Roots of The Martinez Brothers

New York City is a cultural paradise. A metropolis that birthed disco, hip hop, punk and pop art; one that gave us Knuckles and Nas, Basquiat and Blondie, Wu Tang and Warhol.

Much of what we know to be NYC culture can be traced to its rich history of immigration, expansion, fashion, film, music and art. These are amongst the rivers of influence that flow into The Martinez Brothers: NYC’s house music maestros and Hï Ibiza residents. You can catch them every Tuesday in Ibiza from 17th June - 30th September at the number one club in the world.

Before becoming international party starters, Steve and Chris Martinez were raised in The Bronx, the northernmost borough of NYC. As teenagers in the early ‘00s, they started going to the iconic Shelter club and immersing themselves in house and techno there, played by the likes of Louie Vega and Timmy Regisford.

Their passion for music, however, was seeded much earlier than this by their pastor father, Steve Sr.. He introduced them to jazz, Jamiroquai and Herbie Hancock at a young age, and got them playing in the church band. In his own formative years, before the boys were born, Steve Sr. had spent nights dancing at the legendary Paradise Garage in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Years later, when raising the boys, he introduced them to the music he loved from those clubbing days at the Garage. This leads us to the first stop on journey to the roots of The Martinez Brothers.

Larry Levan was a Brooklyn DJ who was offered a residency at the newly opened discotheque The Paradise Garage in 1977. The idea behind the club was to capitalise on the popularity of Studio 54. However, the Garage attracted a more diverse crowd in terms of race, gender, class and sexuality, due to its location being in the rough-edged downtown Manhattan, as opposed to the safer, more wealthy Midtown where Studio 54 was.

The music coming out of the Garage nightclub was a product of this vibrant, queer, multicultural melting pot. Devoted to the dancefloor, Larry would play and remix everything from the funk of Chaka Khan to the dub reggae of Sly and Robbie, from British synth pop like The Human League to disco records by Sparque. The foundations of house music and club culture in NYC were built here by the late Larry Levan and others.

The Martinez Brothers must also share Larry’s love of British synth pop too, because in 2017 they put out an edit of Heaven 17’s 1981 single “Play To Win”.

Next up we have salsa and Latin music. The brothers have Puerto Rican heritage and Latin music has always been a part of their lives. On top of that, New York has long been a hub of Hispanic culture in the US. In the ‘60s, Salsa (a generic term for the music coming from Hispanic immigrant communities) was gaining popularity in New York, bolstered by local labels such as Fania Records.

Steve and Chris Martinez have cited their admiration for pioneers from this time, such as Sergio George, Johnny Pacheco, and Willie Colón. Chris told Complex in 2025, "We come from an era of arrangers who know how to assemble music. We get inspired by real arrangements and real musicians."

In interviews they’ve also described “growing up on reggaeton”, and their love for modern Latin music is clear in their song “PAP” featuring Fuego. “This felt like a natural direction for us to move towards, especially with our Puerto Rican roots,” they said in a 2021 interview with Ladygunn. “We felt we could stand out here amongst other dance music DJs and we had found our niche”. In their career they’ve gone on to collaborate with Latin artists such as Rauw Alejandro, Rema and Tokischa.

The Bronx is known as the ground zero of hip hop, so it’s unsurprising that it’s one of the roots of The Martinez Brothers. Hip hop emerged in the ‘70s from block parties in the borough, where Black communities would jam in the street with sound systems, turntables and mics. Cultural architects Grandmaster Flash and DJ Kool Herc would spin funk, soul and disco records while scratching, mixing and beat juggling. Locals would toast on the mic and the bedrock of rap was formed right there in those neighbourhoods. The Martinez Brothers walked these streets growing up.

They’ve spoken about their love of hip hop culture in interviews and have released tunes in the genre over the years, such as “Going to D.R” and “93 Acura Legend” with Harlem rapper Bodega Bamz. It’s clear to see the hip hop and graffiti influence on the aesthetic of their Cuttin’ Headz label, not to mention the fact that they took the name from an Ol’ Dirty Bastard song. They’ve even been known to drop Wu Tang Clan in their sets.

Don’t miss The Martinez Brothers and their acclaimed Tuesday night residency, 17th June - 30th September. They’ve recruited Green Velvet, MK, Black Coffee, RAYZIR and many more to bring an eclectic mix of house music, techno, Afro and Latin vibes to the best club in the world. Paco Osuna Presents NOW HERE is in the Club Room making for an unmissable Tuesday night of electronic music in Ibiza.